The cornerstone was laid on Friday for Estonia's new memorial for the victims of communist crimes. The memorial, to be completed this fall, is currently under construction at Tallinn's Maarjamäe site as the latest addition to a number of monuments in the area.

Maarjamäe, already the site of the Soviet-era Ice Cruise of the Baltic Fleet memorial, a World War II-era German military cemetery, and the Estonian History Museum, is getting another landmark in the shape of the coming memorial to the victims of communism.

The memorial will measure some 30,000 square meters and cost a total of €8 million. The project is funded out of the state budget, with an additional contribution by a fund to help victims of political repression.

The project that won the design competition, called "Journey," was picked from 12 entries. It was created by Kalle Vellevoog, Jaan Tiidemann, Tiiu Truus, Martin Prommik, and Lidia Zarudnaja of JVR Archictects.

The memorial will have two parts, one of which is called "Journey" and the other one "Home Garden." To make it to the latter, the former has to be taken first.

The memorial is to be opened in the fall of 2018.