Estonia first declared its independence in February 1918, but it took two years of fighting on two fronts before the Tartu Peace Treaty officially secured it.
Estonia’s new independence saw two politically unstable but mostly peaceful decades. However, this ended when the Molotov-Ribbentrop Pact divided Northern Europe between the Soviets and Nazis, leading to Estonia's occupation and forced incorporation into the Soviet Union in 1940. But this was a Pact built on distrust, so coastal batteries and their supporting fire control towers were soon constructed by the Soviets along the Baltic coastline to defend from the predicted Nazi invasion.
BS-26 was the Soviet-era designation for the coastal battery in Tahkuna, located on the Estonian island of Hiiumaa. Like most coastal batteries of its kind, it was equipped with four 130mm B-13 guns, each with a range of approximately 25 kilometers. These batteries were built to defend against Nazi attacks starting in October 1941, but were destroyed during the Soviet retreat. After the war, most batteries were repaired and remained in active service until the 1960s.
Many decades later, the fire control towers remain the most prominent feature at these sites. These brutalist concrete structures, standing 4 to 6 stories tall, offered clear views above the trees and housed optical range finders, enabling the guns to accurately target vessels in the Baltic Sea.
The dull grey exterior of Tahkuna’s tower conceals surprising bursts of color inside, with rich shades of green, blue, and orange.
Rusty ladders, with missing treads and crudely bolted to the walls, lead through gaps in the concrete, allowing you to climb from level to level—eventually reaching the top of the tower, if you're up for the challenge.
Over time, the forest has grown so much that the towers no longer rise above the treetops. Even the addition of an extra floor, constructed from noticeably poorer quality wood, fails to restore the once-clear sea views.
Nearby bunkers supported the four coastal guns and the fire control tower, providing space for everything from artillery supplies and a command station to a doctor’s bunker and sleeping quarters for up to 160 seamen and officers stationed here.
Though these roughly 20 bunkers are in severe disrepair, like the tower, they still hide unexpected colors and shapes inside, making them well worth a visit.
