Guided tour: the Stalinist architecture of Kino Sõprus (Giidituur stalinistliku arhitektuurikeelega Sõpruse kinos)

This summer, Kino Sõprus is launching its first-ever series of tours, showcasing the exemplary architecture of Estonia’s oldest continuously operating cinema, Soviet film culture, and the building's role in the history of Tallinn. 

The first half of the tour will focus on how Estonia’s first two-screen cinema was built on post-war ruins, what stories the building's intricate details and ornaments tell, and how Sõprus became the heart of the city’s cultural life.

The tour finishes with a screening of "Welcome to Tallinn!" (1967), a photo-montage film capturing everyday life in 1960s Tallinn. Featuring photographs by STODOM, the Soviet Union’s first photographers’ collective, the film offers a lively portrait of the city, its streets and its people. 

The dignified towers, churches, limestone walls, and cobblestone streets of the Old Town reveal its quiet, picturesque corners. In the harbor, ships and cranes stand tall beside towering piles of cargo. Glimpses of shops, shopping crowds, and people carrying various goods. Suddenly, a rain shower begins – people rush by with umbrellas or run for cover. As the rain passes, the wet streets glisten. At a folk festival, people are in high spirits, someone is being welcomed, and photographers jostle for position. The mood shifts to cozy cafes, ballroom dancers, romantic encounters, and a wedding celebration. As the city slips into evening, the sun sets and the streets empty. Views of the city emerge, with Toompea and the flag atop the Pikk Hermann tower rising in the center.

The tours will take place from July 9 to August 16, from Thursday to Sunday. The guided tour, including a short film screening, begins at 17:30 and lasts approximately an hour.

Tickets can be purchased for €9.50 at the box office on Vana-Posti street 15 minutes before the start of the tour or on the Sõprus website. Our bar is open in the cinema hall and Sõprus souvenirs will be available for purchase.

The tour starts in front of the Sõprus building, by the fountain.