Tallinn opens first public shelter on Juhkentali Street

Tallinn has opened its first public shelter, on Juhkentali Street. The structure can hold around 20 people and was donated by security company Citysec, ERR reported.

It is designed to protect people from blast waves and flying fragments if an explosion occurs about 50 metres away, but not from a direct rocket strike. The shelter is made as a single piece.

The shelter’s door can be opened remotely in an emergency, deputy mayor Tiit Terik said. If power and communications fail, it opens automatically. Terik said people might otherwise use the shelter for sleeping or as a toilet, and noted that the automatic doors could attract hackers.

Citysec board chairman Eduard Rikkas said the module was developed with Ukrainian partners, with each side contributing 50 percent. He said similar shelters had been used in Ukraine for years, including in neighbourhoods left in ruins where people survived.

The shelter costs up to 70,000 euros, according to its manufacturer. Terik said the city has identified around 40 to 50 possible locations across Tallinn. If the city decides to order more shelters, it will launch a public procurement process.

Tallinn has one public shelter so far. Terik said the city had time to design it because the country is at peace, while Kramatorsk in Ukraine has dozens of such shelters.