The Dome Church, dedicated to St. Mary, is located on Toom-Kooli Street in the historic center of Tallinn—Vyshgorod. It is one of the oldest temples in the Estonian capital. Here, you can learn about Lutheranism, listen to an organ concert, and enjoy the local scenic cityscape from the observation deck.

Historians still dispute the origin of the Dome Church, and its construction years remain unknown. It might have appeared on the site of a former wooden church. The shrine was first mentioned in 1233 when the knights of the Livonian Brothers of the Swords killed the Danish king’s lieges and laid their bodies at the altar. This terrible event was called “the bloodbath.”

The temple was first consecrated in 1240. For three centuries, it belonged to the Roman Catholic Church. Only in the second half of the 16th century, it became Lutheran.

Besides, in the 13th century, the Dome School was opened at the cathedral. It is the oldest secondary school in Tallinn, which is still functioning. Throughout its history, eminent military officials, travelers, and scientists who played an important role in the past of Russia and Estonia graduated from it.

Today, almost nothing remains of the original appearance of the temple. It has undergone many renovations and suffered a great fire that destroyed most of its decor.

The Dome Church is currently an austere and neat 3-nave church in the Gothic style, whose main decoration is a 69-meter bell tower. The tower weathercock is crowned with a gilded lily and deserves your special attention. Many locals mistook it for the crown of Empress Catherine the Great. This flower is considered one of the symbols of St. Mary’s purity and innocence.

The shrine’s interior can’t boast of any exceptional splendor. But it has a remarkable ceiling design, which evenly distributes the sounds of organ music throughout the room. The cathedral’s main decoration is the central wooden altar with statues and a painting by the German artist Eduard von Gebhardt, “Christ on the Cross.”