Oldest Tallinn church damaged in fire

Hundreds of people were evacuated from around Town Hall Square early on May 29 as the spire of the nearby Holy Ghost Church caught fire and nearly collapsed.

Firefighters could not save the church's spire and its 15th century Maarja clock, the oldest spire clock in Estonia.

"The construction works were insured for 2 million kroons ($120,000). It is obvious that that will not cover the renovation expenses," said Tallinn's Deputy Mayor Rein Lang,

It will cost 4 million to 5 million kroons to renovate the spire and repair smoke and water damage in the church, he said.

"We won't save on the renovation as we are dealing with one of the most important sights in Tallinn," said Lang.

According to Priit Rattasepp, chief inspector of Tallinn's Fire and Rescue Department, the fire was caused by electrical wires.

"But I cannot say whether it was a short or the wires just melted under the hot sun," said Rattasepp.

The church was undergoing renovation when the fire started, but fire officials say the workers likely didn't cause the fire because of strict security rules in place on the renovation site.

Gustav Piir, a reverend at the church, said he was not sure whether the congregation could afford to replace the clock.

The 12-meter-long copper spire will be rebuilt by year's end, Tallinn authorities promised.

The stone church was built in the 13th century.

Juri Kuuskemaa, a well-known Estonian cultural scholar, said the clock was irreplaceable.

"But we should definitely put the remnants of the clock on display," said Kuuskemaa.

He said the spire was unique in Tallinn. It was built in 1688 in renaissance style and well-kept in its original form.

Other valuable objects inside the church survived the fire undamaged, including the 15th century altar.

Fire officials said the blaze had highlighted safety concerns at several Tallinn churches., including a lack of smoke detectors.

There is now a proposal to unite Tallinn's churches on a single computer network that would alert fire crews if a fire started.

One good thing came out of the fire: firefighters found well-preserved containers containing documents detailing renovations to the church in 1688 and 1884. The papers express gratitude to a number of wealthy city residents who contributed to the renovations.