Description of the attraction
The Red Tower is the oldest architectural monument in Pärnu, practically the only surviving medieval defensive structure. In the 14th century, the city of Pärnu became part of the union of Hanseatic trading cities. The city flourished playing an important commercial role. It is believed that in the same century a fortress wall with a large number of towers was built around the city. In the southeastern corner was the Red Tower - the only one that has survived to this day. There is an assumption that this fortification was built later - in the first half of the 15th century.
Initially, the tower was faced with red bricks inside and outside, which is why, most likely, it got its name. The Red Tower or Prison Tower was used as a detention center for criminals. The prison was located in the lower underground tier, the maximum depth of which was 6 meters.
From 1617 to 1710 Pärnu became a fortress in Sweden. The new rulers directed their efforts to strengthen the defensive structures. The fortifications designed by the famous specialist Eric Dahlberg increased the territory of the fortress by 2, 5 times. Some of the old buildings were demolished; of the existing bastions, only the North-West North-East, as well as the Red Tower were left.
The Red Tower has been a prison since the 16th century. In 1624, the tower was a four-story building with a prison floor. During the years of the Russian Empire, there was also a city prison here. In this tower, some participants in the Pugachev uprising served their sentences, as well as Stepan Danilovich Efremov, the military chieftain of the Don Army in 1753-1772, who participated in the 1762 palace coup, as a result of which Catherine II became empress.
However, repeated escapes of prisoners from the tower showed that this place is not quite suitable for keeping criminals. In 1818, the Russian government demanded that the city stop using the tower as a prison, as the proximity of residential buildings made it difficult for the quality of prisoners to be guarded, and demanded that a new prison be built. However, the implementation of this decision dragged on for many years. And only in 1892 a new prison building was built. In the same year, the head of the Main Directorate of Prisons of the Russian Empire, who arrived in Pärnu on a visit, approved an act confirming the compliance of the new prison building with modern requirements.
Well, they decided to place the city archives in the Red Tower. For these purposes, the tower was reconstructed, as a result of which it acquired the form that we can observe today. The tower was an archive room until 1908. In 1973-1980, the restoration of the tower was carried out, during which the red brick cladding was not restored.
These days, the Red Tower is a great place to visit with family or friends. Today, the tower houses an art gallery and a craft workshop. Here you can buy unique souvenirs and handicrafts, including souvenirs made from used glass. Alternatively, you can cast a glass souvenir yourself or try to make a stained glass window. In the courtyard of the Red Tower, the Hanseatic fair, master classes, and other cultural events are held every summer.
