TOP 10 most bizarre Soviet buildings in Estonia

Welcome to the Tallinn TV Tower's observation deck! At a height of 170 metres, you will be treated to one of the most magnificent views of the Estonian capital city. You can enjoy a captivating panoramic view that stretches further than the eye can see. You can observe the bustling city life, watch beautiful sunsets, and feel the wind. The TV Tower's observation deck is a true window to the past and the present day. Today, the TV Tower has three main functions: to provide nationwide communication, to offer traditional Estonian flavours in a modern restaurant and to provide experiences. Tallinn TV Tower offers a picturesque view all year round, no matter the weather!  

Tallinn Song Festival Grounds are a popular venue for events. It is best known as the place where the Estonian Song Festival is held, but the region's largest outdoor concerts take place here as well. The arch of the Song Festival Grounds can hold up to 15,000 singers and there is enough room for 100,000 people in area for viewers. Here you'll find history and views! It is possible to climb to the top of the Lighthouse, which is 42 metres high and overlooking the city and the Tallinn Bay. The complex of the Tallinn Song Festival Grounds is very valued architecturally and is the first post-war building in Tallinn which was completed in 1960. The park is open for walking, sports activities and having a picnic. National registry of cultural monuments.

This building, completed in 1977, is something of a monument to Soviet architecture. It resembles a UFO that has landed. Did you know…? *Everything in the building is octagonal – from the floor plan to the rubbish bins *The octagonal pond is a perfect reflection of the physical space in the building *The building was designed by Toomas Rein and Aulo Padar *During the Soviet era, people from all over the USSR came to admire the building

Completed for the Moscow 1980 Summer Olympics, the unique City Hall belongs to the heritage conservation list. The look of this fascinating complex brings to mind the ancient pyramids of the Mayans, as well as the old bastions surrounding Tallinn’s Old Town dating back to the Swedish rule. The hall's waterfront location, its proximity to the passenger port, the seating for 4,200 people, ice rink, and cafés turned it into a great place for Tallinn residents as a cultural venue, but also as an element in the city's design. During the last event that took place here in December 2009, someone said "The City Hall is going to hibernation". Currently, negotiations are taking place to renovate the complex that can only be viewed from the outside and bringing it back into use.

Sillamäe is located near the Gulf of Finland, on the estuary of the Sõtke river. The industrial city was 'created' in 1946 when it was decided to establish a metallurgy plant there that reprocesses oil shale ore to get uranium oxides. Due to this industry, the city was closed off for a long time. Today, you have the possibility to examine the buildings from the post-war period of Stalin, classical style avenues, and museums. Sillamäe Museum and the exhibition of the Sillamäe Museum branch in the Sillamäe Cultural Centre offer town excursions on request.

Original Sokos Hotel Viru is located in the midtown of Tallinn, at the gates of Old Town. It was erected in 1972, following the Khrushchev Thaw of the 1960's and became an icon of Tallinn and the Estonian Republic is a whole. It drew upon popular modern styles from the time, from Northern Europe and especially Finland.

On the shores of the sea where once stood the legendary Vzmorye Holiday Centre, you will have the sunniest holiday you've ever had in Estonia! A renowned vacation destination for long-serving cosmonauts and scientists, it was chosen as the spot revealed to the be the sunniest on the western coast of the USSR. According to local legend, Valentina Tereshkova - the first-ever female cosmonaut - is said to have walked along the seashore here! The apartment-style cabins are perfect for families and small groups. The bay next to the centre is very safe and therefore ideal for small children.

The cosy hall of cinema Sõprus (Friendship in Estonian), that is located in the Old Town. It was built in 1955. From 1945 -1961 a post-war architectural was popular, and by the 1950's international Socialist Classicism became common. The hall of the oldest repertory cinema in Tallinn has 210 comfortable seats.

Villa Andropoff is a holiday centre that is perfect for family holidays, company events, various celebrations. The area was built during Soviet times for the higher leaders of the Communist party and for their guests. It got its name since the order to build it came from Yuri Andropov's government.

Maarjamäe Memorial (designed by architect A. Murdmaa and sculptor M. Varik) stands on Pirita Road between the Lasnamäe plateau and Tallinn Bay. It was erected in dedication to those who had fallen defending the Soviet Union. The memorial is made up of both architectural and landscaping elements. At its centre stands a 35-metre obelisk, but the complex also includes the graves of the crews of the Avtroil and Spartak minesweepers, dolomite-lined walls, grass-covered slopes, the pathways between them and a bronze sculpture of a flock of birds.