One of the oldest churches in Tallinn is the small, modest Church of the Holy Spirit. Supposedly it was built in the 13th century at the almshouse of the same name, in the documents of the town hall it is recorded in 1316. The church acquired its present form in the 14th century, later in 1688 the building was supplemented with a spire in the late Renaissance style. For centuries it was a chapel and a magistrate's church.
The rather modest architecture of the church building is compensated for by its rich decoration. Almost all styles are represented here, from Gothic to Classicism. The Church of the Holy Spirit contains a large collection of works of art. One of the most valuable is the altar made by the master Bernt Notke in 1483. The altar is a multi-leaf structure, in the middle of which the descent of the Holy Spirit is depicted (hence the name of the church). On the side panels we see scenes from the life of St Elizabeth and the Passion of the Lord. Their content in bright colours convey the worldview of the man of his time.
The Renaissance style can be seen most clearly in the hanging pulpit donated by the burgomaster Heinrich von Lohne in the 16th and 17th centuries. However, the authors of this creation are unknown. Also interesting to see are the baroque chandeliers, baroque choir balconies decorated with paintings on biblical themes, and baroque epitaphs. Recently, the church boasted a Mary bell made in 1433 by the master craftsman Merten Seifert. It was decorated with vines and figures and text written in Latin and Lower Saxon. But the Mary bell split after a fire that occurred in 2003.
Classicism is rather modestly represented, the only example of which in the Church of the Holy Spirit is a painting by Johannes Howe depicting the Presentation of the Lord. The real jewel of the church is the clock on its façade, made by Christian Ackermann in 1688 and still working today. The clock is in the Baroque style and is decorated with wooden carvings.
For many years the church has been the most important cultural centre for Estonians. Its history is closely linked to the development of Estonian culture as a whole. It was here that the catechism translated into Estonian by S. Vanrad and J. Koe was first heard. Vanrad and J. Koel. Balthasar Russow, the author of the Livonian Chronicle, which records the most important events in the history of the Estonian land, worked in the same building from 1563 to 1600. The Church of the Holy Spirit is currently an active Evangelical-Lutheran church.
