Paldiski Nikolai kirik (Paldiski)

 church, place with historical importance, orthodox christianity, interesting place, listed building / architectural heritage, lutheran church/kirk, historical building, place of worship, 19th century construction, tourist attraction

Paldiski Nikolai Church is a church building in Paldiski at Mere Street 12, used by the Paldiski Nikolai congregation of the Estonian Evangelical Lutheran Church. The single-nave church building of Paldiski Nikolai Church was completed in 1841[1], before that the congregation used a crown house adapted for a church as its first church.
Lutheran services were held in Paldiski from the spring of 1770, initially in a rented two-story wooden house, which the congregation bought in the autumn of 1775. The building was used by the Paldiski congregation for 70 years. In June 1840, the cornerstone was laid for the classicist church building designed by Johann Schellbach, which was named Nikolai in honor of Bishop Nicholas of Myra and Emperor Nicholas I of Russia. The church was consecrated on October 18, 1842. The church was thoroughly renovated in 1927 and 1933 (facade renovation) and in 1937 (interior renovation). In 1940, the Paldiski Nikolai congregation moved with all its property to Nõmme in connection with the bases agreement signed in 1939, when the city of Paldiski was transformed into a closed city as the Paldiski naval base, and from 1946 to 1994, the city of Paldiski and its surroundings were one of the most militarized areas in Estonia. During the Estonian SSR, the building was used as an officers' club and later as a warehouse. The original interior has been destroyed, only the altarpiece "Resurrection" (1888) has survived. The Paldiski Nikolai congregation was allowed to enter the church again in November 1993. The church was reconsecrated on January 3, 1999. In October 2022, the 180th anniversary of the sanctuary was celebrated with a service and the handover of the church bell. Archbishop Urmas Viilma of the Estonian Orthodox Church consecrated a memorial plaque with the names of the previous clergy of the congregation.