Address: Estonia, Tallinn, st. Pikk
Coordinates: 59 ° 26'33.1 "N 24 ° 44'58.7" E
Content:
Short description
In the Lower City of Tallinn, surrounded by defensive fortifications in the Middle Ages, numerous fragments of walls, gates and towers have been preserved.
Big Sea Gate and the Tower of Fat Margarita from a bird's eye view
The Great Sea Gate located in the northern part of Old Tallinn, next to the harbor, may well claim the title of "the most impregnable defensive structures". A defense ensemble with watchtowers protected the city from pirate raids and contributed to the prosperity of the trading harbor, attracting the attention of overseas merchants.
The Great Sea Gate, originally connecting the port of Tallinn with Toompea along the current line of Pikk Street, was built in 1265 by order of Queen Margaret of Denmark. In the 16th century, during the reconstruction of the Sea Gate, the Westphalian craftsman Gert Koning added a gun turret with 155 loopholes to it. This squat tower, only 20 meters high, thanks to its thick walls - from 4.5 to 5.2 meters - was a formidable weapon against attackers. For its impressive size - 25 meters in diameter - the tower was named "Fat Margarita".
View of the Fat Margaret Tower from the side of Rannamae Street
Defending the entrance to the harbor and the city, the Fat Margarita served as the guardian of Tallinn's revenues. The artistic value of the ensemble is enhanced by the small coat of arms of the city carved in stone, located on a dolomite slab, between two embrasures, above the Great Sea Gate. The heraldic emblem is made in the form of a battle shield with a cross, supported by two griffins and topped with a knight's helmet. In the Middle Ages, a guard was on duty at each loophole of the tower.
In connection with the development of artillery, the medieval fortifications were replaced by bastions and reduits, and the Fat Margarita tower, having lost its defensive significance, began to be used as a barracks, a warehouse, and since the 1830s there was a prison within its walls. In 1905-1917, political prisoners were held in the prison. In 1917, the Estonian proletarians set fire to the tower. However, "Tolstoy Margarita" was lucky - on April 23, 1981, a branch of the Estonian Maritime Museum was opened in the tower restored by Polish restorers.
View of the Great Sea Gate from Pikk Street
"Fat Margarita" and "Long Herman" - a funny couple
Estonians often joke that “Fat Margarita” is the wife of “Long Herman”. The reader must have guessed that Long Herman is also a tower. "German" reaches 45.6 meters in height, but its volume is much more modest than that of the wife of "Margarita" - only 9.5 meters in diameter. It is worth noting that the "long boy" and the "fat girl" are located far from each other, in different parts of Old Tallinn.
The Maritime Museum within the walls of the Fat Margarita Tower
Reminding guests of the city and Tallinn residents of the terrible times, "Fat Margarita" stores 70 thousand exhibits in its museum funds, but in view of the limited area, only a small part of them are exhibited. The Maritime Museum of the Tower (Pikk Street, 70) presents a rich collection of old ship models, navigational instruments, models of the most important Baltic lighthouses, the steering wheel of the English steamer Auk, which sank during the First World War, barrels, ropes, anchors and other items related to with the sea and sailors, fishing tools, etc.
View of the Great Sea Gate and the Fat Margaret Tower from the west
From the observation deck, located on the roof of the "Fat Margarita" tower, amazing views of the street. Pikk, Oleviste Church and Tallinn Port. In May 2012, it is planned to open another exhibition building of the Maritime Museum - in the Seaplane Harbor, an open-air exposition of historical ships will appear.
