Member of the Board of the Institute Martin Andreller said the contract with the winner of the procurement is expected to be signed at the beginning of 2021. The area space for the permanent exhibition is 5,000 square meters.

"Our goal is to create a meaningful and visitor-friendly exhibition that speaks to both local and foreign visitors. This is, above all, a place of remembrance for the victims of totalitarian regimes," said Andreller.

The is currently already a museum at the fortress which is open during the summer months. It has been visited by 55,000 people so far in the two seasons it has been open, Andreller said.

The future museum will reflect on the crimes committed by communist regimes around the world, the ideology and functioning of such regimes, and the fates of the victims of communism and national socialism. The museum also preserves and exhibits the 200-year history of Patarei. 

The Patarei complex is being redeveloped and will be open to the public in 2026.

The construction of Patarei Sea Fortress started under the orders of Nicholas I in 1828 and after completion, it began operating as an artillery battery. The premises, covering four hectares, has had different functions and was used as a barracks and a prison.

It is memorial to the victims of communism and fascism, as well as a meaningful symbol of resistance on the part of martyrs of the Republic of Estonia.

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