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KGB prison cells
The basement of the building at 1 Pagari Street was home to one of the most notorious and feared pre-trial detention centers during the Soviet occupation. Previously closed to the public, the KGB prison cells are now open to visitors.
Estonian politicians, civil servants, intellectuals, veterans of the War of Independence, as well as ordinary people, were tortured and sentenced to death or imprisonment here. The cells built in the basement remain a symbol of communist terror to this day.
Visitors will see a basement with two corridors and six cells, including one for solitary confinement. Temporary exhibitions are held in the corridor. You can book a guided tour to walk you through the cells if desired.
TripAdvisor® Traveler Reviews
tripadvisor rating 3.9 of 5
based on 239 reviews
Visit - August 2025
tripadvisor rating 4 of 5Interesting and a different tourist attraction!! A must for history!! Quite small as a prison would be so pick a suitable time!! Accessible via a stair to the basement of the building but this is to... Read more comments
Reading makes it worth while.
tripadvisor rating 5 of 5As part of the Tallinn card this is definitely worth a visit. This was actually one of the highlights of the trip as it made you think how horrible it must have been being under occupation, you... Read more comments
recommend
tripadvisor rating 4 of 5Although there is not a huge amount to see it is quite thought provoking and brings home to a certain degree the apprehension people who lived in the soviet regime must have felt as you could easily... Read more comments
