Historic building
Valge torn
The White Tower on Väike-Paljassaare was built in 1821–1823 to guard the western entrance to Tallinn's naval harbour. A defence plan approved by Alexander I in 1820 called for several stone casemated gun towers on the system of the French engineer Montalembert, but this was the only one ever built. It had 45 musket loopholes and 12 gun ports. Its lime-plastered walls shone so brightly on the bare island that people called it the White Tower, though officially it was only ever the 'defensive tower'. During the Crimean War the British and French capture of similar towers at Bomarsund came as a shock to the Russians.
Open it on the map See the spot on the old maps and as it is today
Eesti keeles
Väike-Paljassaarele 1821–1823 ehitatud Valge torn pidi kaitsma Tallinna sõjasadama läänepoolset sissesõitu. Aleksander I poolt 1820. aastal kinnitatud kaitsekava nägi ette mitu Prantsuse inseneri Montalemberti süsteemi järgi ehitatud kasemattidega kivist suurtükitorni, kuid ehitada jõuti vaid see üks. Tornis oli 45 püssilaskeava ja 12 suurtükiava. Paljal saarel kaugele paistva lubikrohvitud torni nimetas rahvas Valgeks torniks, kuigi ametlikult oli see vaid kaitsetorn. Krimmi sõja ajal tuli Ahvenamaal sarnaste tornidega Bomarsundi kindluse vallutamine brittide ja prantslaste poolt venelastele šokina.