Raadi Air Base

The closure was a direct result of the dissolution of the Soviet Union and the subsequent withdrawal of the Russian Armed Forces from the territory of the newly independent Republic of Estonia. As a strategic military installation, its purpose ceased with the end of the Soviet occupation.

The site has undergone extensive redevelopment and is now a multi-purpose cultural, commercial, and recreational area. Its most prominent feature is the Estonian National Museum (Eesti Rahva Muuseum - ERM), an architecturally significant building constructed directly on a portion of the former runway, which opened in 2016. Other parts of the vast territory are used for commercial businesses, car sales lots, storage, a large solar park, and public events. The remaining sections of the runway are popularly used for car festivals, driving practice, and amateur drag racing events.

Raadi Air Base was one of the most important Soviet strategic bomber bases in the Baltic region during the Cold War. It was one of the largest military airfields in Eastern Europe, housing nuclear-capable long-range bombers such as the Tupolev Tu-16 'Badger' and later the Tupolev Tu-22M 'Backfire'. These aircraft were part of the Soviet Long-Range Aviation, capable of striking targets deep within Western Europe. Due to its strategic importance and the presence of nuclear weapons, the city of Tartu was designated a 'closed city' during the Soviet era, with access heavily restricted for foreigners and most Soviet citizens.

There are no plans or prospects for reopening Raadi as an operational airport. The construction of the Estonian National Museum directly on the main runway, along with other extensive commercial and energy-related redevelopment, makes its revival as an airfield unfeasible. The city of Tartu is served by the active Tartu Airport (TAY/EETU) located south of the city.