University of Tartu Church

The Cathedral of St. John is one of the iconic cathedrals of the city of Tartu. The church was constructed in a brick gothic style in the 14th century but was restored many times throughout its history, most notably after its damage during the second world war. The cathedral is probably most famous for its over 1,000 original terra cotta statues, some older than 700 years.

The Assumption Cathedral is the Apostolic Orthodox Cathedral of Tartu. The church, completed in 1753, was destroyed by a major fire in 1775 and was therefore rebuilt in 1783. The architect and designer of the church was P. Spekle. The church was originally painted light green, then ochre yellow and finally bleached. In the 19th century, the church was extended: new parts of the building were built between the cross branches and the church became square.

Tartu Cathedral is a brick Gothic style church founded between the 13th and 16th centuries. Devastated during the Livonia War (1558 - 1583), it was left in a state of ruin and in the 1760s, the high twin towers of the church were demolished. As part of the reconstruction of the University of Tartu in 1804-1807, rooms of the university library were built in the cathedral choir. After the completion of the new university library building in 1981, the University of Tartu Museum moved in.