Estonia had an
interesting time in the Middle
Ages. Along with the other Baltic States of
Lithuania and
Latvia, they were the last
bastion of paganism in a continent that had become entirely Christian.
Various Christian kingdoms decided this was a good excuse for conquest and
launched the Northern Crusades. From 1208 to 1224, the Germans, Danes, and
Swedes attacked Estonia and eventually conquered it.
Once the knights had finished their work, it was time for the clergy to step in.
Prominent among these were the Cistercians, one of the most powerful monastic
orders of their time. In 1220 they were rewarded with lands at Padise near the
important port of Tallinn. They
built a small stone chapel there and began expanding it into a large fortified
monastery in 1317.
In 1343 the Estonians rose up against their occupiers and burned down Padise Monastery, killing 28 monks. The uprising was crushed and the Cistercians rebuilt the monastery better and stronger than before. It continued being a monastery until 1558, when it became a fortress protecting the landward approach to Tallinn. The building changed hands several times during the region's many wars. It was besieged twice, the siege in 1580 lasting 13 weeks, during which the defenders (Russians at that moment) got hammered with Swedish artillery and eventually were starved into submission.
In 1622, King Gustavus Adolphus of Sweden gave the monastery and lands to
Thomas Ramm, Burgermeister of Riga,
in exchange for Ramm giving up the city to the king's army. I suppose the Ramm
family wasn't very welcome in Riga after that.
I visited on a quiet, gloomy winter afternoon as part of a day trip with
Tallinn
Traveller Tours, after a morning spent
chasing the Estonian Army. Mart, my guide, led me up some slick icy steps to
the top of the tower to look out over the snowy countryside. Somehow I managed
not to slip and fall to my death. Writing for you people always seems to send me
up unsafe heights. At least it wasn't as bad as the
minaret in Samarra.
After we made it down safely, Mart took me around the castle grounds.
"Imagine being a kid here," he said. "We all played like we were knights in
castles, but the kids around here get the real thing."
Lots of Estonian kids are lucky that way. Forts, manor houses, and monasteries
abound in the Estonian countryside. This area was fought over for centuries yet
the Estonians managed to keep their distinct language and national character.
Eventually they managed to get independence too.
We entered the great hall, once used for meals and services, and admired the
fine arches and carved columns. From there we explored the dark, chilly cellar,
where a centuries-old oven was still black from baking bread for the monks.
"Look at this," Mart said, shining is mobile phone light on the wall.
A mosquito was perched on the cold stone.
"I'm surprised it's still alive," I said.
"I should kill it," Mart said. "I hate those things. They swarm around you all
summer."
He left it alone. I was glad. I've always respected survivors.
Sean McLachlan
Read the rest of my series: "Exploring Estonia: The Northern Baltics In Wintertime"
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