House of the Blackheads
Home of a historic brotherhood
If the appearance of their headquarters is anything to go by, the guild that occupied the House of the Blackheads (Mustpeade maja), Pikk 26, were a more exuberant bunch than the merchants of the Great Guild. The Renaissance facade of their building, inset with an elaborate stone portal and richly decorated door, cuts a bit of dash amid the stolidity of Pikk.
Blackhead history
Like its namesake in Rīga, Tallinn’s Brotherhood of the Blackheads was formed to accommodate visiting bachelor merchants and took the North African St Maurice as its patron – hence its name. Unlike in Rīga, however, the Blackheads here also served a military purpose, organizing defence detachments (Blackheads fought off Russian besiegers during the Livonian Wars) and honouring visiting dignitaries with parades. Legend has it that the guild was founded to defend Tallinn during the Estonian uprising of St George’s Day in 1343, though in later years it seems to have degenerated into a drinking club.
The Brotherhood moved to this particular building in 1531 and stayed until 1940, when the Soviets turfed out a dwindling crew of survivors. Nowadays, the house’s main hall is the venue for regular chamber concerts – probably your best chance of getting to see the elegant, wood-panelled interior.