St Olav's Church, or as the locals call it Oleviste, was the tallest building (159 metres) in Europe until 1625. And even today spire can be seen from some of the outskirts of Tallinn. Now the height of the building is 127,3 metres. The first mention of the church dates back to 1267, but the building, the building we see today was built in the 15th century.
Regarding the name Oleviste Church there are many legends. According to one of them, back in the day the townspeople were concerned that the town was small, developing slowly, and that merchant ships rarely came here. They kept thinking of ways to glorify their city.
And then one day, someone had the idea to build so tall church that could be seen from the sea for miles. That way, passing ships would be guided by it, coming into the city and bringing goods. The idea, of course, was good, but where would you find a craftsman who would undertake such a complex? A stranger soon appeared in town, tall and sturdy. He was the one offered his services in the construction of the tallest building in Europe. The people of Tallinn were overjoyed, but the fee asked by the giant was too high. But the stranger offered one condition - he wouldn't charge for the building if the townspeople knew his name.
The locals, hoping that they could find out his name, agreed to the terms. As the construction came to an end, no one knew the giant's name, only to find out where the stranger lived. So they sent spies to his house, and one day, just before the building was finished, they were lucky: the giant's wife, while rocking her son. "Go to sleep, baby, go to sleep. Soon Olev will come home with a bag full of gold". So the mystery was solved. The next day, when the stranger was setting up the cross on the top of the tower, one of the townspeople called out to him: "Olev, do you hear, Olev, your cross is askew". He was startled by the surprise and jumped down. At the same moment a frog jumped out of his mouth and a snake crawled out of his mouth. So the townspeople decided that the giant was with evil. However, despite they decided to name the church in honour of its builder, Olev. But of course, that's just a legend. The truth is that the church was named in honour of the Norwegian king Olav II Haraldson, who brought Christianity to the country in the 11th century, for which he was later made a saint. He was also considered the patron saint of seafarers. For these reasons. reasons he was chosen as the patron saint of the church.
Throughout its history the Oleviste Church has been rebuilt several times, due to its tall spire, which was repeatedly struck by lightning, causing devastating fires.
There's another interesting fact to note. In 1547, rope walkers came to Tallinn. They stretched a long rope between the Oleviste Tower and the city wall and performed dizzying stunts, leaving the townspeople astonished.
The interior Church's interior is no less interesting. The altar and wall are made of dolomite, the figures on it are bronze, cast and gilded in St. Petersburg. The church is adorned with an organ, brought from Germany in 1842.
The church is still active today. Lutheran Lutheran services are held every Sunday. It is often open for free visitors. There is a viewing platform at the top of the tower, which can be reached by climbing a steep spiral staircase. The view of the old town and the harbour from the top is spectacular, so the effort and ticket price will more than pay for the climb.
