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Museum ships in the outdoor area

  1. Grif
  2. Mare
  3. Maru
  4. Suur Tõll
  5. Suurop
  6. Torm
  7. Kalev
  8. Valvas
  1. Grif

Grif is a patrol ship that was used by the Estonian Navy in the Gulf of Finland and Väinameri Sea to ensure the security of coastal waters between 1994 and 2001. The vessel was built in 1976 at the Feodosia shipyard in Crimea.

Until 1991, the patrol ship Grif, together with its sister ship Leopard, belonged to the Soviet Navy. In 1992, the members of the Estonian Defence League captured the ships bearing the side numbers 631 and 645 so that they could serve both the Estonian State and its national defence interests under the flag of the Defence League. The ships were given the names Edgar and Erika.

On 14 June 1994, the ships were transferred to the Estonian Navy and renamed Grif and Leopard. After decommissioning, Leopard was scrapped and Grif was donated to the Estonian Maritime Museum on 27 April 2001. Grif has been on display at the pier of the Seaplane Harbour since 2012. The ship can be viewed and additional information can be found in the outdoor area of the Seaplane Harbour.

  1. Mare

Converted from a fishing vessel, Mare served as the research vessel of the Estonian Maritime Museum from 1983 to 2018 and was used to search for, find and study hundreds of wrecks, items of ship equipment and crashed aircraft.

The fishing vessel MSTB-303 was built in 1968 and belonged to the fishing kolkhoz Pärnu Kalur (Fisherman of Pärnu) until 1982. Subsequently, it was purchased by the Estonian Maritime Museum and underwent a major overhaul in 1989 to fully meet the requirements of a marine archaeological research vessel.

Over 35 years, Mare took part in a number of expeditions both in the waters of Estonia and other parts of the Baltic Sea. The ship can be viewed and additional information can be found in the outdoor area of the Seaplane Harbour.

  1. Maru

The patrol ship Maru served the Estonian Border Guard from 1995 to 2012, ensuring the security of the sea border and participating in several maritime rescue exercises and operations.

The patrol ship was built in 1964 by Laivateollisuus OY in Turku, Finland. The ship was in the service of the Finnish Border Guard until 1994 when it was donated to the Estonian Border Guard.

Right at the start of its service, Maru had to participate in the so-called Baltic Herring War, a sea border dispute between Estonia and Latvia that broke out in April 1995, during which the Estonian Border Guard deployed armed ships to the Gulf of Riga to prevent Latvian ships from fishing in the Estonian territorial waters.

The patrol ship Maru remained in active service until 2010, and since 2012, it has been moored at the Seaplane Harbour. The ship can be viewed and additional information can be found in the outdoor area of the Seaplane Harbour.

  1. Suur Tõll

Suur Tõll is the national maritime symbol of Estonia. As the most modern icebreaker of its era and the sole surviving steamship from the 1920s and 1930s in Estonia, it represents an important technical monument.

Estonia’s oldest and most distinguished museum ship was built for the Russian Empire in 1914 for the purpose of breaking ice in Tallinn Bay.

The icebreaker, which underwent five name changes throughout its lifetime, has sailed under the flags of the Russian Empire, Soviet Union, Finland and Estonia. The story of the ship amply reflects the turbulent history of Estonia in the 20th century. You can come and experience this fascinating history firsthand – Suur Tõll welcomes visitors during the opening hours of the Seaplane Harbour.

  1. Suurop

Suurop is a former R-class patrol ship. The ship was built in Finland in 1957 and gifted to the Estonian Navy in 1999.

Together with its sister ship Ristna, Suurop was part of the Mine Warfare Squadron where they were used for training conscripts.

In 2005, Suurop was decommissioned, and in 2007, the Estonian Ministry of Defence announced an auction for the sale of the ship. The starting price of the ship was 850,000 Estonian kroons, but no bids were made.

Currently, Suurop is on display at the pier of the Seaplane Harbour. The ship can be viewed and additional information can be found in the outdoor area of the Seaplane Harbour.

  1. Torm

PVL-105 Torm is a former ship of the Estonian Border Guard constructed between 1965 and 1966 in Bergen, Norway. At the time, the ship was named KNM P968 Arg and served in the Royal Norwegian Navy.

Torm was donated to the Estonian Border Guard in December 1994 and was classified as a patrol ship. The ship was primarily stationed in Saaremaa and Hiiumaa, later in Tallinn and Paldiski. Torm participated in the so-called Baltic Herring War between Estonia and Latvia in December 1995 and also took part in several maritime rescue exercises.

The instruments of delivery for the transfer of the obsolete ship to the Estonian Maritime Museum were signed on 2 April 2008 in the day room of the icebreaker Suur Tõll. The ship can be viewed and additional information can be found in the outdoor area of the Seaplane Harbour.

  1. Kalev

Kalev is a former minesweeper of the Estonian Navy, which served in the German Navy under the name Minerva from 1967 to 1995. Subsequently, the ship was handed over to the Estonian State together with its sister ship Olev.

On 5 September 1997, Kalev was commissioned into service with the Estonian Navy where it served until June 2003. During this time, Kalev was part of the Baltic Naval Squadron BALTRON on several occasions and participated in both BALTRON exercises and well as other international exercises.

In October 2004, the ship was transferred to the Estonian Maritime Museum for safekeeping. The ship can be viewed and additional information can be found in the outdoor area of the Seaplane Harbour.

  1. Valvas

The buoy tender Valvas was commissioned into service with the United States Coast Guard on 11 May 1944 under the name Bittersweet. On 5 September 1997, the ship was donated to the Estonian Border Guard.

In Estonia, the ship has served both as an icebreaker in Pärnu Bay and as a training ship for the cadets of the Estonian Maritime Academy. In addition, it participated in a rescue operation and hosted the reception of Estonian President Lennart Meri and Polish President Aleksander Kwasniewski. During the BALTRON exercises in 2000, Valvas was the command ship of the navy.

In 2010, Valvas was decommissioned, and since 2014, it has been delighting visitors as a museum ship at the Seaplane Harbour. The ship is open to visitors during the opening hours of the Seaplane Harbour.

Meie veebilehe kasutamise jätkamisega nõustute veebilehe põhifunktsioonide toimimiseks ja kasutaja eelistuste salvestamiseks vajalike küpsiste kasutamisega.

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