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Friday, 29.03.2024, 13:37
Estonia lists railway station buildings of Narva, Valga as cultural monuments
The main buildings of the railway stations of Narva and Valga are very representative and architecturally valuable railway station buildings completed in the Stalinist style, spokespeople for the Ministry of Culture said.
Liina Janes, adviser on heritage conservation at the ministry, said it is
important that also outstanding examples of Estonia's newest architecture, or
architecture of the 20th century, were represented among cultural monuments in
a balanced manner.
"Especially the second half of the 20th century, or postwar
architecture, is little represented among monuments. While it may seem that
there are many buildings of the Soviet period around us, very little of the
architecture of that era has been preserved," Janes said.
Both the railway station of Valga, built in 1949, and the main building of
the railway station of Narva, dating from 1953, exemplify the history of Narva
and Valga as important railway towns. Both buildings have been preserved largely
in their authentic form, with a richly decorated exterior. Inside the building
of the railway station of Valga also the original interior has been largely
preserved.
The proposal to declare the two buildings cultural monuments follows a
survey of 20th century architecture carried out in 2007-2012, in the course of
which buildings dating from 1870 to 1991 across Estonia were charted. Of the
charted items a panel of experts shortlisted 130 items as the most valuable and
best representing the heritage of 20th century architecture. As regards 114 of
these a proposal was made to declare them cultural monuments.
The railway station buildings of Valga and Narva are both being used for
their original purpose.
Altogether 32 main buildings of railway stations have been declared
cultural monuments in Estonia so far.