Owing to the fact, that Catholicism in Estonia was prohibited for a long time, it is considered a lucky opportunity to visit a Catholic cathedral on the territory of the country. And it is worthy to come to the Roman-Catholic Church of the Holy Spirit in Valga. It is impossible to walk along the church and not to notice its amazing beauty on the background of neighboring buildings of the post-Soviet times. And the majestic colonnade of trees, surrounding the cathedral from 3 sides, adds more charm to this place, especially in summer and spring.
Church of the Holy Spirit was built by the order of prelate Afanasovich by Polish and Lithuanian railway workers in 1907. It was made of the rubble stone and red brick of the local production, which marked it out from the other different constructions of the city. The main part of the Valga buildings looks like the boring sequence of the gray "Khrushchevkas” and little wooden houses. The size of the cathedral was rather modest and did not have its tower. Because of the Manifesto of Tolerance signed by Nicholas II in 1905, the imperial government of Russia denied permitting the tower’s building. An ascetic interior, smooth white walls and wooden benches for the visitors are the perfect conditions for solitude and praying.
During its history, the church was changing its function several times: it was used as a warehouse during the war, a gym during the Soviet period, and later was closed at all. Just at the end of the 20th century it was renovated and got a new outhouse. There were conducted religious rituals and ceremonies. The complete restoration and the sanctification were in 2007. Despite the Estonians’ going over to Orthodoxy, the Roman-Catholic Church of the Holy Spirit in Valga is always full of Catholics and always happy to meet all the people, who want to touch the relics of that place.