On June 15, 1950, the Scientific Restoration Workshop (TRT) was founded being the first specialised entity focusing on research, the drawing up of restoration designs and conservation. The predecessor of the Tallinn Inspectorate for Protecting Architectural Monuments that later served as one of the founding institutions of the present Tallinn Culture and Heritage Department was also formed in the 1950s. On October 20, 1956, the new statute for the protection of cultural monuments was adopted. In 1957, the Estonian Open Air Museum was founded. On June 8, 1961, the Law on the Protection of Historical and Cultural Monuments was adopted, being the first of its kind in the former Soviet Union. In 1964, the first comprehensive list of cultural monuments was approved, comprising 3,572 historical, archaeological, artistic and architectural monuments. In 1966, the Heritage Conservation Area of Tallinn Old Town was established along with the approval of its statute which, again, was the first of its kind in the former Soviet Union. Architect Rein Zobel and art historian Helmi Üprus drew up a project for the spatial regeneration of the Tallinn old town, the most valuable part of which was, and still is, the inventory of buildings. In 1968, TRT was reorganised into the National Restoration Board (VRV).
Lahemaa National Park, being the first in the former Soviet Union, was established in 1971, focusing not only on the preservation of nature and ecosystems but also on the protection of national heritage. In 1973, protection zones for the historic centres of Tartu, Pärnu, Paide, Viljandi, Rakvere, Võru, Kuressaare, Haapsalu and Lihula were established and their statutes approved by government regulation. New lists comprising 5,513 historical and cultural monuments were approved the same year. In 1976, the Supreme Soviet of the Soviet Union adopted the Law on the Protection and Use of Historical and Cultural Monuments. A similar law in Estonia (almost an identical copy of the above mentioned) was adopted in 1977, providing also for documents as monuments. In 1978, Polish restoration companies started restoration and conservation activities in Estonia. On October 6, 1980, Tallinn was awarded the European Gold Medal for the preservation of its architectural heritage. Tallinn was the eighth European city to receive this award.
In 1984, it was decided to celebrate every year the Heritage Protection Month lasting from April 18 to May 18. On December 12, 1987, the Estonian Heritage Society was founded as a bottom-up initiative. In 1988, national conservation company “Eesti Restauraator” was formed. As from February 1989, the first regional inspectors were appointed to deal with matters of architectural monuments (for other monument types, inspectors and advisors had already been appointed to either county museums or regional executive committees and later to county governments). The same year saw the establishment of a number of small restoration enterprises that later became either private or public companies.
On January 1, 1990, the State Conservation Centre “Kanut” was established on the basis of the restoration departments of the Estonian Art Museum and Estonian Open Air Museum for conservation, restoration and scientific research on objects of cultural value (the centre actually existed as from December 1986 as a national restoration centre). Today, conservation of movable works of art and objects of cultural value is also carried out in the University of Tartu, Estonian National Museum, preservation department of the National Archives of Estonia, the Preservation and Conservation Department of the National Library of Estonia, the Department of Archaeology within the Institute of History of Tallinn University and companies with the necessary activity license.
The decree of 1666 signed by King Charles XI of Sweden
A view near Viljandi in 1800 by J. Chr. Brotze
Heritage Day procession in Tartu on April 15, 1988. Photo by Raivo Lass
Conservators-restorers of furniture, leather, paintings and murals are trained at Tartu Art College. Tallinn Construction School prepares restorers of furniture as well as wood and stone buildings, Järva County Vocational Training Centre and Viljandi Joint Vocational Secondary School train restorers of wood and stone buildings and Valga County Vocational Training Centre teaches log house construction. As from 2005, the Department of Native Handicraft of the University of Tartu Viljandi Culture Academy teaches Estonian native construction. We should be thankful to the Estonian Academy of Arts for organising, as from 1995, courses in restoration for architectural and construction specialists with higher education. Since 2001, the academy offers BA MA and PhD programmes in cultural heritage and conservation focusing on three main areas: architectural conservation, conservation of artworks and protection of cultural heritage.
On October 1, 1993, heritage conservation workers of different authorities (in the field of historical, archaeological and artistic monuments from the Ministry of Culture and Education and in the field of architectural monuments from the Ministry of the Environment) were brought together to form the National Heritage Board. Chief Inspector of Archaeological Monuments, Ants Kraut, compiled together with his assistants the draft Conservation Act that was approved by the Government of the Republic on December 21, 1993. The act was adopted by the Riigikogu on March 9, 1994 and it entered into force in April 1994. The National Registry of Cultural Heritage was also established in 1994.
Meanwhile, Tallinn Heritage Board (presently Tallinn Culture and Heritage Department) was formed by Tallinn City Government regulation on November 25, 1994 by merging the Tallinn Inspectorate for Protecting Architectural Monuments and Tallinn Inspectorate of Cultural Heritage. The Republic of Estonia also acceded to several international conventions on heritage protection.
In addition to the main activity i.e. state supervision, lists of monuments were reviewed over the course of several years and secondary legislation arising from law was drawn up and introduced.
Due to the austerity policy imposed by the state, the Heritage Board was reorganised into the Heritage Conservation Inspectorate on December 1, 1997. It was a populist approach as no fundamental changes followed, except that the same tasks had to be carried out with ten less workers. The task of “organising heritage protection work” provided for in the Conservation Act was dropped from the list of tasks, while in practice the work continued. In 1998, the first administrative agreement on handing over national responsibilities to local governments was concluded with the municipality of Haapsalu.
On March 5, 1998, the Union of Estonian Architects sent an open letter to the Minister of Culture presenting a proposal for improving heritage protection. These proposals served as an impetus for the events of the years to come. Amendment of the Conservation Act was launched and the draft act was presented to the Riigikogu in 2001. During the discussions at the Cultural Affairs Committee concerning the draft act, different ideas were proposed including the dissolution of the Heritage Conservation Inspectorate and handing over the responsibilities to three officials at the Ministry of Culture. On the other hand, the drafting committee proposed to reorganise the inspectorate again to a board with more power. In order to make its point, the Riigikogu was presented with the list of state responsibilities imposed by law, including international conventions ratified by the Republic of Estonia, especially the 1974 Paris Convention, requiring in article 5(b): “to set up within its territories, where such services do not exist, one or more services for the protection, conservation and presentation of the cultural and natural heritage with an appropriate staff and possessing the means to discharge their functions.”