On April 12, Mart Võrklaev sent a letter to the Tallinn City Government asking whether and why the House of the Blackheads is necessary for the City of Tallinn to organize cultural activities and whether there are plans to continue using the House of the Blackheads as a cultural venue.

"In response to your appeal, we request that you resolve the application the City of Tallinn submitted to the Government of the Republic of Estonia in 2006 and refrain from returning the City of Tallinn's use of the House of the Blackheads complex to the Brotherhood of Blackheads. Indeed, a very long time has passed since the last decisions on the restitution dispute, but the significance and role of the House of the Blackheads in Tallinn's cultural life have not disappeared or diminished," he said.

Oja wrote that the House of the Blackheads has been in active use as a cultural institution for several generations, continuously since the middle of the last century.

"The Tallinn Philharmonic organizes the activities of the House of Blackheads, enhancing the cultural life of Tallinn and Estonia. The venue has been transformed into Tallinn's music house, hosting a number of music collectives, concerts, and festivals. It also hosts conferences and training courses, receptions, and ceremonies," the deputy mayor said.

The White Hall (1532), the first Renaissance-style hall in Tallinn, and St. Olaf's Guild Hall (1422), built in the late Gothic style, host about 200 events a year. In addition, the Estonian Center for Contemporary Music organizes concerts, seminars and workshops in the basement hall, he explained.

Oja recalled that when the government rejected the city's request not to return the House of Blackheads to the Brotherhood of Blackheads, the City Council decided to find out public opinion on the issue of keeping the House of Blackheads as a public cultural object owned by the City of Tallinn. The results of a survey conducted in 2012 showed that 67 percent of Tallinn citizens were in favor of keeping the house for public use, while only 6 percent were in favor of returning it. Survey shows that 94 percent of Tallinn residents consider the House of Blackheads a well-known cultural site, Oja said.

In addition, the Tallinn cultural heritage department collected 106,129 signatures in 2012 in support of not returning the House of Blackheads.

According to Oja, the Tallinn City Council has always been of the opinion that the House of Blackheads is an important cultural asset.

On co-ownership

Oja wrote that the City Council is requesting that the House of Blackheads not be returned to the Brotherhood of Blackheads on the basis of § 12(3)(5) of the property reform act, according to which unlawfully expropriated property shall not be returned if the Government of the Republic, on the proposal of a local government council, decides not to return it, it because it is a cultural object.

"The House of Blackheads is an important cultural site. The continuation of its activities as a cultural institution is clearly threatened by the return of any part of the building complex to a person who has never managed a cultural institution and who lacks the experience and the team to do so. The House of the Blackheads needs major investments to be preserved and to ensure its current function," Oja said.

Oja stressed that although the Ministry of Finance had previously proposed to consider the continuation of the cultural activities of the House of Blackheads in co-ownership with the Brotherhood of Blackheads, the provision on the basis of which the City Council is requesting the non-return of the House of Blackheads does not provide for the creation of co-ownership.

"The Brotherhood of the Blackheads has formulated plans for the management and administration of the House of the Blackheads, asserting that a return of the property will enhance the house's openness and optimize its space utilization. However, the plans also show there is an intention to rent out some of the space as office space on a long-term basis and to open a restaurant, bars, and a club in the building. The plans do not explain how the city and the Brotherhood could co-own the property, or how it would improve local cultural life," Oja said.

"Since the restoration of Estonia's independence, the Brotherhood of the Blackheads has not resumed its activities in Tallinn. To continue and further develop in the desired direction, the organization urgently needs a House of the Blackheads. The city has made it clear to the Brotherhood of the Blackheads that, with the city's consent, the association can use the premises in the building for its statutory purposes," Oja explained.

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