Tallinn – Estonia's Capital. Margit Mikk-Sokk

      In 1558, Russia launched a war against Livonia (historic name for southern Estonia and northern Latvia). In the Livonian War, which lasted 25 years, Russia, Sweden, Poland and Denmark fought for control over the northern part of the Baltic Sea. The territory of Estonia had become one of the most important battlefields. Afraid of Russian troops, the town of Tallinn and Harju and Viru knighthood surrendered to Sweden in 1561, which was followed by Swedish rule for the next one and a half centuries. In 1570−1571, the troops of Ivan IV the Terrible, Russian Tsar, besieged Tallinn for 37 weeks but the town did not surrender. Under the peace treaties made with Russia, Estonia was divided between Sweden, Denmark and Poland.