Estonian National Archives Film Archive

At the northern tip of the Pelgulinn district, between Ristiku Street and the railway, stands a building complex constructed in the 1950s for the commandant’s office and main guard of the Tallinn garrison of the Soviet Union’s armed forces. After the departure of the Russian troops, the building was left vacant until 1994 when the Estonian Film Archive moved in and began adapting the old structure to meet its needs. The project, which underwent several updates in the late 1990s, was designed by architect Katrin Etverk. In addition to storage facilities, laboratories and a cinema were planned for the building. Major works were completed by 2000, with additional space created by enclosing the D-shaped courtyard. The renovation project also included plans to restore the surrounding yard and open it as a park for the community. Today, as a unit of the National Archives, the main tasks of the Film Archive are to collect, preserve, and provide access to valuable film, photo, video, and audio recordings, as well as to carry out archival supervision.