KGB Museum

One of my first stops was the KGB Museum located in the Hotel Viru. The American Secret Service was here visiting this same museum three weeks earlier. The secret 23rd floor housed the KGB agents and audio surveillance equipment, complete with red telephones. The elevators only went to 22nd floor.

The hotel was built by the Russian government specifically to house and spy on tourists, whom they feared would talk with the locals about the outside world. Groundbreaking at the time, the hotel contained a bakery, cobbler, small medical facility, tailor, and many other services, all in an effort to keep the tourists in the building where they could be more easily spied on.

The tourguide Jana did an excellent job bringing the museum to life. According to her, the sign on the door leading to the secret KGB audio surveillance room reads "here there is nothing".



When this KGB office was abruptly shut down in the late 1970's the agents left in a hurry, leaving lots of equipment and schematic blue prints behind in the audio surveillance room. The hotel left everything intact as it was left. Even the ashtray contains a mound of 70's era cigarette butts.



























This is a hidden outdoor area where the KGB agents would sometimes smoke their cigarettes.

Location:Estonia