Sutlepa kabel (Tallinn)

 temple, chapel, place with historical importance, orthodox christianity, interesting place, listed building / architectural heritage, historical building, place of worship, Russian Orthodox Church, 17th century construction, tourist attraction

An old wooden functioning church. Services are held on major church holidays. The Sutlepa Chapel is one of the oldest wooden buildings in Estonia. The chapel was built as an auxiliary church of the parish church in the village of Sutlepa, Noarutsi parish. The exact date of construction has not been established, but the chapel was mentioned in archival data as early as 1627. However, the year number "1699" carved above the door of the church probably indicates the time of construction of the building that has survived to this day. It is known that in 1825, eight services were held in the chapel, and baptisms, weddings and funerals were probably also held there. Services were held in both Estonian and Swedish. In the 1830s, the chapel was rebuilt in 1837. The interior of the building, reflecting the first half of the 19th century, skillfully combines the traditions of peasant construction with elements of the Baroque style. In 1837, the village carpenter Johannes Klingberg made a pulpit imitating the work of Tobias Heinze (1589–1635), a master of Tallinn Baroque. The throne, grille and base of the octagonal font (1802) date back to the same time. The image of Christ above the altar was donated to the chapel by the landowner K. von Taube in 1831. The simple stained glass windows in tin frames on the altar wall of the chapel are beautiful. Next to the door is a collection box. The proximity of the sea is reminiscent of the tin wreaths hanging on the walls, laid there in memory of the men who died at sea. The chapel could accommodate about 150 people, with men traditionally sitting on the right and women on the left. In the choir section, on both sides of the altar, there are so-called German benches, where the richest and most respected families sat.
Categories: chapel, historically significant place, landmark, architectural monument (history), historical building, religious building, 17th century building, tourist attraction