Russalka
In 1902, a memorial was erected at the end of Mere Avenue in Kadriorg (the road leading from the palace to the sea) to commemorate the sinking of the Russian warship Russalka and the loss of its crew. Created by Amandus Adamson, this is the first work by a trained Estonian sculptor to have been exhibited in Estonian public space.
A base of grey granite, which symbolises the hull of a ship run aground, supports a granite pillar. At the top of the pillar stands a bronze angel, the cross in her right hand pointing towards the shipwreck site.
The pavement surrounding the monument represents a compass and the cast iron posts around it bear the names of the lost sailors, including four Estonians. The overall height of the monument is 16 m. The installation of the monument launched the construction of the entire beach park surrounding it.
Today, Russalka is one of Tallinn’s most famous landmarks.