St. Olaf's Church, Tallinn
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St. Olaf’s Church or St. Olav's Church ( et, Oleviste kirik) in
Tallinn Tallinn () is the most populous and capital city of Estonia. Situated on a bay in north Estonia, on the shore of the Gulf of Finland of the Baltic Sea, Tallinn has a population of 437,811 (as of 2022) and administratively lies in the Harju '' ...
,
Estonia Estonia, formally the Republic of Estonia, is a country by the Baltic Sea in Northern Europe. It is bordered to the north by the Gulf of Finland across from Finland, to the west by the sea across from Sweden, to the south by Latvia, a ...
, is believed to have been built in the 12th century and to have been the centre for old Tallinn's Scandinavian community before
Denmark ) , song = ( en, "King Christian stood by the lofty mast") , song_type = National and royal anthem , image_map = EU-Denmark.svg , map_caption = , subdivision_type = Sovereign state , subdivision_name = Kingdom of Denmark , establish ...
conquered
Tallinn Tallinn () is the most populous and capital city of Estonia. Situated on a bay in north Estonia, on the shore of the Gulf of Finland of the Baltic Sea, Tallinn has a population of 437,811 (as of 2022) and administratively lies in the Harju '' ...
in 1219. Its dedication relates to King Olaf II of Norway (also known as Saint Olaf, 995–1030). The first known written records referring to the church date back to 1267. It was extensively rebuilt during the 14th century.


History

St. Olaf's Church was originally part of the united western tradition of Christianity, whose polity continues in the
Roman Catholic Church The Catholic Church, also known as the Roman Catholic Church, is the largest Christian church, with 1.3 billion baptized Catholics worldwide . It is among the world's oldest and largest international institutions, and has played a ...
today. However, during the
Reformation The Reformation (alternatively named the Protestant Reformation or the European Reformation) was a major movement within Western Christianity in 16th-century Europe that posed a religious and political challenge to the Catholic Church and in ...
the church became part of the
Lutheran Lutheranism is one of the largest branches of Protestantism, identifying primarily with the theology of Martin Luther, the 16th-century German monk and Protestant Reformers, reformer whose efforts to reform the theology and practice of the Cathol ...
tradition. Eventually proving surplus to the requirements of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in Tallinn, St. Olaf's Church became a
Baptist Baptists form a major branch of Protestantism distinguished by baptizing professing Christian believers only ( believer's baptism), and doing so by complete immersion. Baptist churches also generally subscribe to the doctrines of soul compe ...
church in 1950. The Baptist congregation continues to meet at St. Olaf's today. From 1944 until 1991, the Soviet
KGB The KGB (russian: links=no, lit=Committee for State Security, Комитет государственной безопасности (КГБ), a=ru-KGB.ogg, p=kəmʲɪˈtʲet ɡəsʊˈdarstvʲɪn(ː)əj bʲɪzɐˈpasnəsʲtʲɪ, Komitet gosud ...
used St. Olaf's Church's spire as a radio tower and surveillance point.


Height

In 1590, the total height of the church tower was 115.35–125 m. The tower has been hit by lightning around 10 times, and the whole church has burned down three times throughout its known existence. According to one source it may have been the tallest building in the world from 1549 to 1625, but this claim is highly speculative. After several rebuildings, its spire is now 123.8 meters tall.


See also

*
List of tallest churches This list of tallest church buildings ranks church buildings by height. From the Middle Ages until the advent of the skyscraper, Christian church buildings were often the world's tallest buildings. From 1311, when the spire of Lincoln Cathedr ...
*
List of tallest structures built before the 20th century List of pre-twentieth century structures by height See also * History of the tallest buildings in the world References {{Tallest buildings and structures Ancient structures Tallest ancient structures History of construction ...


Images

File:St Olaf's Church, Tallinn exterior.jpg, Exterior scene File:Iglesia de San Olaf, Tallinn, Estonia, 2012-08-05, DD 01.JPG File:Iglesia de San Olaf, Tallinn, Estonia, 2012-08-05, DD 02.JPG File:Iglesia de San Olaf, Tallinn, Estonia, 2012-08-05, DD 05.JPG File:Iglesia de San Olaf, Tallinn, Estonia, 2012-08-05, DD 14.JPG File:Iglesia de San Olaf, Tallinn, Estonia, 2012-08-05, DD 18.JPG File:Iglesia de San Olaf, Tallinn, Estonia, 2012-08-05, DD 19.JPG File:Tallinna Oleviste kirikutorni muna ja rist.jpg File:Spires of St Olaf's Church, Tallinn.jpg, The spires of the church File:Staircase of St Olaf's Church.jpg, The staircase in the centre of the church


References


External links


Tourist Sights in Estonia
{{DEFAULTSORT:Saint Olafs Church, Tallinn 13th-century churches in Estonia Churches completed in 1519 Churches in Tallinn Baptist churches in Europe Gothic architecture in Estonia Kesklinn, Tallinn 13th-century establishments in Estonia
Tallinn Tallinn () is the most populous and capital city of Estonia. Situated on a bay in north Estonia, on the shore of the Gulf of Finland of the Baltic Sea, Tallinn has a population of 437,811 (as of 2022) and administratively lies in the Harju '' ...
Tallinn Old Town