Twenty years ago Europe suffered its worst peacetime maritime disaster when a ferry crossing between Estonia and Sweden sank in rough seas.
Eight hundred and fifty-two lives were lost on that fatal voyage, and an annual service at this memorial remembers the victims. Few Estonian families escaped the tragedy where everyone lost friends or family in the disaster, even if most of the dead were Swedish.
The MV Estonia got into difficulties in heavy seas as it was crossing from Tallinn to Stockholm and despite rescuers’ desperate attempts only 137 lives were saved. The vessel sank in just 52 minutes.
Sunday night sees the performance of Estonia’s longest piece of music, a five hour and twenty-two minute mantra
ending at precisely 1.52 am on Monday morning, the moment when the Estonia sank beneath the waves in 1994. The public is invited to lay a glowstick for each victim at the memorial.
