Estonian Minister of Culture Signs Decree Renaming Russian Theatre in Tallinn

In Estonia, a new name has been officially approved for the Russian Theatre in Tallinn, one that eschews national affiliation, reports RIA Novosti.

It has been announced that Estonia's Minister of Culture, Heiti Purg, signed a decree whereby the Russian Theatre in Tallinn is now officially called the Sudalinna Theatre.

This venue is the only professional theatre in Estonia where performances are predominantly presented in Russian. The name "Sudalinna," translated from Estonian, means "Heart of the City."

"Minister of Culture Heiti Purg has signed an order officially changing the name of the Russian Theatre to the Sudalinna Theatre. Along with this change, a revised charter of the institution has been approved," the statement reads.

It is noted that the theatre will continue to stage performances mainly in Russian.

Earlier, it was reported that the director of the Russian Theatre in Tallinn, Anne-Lii Pääv, introduced the new name—one devoid of national ties. Previously, the former chair of the theatre's council, Jaak Allic, voiced skepticism about the renaming, deeming it a highly unfortunate choice.

In October of last year, Tallinn authorities renamed Moscow Boulevard to Saaremaa Boulevard.

According to amendments to legislation that took effect in spring 2023, Estonian authorities now possess the right to rename streets without local self-governance approval if their names do not align with the region's history and culture.

Since the outbreak of the conflict in Ukraine, the Baltic States have seen a pronounced anti-Russian campaign. Incidents of discrimination against Russian citizens and Russian-speaking residents have increased, Soviet-era monuments have been dismantled, and streets renamed.

Former Russian ambassador to Estonia, Vladimir Lipajev, previously stated that an atmosphere of Russophobia is being deliberately fueled in Estonia, and that this originates from the country's leadership.