KGB headquarters to be turned into flats

The building which once housed the Tallinn headquarters of the KGB will be converted into a block of luxury flats. The notorious property, which lies at the heart of the city in the historic Old Town, should be ready to welcome its first new residents two years from now.

The city has granted acompany called Pagari 1 the permit to carry out the project.

Apartments will range between 80 and 140 square metres, providing residents with plenty of space to swing a cat.

The inner courtyard of the building will be converted into a garden.

It is anticipated that foreign guests will be amongst those curious about the property, given the resounding success of KGB-themed museums in the Baltic region.

The retro trend has proved a money-earner across the former Eastern Bloc. At the Ostel Hotel in Berlin, guests sign up for the decidedly spartan furniture of the Cold War era. Customers wanting to push the boat out can rent the 'Stasi Suite'.

Meanwhile, earlier this year, Bulgarian authorities sunk a plane belonging to the country's last communist leader, with the aim of using it as a quirky attraction for divers.