Stenbock House

Stenbock House
Stenbocki maja
Stenbock House in Tallinn
General information
Architectural style	Neoclassicism
Town or city	Tallinn
Country	Estonia
Current tenants	Seat of the Government of Estonia
Construction started	1787
Completed	1792
Client	Jakob Pontus Stenbock
Design and construction
Architect(s)	Johann Caspar Mohr

Stenbock House (Estonian: Stenbocki maja) is a prominent neo-classical building located on Toompea hill, Tallinn. It is the official seat of the Government of Estonia.^[1]

History

The history of the Stenbock house goes back to the 1780s, when the local administration of what was then the

The construction of the building started in 1787. Almost immediately, however, the Russian state ran low on funds as a result of expenditures in connection with the ongoing Russo-Turkish War. As a result, the province became indebted to Stenbock, and the unfinished building passed into his possession. He subsequently used it as his Tallinn residence, and the building still bears its name in his remembrance. In 1828, after Stenbock's death, the building passed between different owners until 1899, when it finally became the property of the Governorate administration, and finally began to be used as a courthouse.^[2]

During both the first period of independence of Estonia (1918–1940) and during the Soviet occupation (1944–1991) it continued to be used as a courthouse. The maintenance of the building was neglected in the 1970s and 1980s, when the ceilings of two courtrooms and the archive of the court collapsed. By the time of the restoration of Estonian independence in 1991, the entire building was at risk of collapsing. A complete renovation was carried out in 1996–2000. The newly renovated building became the official seat of the Estonian national government at its re-opening in 2000.^[2][1]

Architecture

The architectural style of the building is a rather simple form of neo-classicism. The front façade is adorned by six