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Viru Gate is the contemporary, colloquial name of the foregate of the Viru gate in the Tallinn Old Town. The foregate was a defense fortification to the original Viru Gate built in the XIV century, out of which two guard towers have remained, and which are incorrectly thought to be the remains of the historical Viru Gate that was demolished in 1888. The guard towers of the foregate are located in the ward of the Old Town, on the crossroads of Viru, Vana-Viru, and Valli streets.
Access from the embankment gate of Vana-Viru Street on the eastern side of the city wall was to the road towards Narva, and this gate was also called Narva Gate. The Vana-Viru embankment gate was demolished in 1842; the side post of that gate survives near Vana-Viru 10.
History
The first foregate was constructed in the 1370s to the Viru gate installed in 1345. In 1446, the old foregate was demolished, and a new gate building was constructed in its place. The new gate building was two-storied, and was flanked at its corners by slim round guard towers.
By the XVI century, the Tallinn City Wall had eight gates, which often consisted of several towers and the adjoining walls that connected them. The main tower of the gate was always four-squared, and the foregates were often supplied with one or two small round towers. The foregate was defended from the seaside by the Viru gate dirt fortification.
The northside sidewall was onnected to the Viru gate water mill, built in the XIV century. On the other side of the foregate was a roast pond, which was supplied with water that flowed through a canal from Lake Ülemiste and the Harju gate (Harjuvärav) and the Karja gate mill (Karjavärava veski).
In 1870, the Estonian Governorate planned to expand the entry road into the Old Town, and the Tallinn magistrate (Tallinna raad) thought only Kiek in de Kök and the Fat Margaret as worthy of historical preservation, and agreed to the demolition of the Harju gate, the gate tower of Pikk jalg, and the foregates of the Viru gate.
The foregates of the Viru Gate remained more-or-less intact until 1888, when they were demolished for the construction of a horse-drawn tram line. In the corners of the foregate, the round towers remained, as did parts of the bastion. After the demolition of the foregates, the Viru street was extended through dirt fortifications until Vene turg (the Russian Market), and thanks to this connection, regular horse-drawn tram transport began in August 1888 between Kadriorg and Vana turg (the Old Market).
In 1898, the southern towers got a small additional construction.
XX and XXI centuries
Through the years 1960–1962, all the buildings adjacent to the city wall were demolished, though a defenseway was restored on a 100-metre stretch.
The foregates of the Viru gate were reconstructed by July 1980 as part of a greater project to prepare the city of Tallinn for the Sailing regatta at the 1980 Summer Olympics, as Moscow, being a land-locked city, was not suitable as a venue.
By the 2003 Tallinn Old Town Days, the broken roof stones of guard towers were repaired and replaced with so-called antique roof stones.