The Most Important Buildings in Lai Street in Tallinn (0)

Tallinna Mustamäe College
The Most Important Buildings in Lai Street in Tallinn
Report
Supervisor:
Ingrid Teigar
Tallinn 2014

Table of Contents

Introduction 3
Lai Street in general 4
The origin of the name “Lai” 4
1 Lai Street / 4 Nunne Street 5
17 Lai Street 6
23 Lai Street 6
27 Lai Street 8
29 Lai Street 8
30 Lai Street 10
38 Lai Street 10
39/41 Lai Street 11
40 Lai Street 11
47 Lai Street 12
50 Lai Street 13
Summary 15
References 16

Introduction

Pikk Street as the longest and also the main street from medieval times is well- known , but Lai Street that runs parallel to it is not. The aim of the report is to be helpful for the students of Tallinna Mustamäe College who study the history of Tallinn and would like to get additional information about Lai Street, as they need to pass the guide practice exam in form eleven . The report is divided into chapters so that each chapter deals with one of the important houses in Lai Street. In the beginning there are also two introductory chapters about Lai Street in general and the origin of the name “Lai”.

Lai Street in general

Lai Street is 520 m long and begins at a small green patch below the Toompea slope, where a graceful bronze statue of a Roe Deer by Jaan Koort (1883-1935), one of the best -known Estonian sculptors, has been standing for several decades. Lai Street stretches from Nunne Street to Pikk Street. Parallel with Pikk Street, Lai Street, too, ends at the Great Coast Gate ( first mentioned 1359). Lai Street is very wide considering that it was laid out in the Middle Ages. This is because it sprang up on both sides of former city wall .
Lai is quite a peaceful street with few shops. However, it has three museums and two theatres . The main entrance into St Olaf ´s Church also faces the street. Several Lai Street houses have kept their Gothic appearance and even interiors, although we can also notice moderate Nordic Baroque , Neoclassicicm, Historicism and even Art Nouveau .

The origin of the name “Lai”

Lai Street belongs among the oldest streets of Tallinn. Despite its length and width its share in the city’s inner traffic is fairly modest . The extraordinary width of the street is likely due to the fact that the town wall used to be there and the street then sprang