Short play “Three Gold Stripes: A Day in a Merchant’s House”, family day at the Tallinn City Museum

Family day at the Tallinn City Museum on 28 November, with a historical short play “Three Gold Stripes: A Day in a Merchant’s House”. It tells a true medieval crime story from 1493, and in 1521 the audience steps into the life of a Tallinn merchant family in the Munga Street merchant house at Vene 17.

The rich merchant Hans Viant lives there with his family. The house is full of everyday bustle, unexpected events and stories to tell. The play looks at what might have happened in the house, and what mysterious link there was between three tiny gold stripes and the house.

The audience learns how the cunning Kampen sailors tried to cheat the town and the medieval Livonian laws with clipped coins at the Reval market. What happened to these bold crooks? Why is a two-mark fine for ringing the church bells written in black ink in the Niguliste church book? A sealed cupboard is opened and a mysterious piece of evidence comes to light: a Low German explanatory note that finally sheds light on this frightening story.

Cast: Andre Tõnnis, Edvard Krik, Evelin Alliksaar, Sandra Väliste, Valeria Kitajeva. Script by Kristjan Arunurm and Valeria Kitajeva. Director Kristjan Arunurm.

Programme:

11:00–15:00 workshop “Three Gold Stripes” in the education room

12:00–13:00 house tour in Estonian

14:00–14:30 short play “Three Gold Stripes”, starting on the first floor

15:00–16:00 house tour in Russian

All day there is also a treasure hunt that invites you to notice the museum’s exhibits and details you might otherwise walk past. Children can make their own gold stripes in the workshop.

Time and place: 28 November 2026, from 11:00, Tallinn City Museum, Vene 17, Tallinn.