The Estonian state real estate management company RKAS in collaboration with the Ministry of Justice, organizations of victims of repressions, the City of Tallinn and the Estonian Association of Architects chose the design «Teekond» («Journey») as the winner of a competition for the design of a memorial to victims of communism and officers of the Republic of Estonia.
Winner of competition for design of victims of Communism announced
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Authors of the winning design are Kalle Vellevoog, Jaan Tiidemann, Tiiu Truus, Martin Prommik and Lidia Zarudnaja from Arhitektuuriburoo JVR OU. The memorial to be built based on the design consists of two parts -- «the journey» and «the home garden». To reach the home garden, one has to embark on a journey. To embark on a journey, one has to leave the home garden, it is written in the description of the design.
The memorial depicts a difficult journey to the home garden.
«The journey» will consist of a long straight corridor, the walls of which hold tablets with names of Communism victims as well as tablets without any names to symbolize the nameless victims of Communism.
«The home garden» will be in the bottom of a hollow, in the middle of which there will be a square surrounded by apple trees planted on the hills. On the edge of the square there will be a dark block, in front of which commemorative events can be held.
The officers' memorial will consist of a long dark wall with an officer's figure.
The cost of the memorial's design work will be around 200,000 euros, exclusive of VAT.
The area where the memorial is to be built is situated at Maarjamae, Tallinn, between the districts of Kadriorg and Pirita. Inscribed at the memorial will be the names of approximately 20,000 people who lost their lives as a result of the actions of the communist regime, many of whom died far from home and were buried in graves the location of which is not known.
The competition for the design was announced by RKAS in collaboration with the Ministry of Justice, organizations of victims of repressions, the City of Tallinn and the Estonian Association of Architects on March 24. Fifteen applications to take part in the competition were filed by the deadline, of which 12 met the qualification requirements.