Tallinn TV Tower

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The tower was designed by architects David Baziladze and Juri Sinis. The cornerstone was laid on September 30, 1975, and the building was inaugurated July 11, 1980 (although the first actual transmission took place in 1979). The tower body was constructed of reinforced concrete rings 50 cm thick that weigh a total of 17,000 metric tons, with total weight being approximately 20,000 tons. The tower survived a fire during the construction stage.

The observation deck on the 21st floor, which was originally designed to have a rotating section, is located 170 m above ground, and has a diameter of 38 m. The Tower is closed for public since November 26, 2007. The tickets were priced at 60 Estonian kroon in 2007 and, aside from an infrequently-used concrete and metallic staircase, can be accessed by two elevators. Vilnius TV Tower, which has a similar architectural design, features a rotating observation deck 165 m above ground.

Local guide books advertise the spectacular views across Tallinn, extending to the Gulf of Finland. It's described as having a 1980s Soviet feel and there's a restaurant on the observation floor. Bullet holes dating from the Soviet coup attempt of 1991 are still visible at the base of the tower.

There is also the widespread story of a handful of radio operators who in 1991 risked their lives to protect the free media of the reborn Republic of Estonia. They placed a matchbox between the elevator door and frame in such a manner that the elevator wouldn't work, forcing Soviet troops to climb every one of approximately 1000 tower steps. The operators also had the oxygen-removing fire-fighting system at their disposal. However, it is not known if the system was operational or a bluff, since if the system was put into use, it would have asphyxiated everyone in the tower, including those trying to defend it. This story is well-known in Estonia; it is also part of the movie "1991" and is mentioned at length in the documentary "The Singing Revolution".

See also

* List of towers

External links

* [http://www.levira.ee/ Levira homepage]
*
* [http://www.great-towers.com/eng/towers/tallinnhtml.htm World Federation of Great Towers: Tallinn TV Tower]