Monday, August 6, 2012

Patarei

 One of the most memorable visits lately. Patarei jail in Tallinn. One can even have a virtual tour of the cultural park here.
But I can only provide you with some photos I've managed to make in a hurry. People I was with were a bit fast to look around and I didn't want to be left behind as some places were extremely unpleasant.
I will only mention that it was completed in 1840, it is located on area of 4 hectares (10 acres). Over the years it has had different functions – in 1867 functioning as barracks, in 1920 as a prison and since 2007 as a Culture Park.
Only a fraction of the building was opened to the public, but the available area covered a few floors.
We started at the ground floor, which was the scariest one. It had the most dark corners. We even found a sort of kitchen where a huge block of wood was placed in the middle. For chopping animal carcasses, I guess.
The whole building was like a layered cake of light, mood and colors.
One corridor had a monitoring room, with mirrors on both sides of it. It helped the prison keepers to see what's going on outside their office without going out. 
There was a sign above the blue door:" Lawyer's office".
On the left and below-the walking yards. Above, on the right-the medical department.

The most chocking were the bunkers, where the prisoners lived. 16 men in one dark room. There's a window at the end of the long room, but it's behind many layers of bars. Very little light gets through. 
Above-a detail of a huge drawing on a wall. This is probably one fourth of it.  

Lots of things were left behind. Contributing to the uneasy feeling.

A collection of toiletries.


The library at the end of a corridor.
Some of the cozier rooms used to be offices.

The room of the dead refrigerators...
There was a sign saying, "Rubber room". We really hopped to see a room, padded with soft material. But with no luck.

The other scary place. Two operation rooms. We couldn't guess what the table/chair on the left above used to be used for.

Another office and a piece of art or something. Or a letter of confession perhaps?
The ground floor. Dark long rooms with only one window at the far end.


In the psychiatric department...
Sauna...
P.s. there's a cool place to eat and drink behind the prison. Right on the beach.

1 comment:

Akvilina said...

O wow! Labai fainai papasakojai. Ir man krypsai po kuna laksto :))