2026Kadriorg Stadium 100 - First Day Cover

Kadriorg Stadium is a landmark of Estonian sports and cultural history. In the summer of 1910, the first Estonian athletics competitions were held here. As the newspaper Päevaleht noted at the time, “Tallinn’s sporting life had long lacked a proper playing field.” The representative stadium opened in 1926 developed into a place where generations of athletes have trained, competed and celebrated sporting achievements. Olympic champion Paavo Nurmi, Heike Drechsler, Erik Nool and Gerd Kanter have all competed here, and numerous national records have been set on its grounds. For decades, the stadium served as the home venue of the Estonian national football team. Architecturally, the stadium is distinguished by the reinforced-concrete grandstand designed by Elmar Lohk and August Komendant and opened in 1938. With its graceful arches, the grandstand is considered one of the most significant examples of modernist architecture of its time. Kadriorg Stadium uniquely combines sporting excellence, architectural heritage and the traditions of song and gymnastics festivals. Its recent extensive renovation has given the stadium a new appearance and renewed vitality, opening a new chapter in its history.