Freedom Square

Why go

The square gives Estonia's independence history a visible place in the city. Stand by the glass Victory Column, then look for the defensive remains beneath glass near the Harju Street end. St. John's Church and the edge of Old Town help orient the visit.

What to look for

• The glass Victory Column commemorates the War of Independence.
• Preserved defensive remains are visible beneath glass near Harju Street.
• St. John's Church frames the eastern side of the square.

The full story

Freedom Square has served different ideas of public life. During the Soviet period it was called Victory Square; today its best-known landmark honors Estonia's War of Independence of 1918–1920. Plans for a national memorial emerged before that war had even ended, but later upheavals interrupted the project. After Estonia restored independence in 1991, the proposal returned, and the glass Victory Column opened in 2009. Its Cross of Liberty motif refers to an Estonian decoration established in 1919. The square itself was redesigned from a former parking area into the open civic space seen today. That sequence makes the site more than a convenient crossing at the edge of Old Town: it shows how the meaning of a central square can change with the country's political history. Near the Harju Street end, the older defensive remains under glass add another layer to the view.

Useful to know

• Use the square as a pause between Old Town and the streets to its south.
• Walk to the Harju Street end to find the remains beneath glass.

Your next visit

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