This large paved plaza, once the staging ground for 'spontaneous' displays of Soviet enthusiasm, is now used for summer concerts, skateboarding, impromptu ball games and watching events on the big screen at the southern end. The square sits just outside one of the former town gates, the remains of which are preserved under glass near the northwestern corner. A gigantic glass cross at the square’s western end commemorates the Estonian War of Independence.
The cross, which cost €7 million, is not beloved by Estonians. More striking is the 19th-century St John's Lutheran Church, which dominates the eastern end of the square. Nearby a memorial stone honours Solidarity, the trade union which played a large role in the downfall of Communism in Poland. Both this and the nearby Chopin Bench (which plays concertos by the composer) were gifts from the Polish embassy.
