Presidential residence to serve sea view

Photo: Peeter Langovits / Postimees

In times to come, Kadriorg Castle, tight as it is, will host its master rarely: the President is moving into a manor in house in Rocca al Mare.

Prime Minister Andrus Ansip is preparing a new home for Siim Kallas, the EU commissioner i.e. Estonian state has handed to State Real Estate Ltd (RKAS) the seaside lot where President’s new home will be erected.

Be it Mr Kallas or whoever moving into the residence, the Liberty Manor Complex is surely among the nicest spots of Tallinn. Currently, it can be accessed via the Open Air Museum, then walking towards the sea and passing the sign END OF EXPOSITION – over there, behold the dignified yet dilapidated buildings.

Amongst young firs and mighty pines, only a hundred-some metres from the sea, the Presidents future abode looks strikingly like Pippi Longstocking’s Villa Villekulla. Even so, one need not strain his imagination to picture a beautiful home for the head of state, on this manor complex dating back to 18^th century. 

This is a summer manor that used to belong to the Koch family. The wooden house, from beginning of 20^th century, recently had her roof restored; but still all houses need a thorough overhaul. Personally, the Prime Minister has been on the spot, to see the house with own eye – not totally excluded that one day, he could perhaps even be President himself.

Last Friday, on January 31^st, decision bearing signature of finance minister Jürgen Ligi was sent forth to RKAS, regarding renovations of the buildings and new ones erected – into presidential residence.

The lots are valued at €1m plus. According to various estimates, renovating the buildings would swallow €4m, minimum. A few years ago, it was also considered to move the presidential couple into Keila-Joa Castle; even so, that would have been way too expensive – so RKAS sold the castle.

As confirmed by RKAS communications chief Madis Idnurm, talks are underway with Office of the President; for starters, they will need to agree the timetable. «Once the timetable is ratified, we may talk about next steps and costs,» said Mr Idnurm. Probably, the agreement will happen during this very February.

Liberty Manor will be housing President’s official and living rooms. Also, the residence would allow reception and, hopefully, accommodating honourable guests arriving for state visits.

In Office of the President, built in 1938 as an administrative building i.e. a building with offices for officials and the President’s workroom, lacks such official rooms. Before the war, these were located in the Kadriorg Castle, used as president’s residence and dwelling. At the moment, Office of the President has no space to host a foreign country’s Presidents on state visits, for instance; for that, facilities have been rented elsewhere.

Restoring the manor would be a years-long project, only to be finished while the next president is in office.

The Czar Era manor complex, bordering with the Open Air Museum and, on the other side, the Rocca al Mare private School, is first recorded in 1771. Then, ten bachelors dwelling in Tallinn are said to have rented a two storey wooden house of an Õismäe peasant.

From the bachelors, the Liberty complex went to Alexander Gustav Koch, a chief man in the city. In 1939, the Kochs fled to Germany, the manor went to the state, some houses used as Pioneer (communist pupils) Camp. In 1986, the manor went into Open Air Museum possession.