The Harju County Court recognized as lawful the decision of the Tallinn City Hall to terminate the lease agreement with the Estonian Orthodox Christian Church (until March of this year — the EPC of the Moscow Patriarchate). This was the end of more than a year-long process in which the lease dispute turned into a political confrontation between Estonia and Russia.
We are talking about the building on Pikk Street in the Old Town, where the chancery of the church structure has been located since the 19th century. The perpetual lease agreement was concluded in 2005 on preferential terms: the church paid half of the market value. In 2024, the authorities demanded that the premises be vacated, but the church refused, claiming the right to historical continuity.
The political component intensified after Patriarch Kirill called the SVR a "holy war" at the World Russian People's Council. The Estonian Security Police (KaPo) regarded this as spreading the ideology of the Russian regime through church structures. Interior Minister Lauri Leaenemetz openly stated at the time that he was counting on severing ties between the EPC and the Moscow Patriarchate. In Moscow, these statements were considered an attempt to "drive believers under the jurisdiction of Constantinople."
After refusing to vacate the office in the Old Town, the city authorities sharply increased the rent. The church filed a complaint with the ECHR, and the Estonian special services accused the EOC of negotiating with Rossotrudnichestvo on financing a Russian-language school in Tallinn and attempting to set up a scheme to transfer funds from Russia.
In March of this year, the Estonian Orthodox Church (EOC) was forced to change its name to the Estonian Christian Orthodox Church. As noted in the decision of the Tartu County Court, the new name complies with the law and does not mislead about the purpose, scope or legal form of the church. According to the court, in conditions of religious freedom, it is impossible to conclude that any church can include all believers.
The head of the church, Metropolitan Evgeny (Valery Reshetnikov), appointed by the Moscow Patriarchate, was denied an extension of his residence permit for reasons of state security. Now he runs the church from Russia, which for the Estonian special services is a confirmation of the dependence of the local religious organization on Moscow.
The court's decision coincided with the adoption of a new law on churches in Estonia, which restricts the activities of structures associated with the Moscow Patriarchate. The Orthodox community of Estonia numbers about 40,000 people.