Estonian National Opera and Estonia Concert Hall, Tallinn, Estonia

Estonian National Opera

Tallinn, Estonia

What we now know as the Estonian National Opera in Tallinn was, along with many other buildings, razed to the ground by air raids on March 9, 1944. Alar Kotli’s design for reconstruction was inspired by the neo-classicism of the 1930s as well as post-war Stalinist classicism; while the appearance of the Estonia Avenue façade was preserved, the other façades were completely redesigned, and the interior underwent a shift from Jugend style to a more classical feel.

With its cheery and inviting exterior, the Estonian National Opera now hosts three independently operating institutions: the Estonian National Opera, the State Concert Institution “Eesti Kontsert”, and the Estonian National Symphony Orchestra.

The past decade has seen a number of expansions and improvements in the house: the addition of a new multipurpose chamber hall, the completion of a new stage, and the renovation of the theatre hall and the audience rooms. Get to know a piece of Estonian history through a visit to this spirited two-wing theater and its lovely Winter Garden.