Uploaded April 2026 | Updated September 2026, 2 weeks ago

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EML Lembit is one of two Kalev-class mine-laying submarines built for the Republic of Estonia before World War II, and is now a museum ship in Tallinn. She was launched in 1936 at Vickers-Armstrongs, Barrow-in-Furness, and served in the Estonian Navy and the Soviet Navy from 1936-1979.

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Video/editing: Jukka O. Kauppinen
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Lembit

“Lembit” is one of two submarines built by the British for the Republic of Estonia before the Second World War. The Estonian people donated scrap metal to pay for it. According to Jakob Laulik of the Estonian Maritime Museum, “Lembit” is the “biggest and the most successful national fund-raising event in Estonian history”.

When the Soviet Union occupied Estonia during the Second World War, the vessel became part of the Soviet fleet. The crew consisted of 32 men, who had to live in very cramped conditions. Many had to sleep in the torpedo room.

The submarine made its last dive in the 1950s before being towed to a river, where it was discovered years later by two veterans who had served on her during the war.

When Estonia regained its independence in 1991, much of the Soviet military equipment was taken to Russia, and there was some concern that “Lembit” would also go. However, the national fIag was hoisted on board and the submarine stayed in Estonia, where it is on display at the Estonian Maritime Museum.

WW2

In Spring 1937, Lembit joined the Estonian Navy, where she operated until the Soviet occupation in mid-1940. The submarine carried out one training torpedo attack in her three years of service in the Estonian Navy, but was never used in the minelaying role.

The submarine was formally taken over by the Soviet Navy on 18 September 1940, by which time only five men of the submarine's Estonian crew remained on board. They were needed to assist the Soviet crew in learning unfamiliar machinery.

After the German invasion of the Soviet Union in June 1941, Lembit was commissioned into the Soviet Baltic Fleet. The original name Lembit was initially retained. At least three of her original Estonian crew helped to operate the submarine during the war. Lembit participated with the Soviet Baltic Fleet in military operations. Lembit carried out a total of seven patrols during the German-Soviet war.

Eesti Meremuuseum

The Estonian Maritime Museum (Eesti Meremuuseum) is a collector, preserver, researcher, and presenter of Estonian maritime culture (maritime history). “Our mission is to increase people’s knowledge, respect, and love for the sea.”

The Estonian Maritime Museum was established in Tallinn in 1935 on the initiative of former captains and sailors. Throughout its long history, the museum has undergone several changes. The museum’s main exhibition has been located since 1981 in the Paks Margareeta artillery tower, which has a history of nearly 500 years. The Maritime Museum opened its second exhibition space in May 2012 at the Seaplane Harbour.

Currently, the Estonian Maritime Museum is one of the largest museums in Estonia and is also the most popular museum, especially thanks to the Seaplane Harbour exhibition.

In the seaplane hangar at Seaplane Harbour,you can find the Lembit submarine, built in 1937 at the Vickers-Armstrong shipyard in England, the Short 184 seaplane, the wreck of the Maasilinn ship (which is the oldest wreck found in Estonian waters), as well as many authentic exhibition items such as sailboats, boats, and sea mines. Additionally, the museum features the MARU café and museum shop, cinemas, simulators, a children’s area, and many other interesting attractions. In addition to the permanent exhibition, various seasonal exhibitions related to maritime and its history are also open.

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