The Estonian government is calling for the termination of the lease agreement for the Alexander Nevsky Cathedral of the Estonian Orthodox Church in Tallinn

Estonian Minister of the Interior Igor Taro proposed terminating the lease agreement for Alexander Nevsky Cathedral with the Estonian Orthodox Christian Church ahead of schedule, calling the cathedral a “symbol of Russification.” This was reported by ERR News ( ).

During the ensuing public debate, the Minister of Internal Affairs justified his position by arguing that the cathedral building, which is owned by the city, should not serve the interests of the Moscow Patriarchate, which he described as representing “the war criminal Kirill.” The minister proposed that Tallinn authorities halt the flow of funds to the religious organization by converting the cathedral into a purely tourist attraction.

The initiative was supported by some public figures, who proposed turning the cathedral into a museum. However, Tallinn Deputy Mayor Tiit Terik emphasized that, at this time, there is no legal basis for evicting the congregation. City authorities are obligated to comply with existing agreements as long as the organization’s activities remain lawful under Estonian law.

The expert community has also reacted skeptically to these calls. Architectural historian Oliver Orro pointed out that the building is a cultural heritage site, and any attempts to repurpose or relocate the structure are technically impossible and extremely costly.

As a reminder, the Estonian Ministry of the Interior had previously set a six-month deadline for the Estonian Orthodox Christian Church (EPCC) to bring its activities into compliance with new legislation prohibiting religious organizations from maintaining ties with foreign entities that threaten the country’s national security.