Archbishop Viilma is head of the Estonian Evengelical Lutheran Church (EELK) and president of the Estonian Council of Churches.

Recent disputes over the Alexander Nevsky Cathedral in Tallinn have developed at astonishing pace, from Interior Minister Igor Taro's suggestion of terminating the leasehold agreement, addressed to the Tallinn city government, to proposals to sell the church, dismantle and relocate it, turn it into a museum, or even to demolish it.

These ideas all stem from Moscow Patriarch Kirill's justification of Russia's war of aggression in Ukraine, plus from the fact of Estonia's need to defend itself against the political and ideological influence of a hostile state as exemplified by the Moscow Patriarchate in Russia.

Regardless of the fact of the Alexander Nevsky Cathedral's affiliation with the Moscow Patriarchate, what must not be forgotten is that it is first and foremost a place of worship; where people come every day to light candles in front of icons and to pray, to confess and take part in the liturgy, to baptize children, to get married, and to commend their relatives to God.

Symbols' meanings change over time

We know that the Alexander Nevsky Cathedral was built between 1894 and 1900 in the spirit of the era of Russification, deliberately constructed on Toompea as a symbol of the Russian Empire's power, and there is no reason to conceal this. However, history also affirms that the meaning of buildings and symbols can change over time.

The cathedral on Toompea was for centuries also just a symbol of power for the Baltic German nobility, which had no place for the native populace. The walls of the cathedral are still covered with the coat-of-arms epitaphs of the Baltic German noble families, while beneath the floor slabs in the crypts rest the remains of the lords of the manor who once ruled over our land.

This legacy of foreign rule, something which extends to the present day, has not prompted us to demolish that cathedral or remove the coats of arms from the walls. Admittedly, during the interwar period, the latter act was seriously under consideration, and even debated in the Riigikogu. Instead of demolition, however, we have given this ancient place of worship in Tallinn, with its contested history, meaning befitting the prevailing circumstances.

Tallinn's St. Mary's Cathedral (Tallinna toomkirik) is the primary church for Estonian Lutherans and the home of the Estonian-speaking congregation. It is a place of worship where prayers are offered for the Estonian people and state, on every holy day and holiday, including every anniversary of the Republic of Estonia. This year, on August 20, we will also be marking the 35th anniversary of the restoration of Estonia's independence with an ecumenical service at the cathedral.

Similar layers of history can be found throughout Toompea. The Riigikogu works in a castle which has been shaped by the foreign powers that have ruled here down the centuries. The prime minister, the government, and the government office use the Stenbock noble palace and the later tsarist-era building of the court of peace, which has even given its name — Rahukohtu — to the street on which it is situated.

Over at the Estonian Knighthood House (Eestimaa rüütelkonna hoone), now used as a state representative building, a collection of coats of arms of 280 noble families of the Estonian Knighthood was recently restored. Fortunately, restoring the assembly hall and returning the coats of arms to the walls was not accompanied by calls to restore the estate-based order which ended more than a century ago with the proclamation of Estonia's independence.

The unique coat-of-arms of the Cathedral and the Knights' House are understood as cultural heritage, whose historical significance must be spoken of honestly and critically, but which nonetheless hold great value.

Presumably the meaning of the Alexander Nevsky Cathedral can also be reshaped in ways other than doing away with the building. The very history of this cathedral confirms that the meaning of a building associated with being a symbol of Russification can be changed.

Exactly 90 years ago, in 1936, the Tallinn Alexander Nevsky Russian congregation, as it was then, exchanged buildings with the Estonian St. Simeon's congregation. The Estonian Orthodox congregation moved to Toompea, and the Russian Orthodox congregation moved to the church dedicated to St. Simeon and the prophetess Hanna. As a result, the Alexander Nevsky Cathedral became the representative church of Metropolitan Alexander of the Estonian Apostolic Orthodox Church — that is, Alexander's Cathedral. This step put to bed the debates going on prior to World War Two over the demolition of the (Nevsky) building.

Symbolic churches awaiting state attention

At a time when a great deal of energy is being spent debating the future of the Toompea Orthodox cathedral as a symbol with a negative connotation, several other symbolic churches which are in poor condition but have positive histories await attention and support from Estonia's state leadership too.

On the Estonian side of the Narva River rises Narva's Alexander's Cathedral (Narva Aleksandri kirik). Built for Lutheran workers at the Kreenholm textile mill and consecrated in 1884, the church's spire was destroyed by Soviet aircraft on March 6, 1944. That same summer, retreating German forces blew up the surviving tower. In 1962, Soviet authorities took the church away from the congregation which had begun restoring it, and turned it into a warehouse.

The government and the EELK jointly bought the Alexander's Church out of bankruptcy proceedings in 2016, and the property came under the ownership of the Ministry of the Interior. As early as 2020, the government approved a plan to transform the restored building into a venue for concerts, conferences, exhibitions, and worship services. That remains an idea on paper.

A fully restored Lutheran church in Narva, its tower soaring above the river and visible inside Russia, would serve for an Estonian identity, act in the interests of Narva city and Estonian culture, and tell the story of our national self-awareness. Neither the city of Narva nor the EELK can restore the church alone or even together, however. A clear decision, will, and support from the state are needed for the restoration of Alexander's Church as a symbolic building.

Another symbolic place of worship of similar national significance is St. Mary's Church in Tartu (Tartu Maarja kirik) — our Song Festival church. There, in 1869, the rehearsal and brass choir concert of the first general Song Festival took place. The head of the organizing committee for the first Song Festival was the pastor of Tartu St. Mary's congregation, Adalbert Hugo Willigerode (1816–1893).

That church, severely damaged in World War Two, was transformed into a gymnasium during Soviet times. Now its tower once again adorns the skyline of Tartu, and the congregation has moved back into the building. The nave and great hall of the church are still awaiting restoration, however, and completing this work is beyond the means of both the congregation and the city of Tartu.

A cultured nation restores and builds

Over the last 35 years, the EELK, backed by the help of its many supporters, has restored roughly 50 places of worship that the atheist, church-hostile Soviet regime had shuttered and desecrated. No place of worship is made up merely of walls, a tower, or domes. A building becomes a church when a congregation lives and operates there.

For this reason, the idea of closing, de-consecrating, or demolishing any functioning church cannot be considered fitting for a Christian cultured nation. Such actions were a hallmark of the Soviet atheist and inhumane regime in our recent history. A cultured nation does not demolish — it builds.

No one can alter the past of the Alexander Nevsky Cathedral, but shaping the future of this symbolic building is first and foremost in the hands of Estonia's Orthodox Christians. However, it is also well within the power of our governing coalitions to restore the Alexander's Narva and St. Mary's Tartu churches — places of worship whose towers tell the story of our own people.

Elsewhere in Europe, historical places of worship are being restored and renovated without shame, also drawing on EU support. In Estonia, we are still taking baby steps in this regard. Perhaps it would be worth considering following the example of others here as well. That would be a much better idea for any political party ahead of the upcoming Riigikogu elections than knocking down a cathedral.

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