Rummu Lake is a haunting reminder of the dark Soviet past. In the late 1930s, it was a place where limestone was mined, with all the hard labor carried out by Rummu prisoners who were forced to work in the quarry and pump water out of the pits. After Estonia regained its independence in 1991, the prison and quarry were abandoned. Over time, groundwater seeped into the quarry and flooded some of the buildings and mining machines. Today, parts of the former prison can still be seen on land, but the more adventurous visitors can dive into the lake and discover the sunken ruins of the prison and surrounding forest
Located 45 kilometers from Tallinn, Rummu Lake is easily accessible by car or bus. If you’re taking the bus, hop on line number 114 from Tallinn to Rummu. Entrance to the lake costs 4 EUR, but pre-booked divers can enter for free. In 2021, two guided dives with your own equipment cost 60 EUR per person, while it’s 85 EUR per person with rented equipment. We rented our equipment since we only planned to do two dives on our trip. Unfortunately, the equipment wasn’t great – the wetsuit had a few holes in it, which made the already cold water even colder. And to make things worse, it was a rainy, cold day in late August. We didn’t mind the rain since we knew we were going to get wet anyway, but the cold weather was quite unpleasant.
During our first dive, we explored the sunken forest, which is also known as the Zombie Forest due to its eerie appearance. Swimming through the forest felt like being in a horror movie as we tried to navigate our way through the 2-4 meter tall trees covered in greenish residues. This place is not suitable for novice divers, as the equipment and divers can easily get stuck. The experience was surreal, and at the end of the dive, we even got to play around with a sunken car – a nice addition to the already unique experience.
Our second dive took us to the prison section of the lake. To make the experience more relaxed, the dive center added a few items at the bottom to play with. However, once inside the building, the harsh reality of the place hit us. It wasn’t long ago that prisoners of the Soviet regime were forced to work here, enduring grueling conditions. It’s hard to imagine that only three decades later, the same prison would be a popular diving spot.
After the dive, we had mixed feelings. On one hand, the site offered a connection to history, almost like an underwater museum. On the other hand, the playful additions, like the skeleton and boards, made it feel like a playground. In our opinion, there’s no need to add these features. The place is not meant to be fun; it should serve as a place of quiet contemplation, away from noisy crowds and tourists. It’s a place to reflect on the lives of those who were imprisoned there and consider whether they deserved their fate or were merely victims of the regime. Dive into the silent underwater world and let your thoughts take you where they may.
