- Address: Niguliste 3, 10146 Tallinn, Estonia;
- Website: nigulistemuuseum.ekm.ee;
- Phone: +372 631 43 30;
- Operating mode: cf. - Sun. from 10:00 to 17:00.
- Ticket price: 3.20 € (adult); 1.90 € (for children); 4.5 € (family); Tallin card - for free.
The Church of Niguliste (St. Nicholas) in Tallinn enjoys an unprecedented popularity among tourists. And this is not surprising, because here in one place you can see a beautiful architectural monument of the Middle Ages and visit an interesting museum dedicated to history, religion and art. Expositions, placed directly under the arches of the ancient sacral temple, acquire an even deeper meaning and special value.
History of the Niguliste church-museum
The Church of Niguliste was built in the 13th century by German merchants who founded a settlement on these lands, having moved from the island of Gotland. At that time it was only a small chapel, since there were no special funds for the construction of the settlers. The new temple was decided to be named in honor of the patron of all seafarers, merchants and artisans - Nikolai the Wonderworker.
Today the Church of St. Nicholas is one of the most visited by Estonian tourists temple. Permanent and temporary exhibitions are exhibited here. Thanks to the original architectural design of the building, inside is an amazing acoustics, that's why various concerts of organ music and choral bands are often held here.
What can you see at the Niguliste Museum?
Art lovers and connoisseurs of historical culture will get a real pleasure from visiting this church-museum. Under her arches are collected works from the collection of church art of the Middle Ages and the early period of the New Time.
The most valuable exhibits in the Niguliste Museum are a fragment of Bernt Notke's painting "The Dance of Death", dating from the end of the 15th century. The surviving part of the famous 30-meter canvas is a canvas 7.5 meters long, which depicts 13 figures personifying the most powerful persons of the entire Christian world.
Another "pearl" of the Niguliste Museum in Tallinn - the retable of the main altar of the temple with two pairs of leaflets in 1481. This is one of the few winged altars of the North German school that have survived in the world.
In addition, the museum has many other valuable historical exhibits:
- altar of the Passion of Christ ;
- medieval emblems-epitaphs ;
- collection of lamps (the oldest and rare among them is a seven-foot floor lamp made of brass almost 4 meters high, made in 1519);
- the altar of the Holy Family ;
- more than 100 tombstones ;
- carved wooden sculptures ;
- altar of the Virgin Mary of the Tallinn Brotherhood of the Blackheads ;
- confessional ;
- weapons and ammunition (crossbows, swords, rifles, pistols, chain armor, uniforms);
- medieval crockery ;
- bells of different eras ;
- paintings and icons ;
- a collection of various items found during excavations (since the XIII century).
There are in the Niguliste museum and unusual interesting exhibits related to the life of outstanding people. Here, for example, you can see the spoon of Lenin, the scores of Hetman Mazepa, Mozart's notes, the boot of Peter I.
And still always a lot of tourists crowd around one unusual exposition - on a long table there are glass vessels with various herbs and plants of the Middle Ages. Next to each capacity is a black bag, in which you can shove your hand and try to touch the exhibits.
A separate location in the museum is the Silver Pantry. It is in the former sacristy and consists of 3 parts: the silver of the church, the silver of the workshops and the guilds, the silver of the Brotherhood of Blackheads.
The exhibits impress with their beauty and sophistication. The stands feature luxurious Eucharistic dishes, majestic cups, wands of the elders of guilds, medallions, medieval clocks.
Information for tourists
- The museum of Niguliste in Tallinn is open every day from May to September, except Monday (10: 00-17: 00);
- from October to April the museum is open every day from 10:00 to 17:00, except Monday and Tuesday;
- Admission costs: adult - € 6, child / pension - € 5, family - € 12;
- free entrance to the Niguliste Museum: 18 May (10: 00-17: 00) and 20 May (18: 00-23: 00) (International Day and Night of Museums);
- guide services within the museum tour are € 40 (in Russian) and € 25 (in Estonian);
- the guide's services as part of the Silver Pantry tour cost € 16 (in Russian) and € 7 (in Estonian);
- the maximum number of people in the group to visit the Silver Pantry is 10;
- Saturdays and Sundays in the Niguliste museum organ half-hour concerts are held (16: 00-16: 30).
How to get there?
The Niguliste Museum in Tallinn is located on the Harju Hill near Toompea on Niguliste Street 3. A tall tower with a baroque church spire is visible to anyone approaching from either side.
The temple is two minutes walk from both the Town Hall Square and Freedom Square. If you come from Toompea, then you can go down the stairs in Luhike Yalg Street.