The Patarei Memorial Museum for Victims of Communism will be the first museum in the region to deal comprehensively with the crimes of the communist regimes.

The museum is being built in the former Patarei prison complex in Tallinn, which was used by both the Soviet and Nazi regimes in the 20th century. The museum will showcase the crimes committed by both regimes, focusing mainly on the functions, ideology and crimes of the communist regimes, moving from the local to the European and from there to the global level.

The museum and research center are both scheduled to open on June 14, 2026. The main exhibition will be unique in providing a global view of the crimes of the occupying regimes.

President Alar Karis said the stories the museum will tell are also important way beyond Estonia.

"It is not only about Estonian communism and Nazism but there is also something here to see for people who are not interested in the fate of Estonia. They will still see what the authorities did in their time, and I believe this will also be part of the school program," he said.

While Patarei stands as one of the strongest symbols of Soviet political terror for Estonians, it is also a monumental memorial of international importance, which helps people to understand and make sense of the inhumanity of all forms of totalitarian regimes.

Under the terms of the construction contract, the builders will hand over the premises with €1.6 million set aside in the State Real Estate Company's reserves for the final completion of the museum. However, a government decision is still needed for the project to go ahead.

"The concept and design of the main exhibition are ready, so as soon as the government makes its decision, we will be able to launch a call for tenders and go ahead," said Estonian Institute of Historical Memory board member Martin Andreller.

"It's down to the government to make its own decision, of course, but I hope that after today's visit, they will remember that some things have not yet been done. The decision to have the museum here dates back to 2018, and, as far as I understand it, the money is there, so it now needs to be rubberstamped so things can move forward," President Karis said on ETV show "Aktuaalne Kaamera."

The museum is planned to span around 5,000 square meters in the eastern part of the Patarei complex, where authentic prison cells, a shooting room, corridors, a prison yard with prisoners' exercise rooms and many other features have been preserved. 

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