St Catherine’s Passage
St Catherine’s Passage is one of the attractions of Tallinn’s Old Town. It connects Vene Street and Muirivähe Street. The passage stretches along the southern side of the Dominican monastery of St. Catherine and ends with an arched passageway. The length of the passage is 135 meters.
History of the St Catherine’s Passage
The church of St. Catherine, whose name the passage also bears, was built more than 700 years ago. On the other side of the street there are facades of old houses. All of them built in the XV-XVII centuries. As a result, the passage still has the spirit of the Middle Ages.
For many years, the name of the St Catherine’s Passage in Tallinn was Munga Käik (Monastery passage). The present name was given to the passage in 1996. At the same time there was an extensive restoration of facades and historical wall plates.
In 1976 this place was used for filming some scenes of the popular soviet film “The Legend of Thiel”. The main role in this film was played by the Estonian actor Lembit Ulfsak.
Attractions of St Catherine’s Passage
On the wall of the church overlooking the alley are massive stone slabs. These are tombstones of former burials. The most precious one is the tombstone of Kunigunda Shotelmund, the widow of the mayor, who was buried in 1381. Her image carved on it is the oldest portrait of a woman in the stone art of Tallinn.
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