National Opera House, Tallinn, Estonia

This beautiful card shows the National Opera House in Tallinn, captial city of Estonia. 

It was built in art nouveau style according to plans by the Finnish achitects Armas Lindgren and Wivi Lönn. The ceremonial inauguration took place on August 24, 1913. Back then, it was the largest building in Tallinn. One of the wings was designed as a concert hall while the other was meant to be a theatre. Both wings are connected by an event hall, that once used to be a restaurant.

Back then, Estonia was still under Soviet rule. After the declaration of Independence, the Estonian parliament convened in this building for the first time on April 23rd, 1919.

During World War I, the opera house was used as a war hospital, and on March 9, 1944, during World War II it was heavly bombed by the Russian red army and almost completely destroyed. In 1946 the concert hall was reopened followed by the theatre only one year later. It took until 1991 to finish and reopen the middle part, the socalled winter garden, which is used for smaller events.

Today, there are three independent institutions housed in the building. In the left wing resides the National Opera of Estonia, the right one accomodates the concert hall of Eesti Konsert and it is home to the National Symphony Orchestra.

Thank you very much Trishka for this wonderful card !!!!