Tallinn, October 22, 2026
St. Alexander Nevsky Cathedral in Tallinn. Photo: gazeta.ru
The Estonian Christian Orthodox Church is losing its administrative premises in Tallinn for good, as the Supreme Court declined to hear its appeal, ending a yearslong rent dispute with the city.
The Supreme Court’s Civil Chamber turned the appeal down on October 19, arguing it didn’t meet the legal requirements for review. The decision can’t be appealed, reports err.ee.
The dispute between the City of Tallinn and the Estonian Christian Orthodox Church concerned commercial premises at 64 Pikk Street. The Church used them as administrative offices under an open-ended lease it had held since 2005 at preferential rates, paying half the market value. The Tallinn City Center District Administration terminated the lease on April 17, 2024. After the Church refused to leave and challenged the decision in court, the authorities increased the monthly rent from €820 ($865) to €1,707 ($1,800).
The Church challenged the termination in court, seeking a ruling that it was invalid and that the lease remained in effect. On August 29, 2025, Harju County Court dismissed the lawsuit, finding that the district administration had the right to terminate the lease. The Church appealed, but the Tallinn Circuit Court upheld the lower court’s ruling on June 12, 2026.
The ruling confirming that the district administration lawfully terminated the lease has now entered into force.
The city has been negotiating with Church representatives over vacating the premises. The parties have reached a verbal agreement to vacate and are currently working to finalize the deadline.
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