Russalka, Tallinn

Russalka is a memorial that was dedicated in 1902 to the Rusalka, a Russian ironclad warship that sank in1893. The beautiful bronze angel at the top of the memorial was sculpted by Amandus Adamson. Adamson was an Estonian artist who was a gifted sculptor, painter and woodcarver. The inspiration for the angel is said to have been Adamson’s housekeeper Juliana Rootsi, whose grandson would become a famous politician.

The angel is holding an Orthodox cross that directs the viewer to the sea in a rough position of where the ship sank. During the Soviet occupation, the cross was removed but has since been replaced. Although the angel will draw your attention, the large impressive rock monument, she is standing on, also merits a look. On the one side it lists the names of the most senior officers aboard the ship. Another side shows that the monument was erected under the auspices of Tsar Nikolai II. The back of the monument commemorates September 7, 1893, the fateful day the ship sank, with a relief of the storm tossed ship and a solemn black wreath.

The entire statue is centered in a Mariners compass at the base. Around the compass there are two pylons that list the names of the crew that were lost. Sometimes, when visiting the area, there are flowers at the base of the statue. These are left by local couples of Russian descent that have just been married. It is a common practice to lay flowers to remember fallen heroes after the wedding ceremony.