I knew nothing about Estonia when I left from Helsinki for the hour and a half catamaran ride to Tallinn, Capital of Estonia. All I knew was that it must have been unimaginable hell during the Soviet years knowing that freedom was only a few hours away by boat.
Five days in Estonia taught me more than just the tragic history of this small and beautiful Baltic country, it taught me just how incredibly tough, resilient and unthinkably brave people can be. I was enchanted by Tallinn after just a few hours, and by the time I left I had cried my heart out for a people and a country that was abused over and over, and still survived.
Estonia, after being invaded by pretty much everybody over centuries, finally gained their independence from Soviet Russia in 1991. I won't delve into history now...check it out for yourself, suffice it to say their story is so dark, yet so inspiring, I was moved beyond words during my short stay here.
I was also moved by the beauty of Tallinn. The Old City is as quaint as you can imagine, most of it remained intact from the wars, and is now a UNESCO World Heritage Sight. You can see above, just how romantic it is.
One of the other great things I discovered about Tallinn, though, is that it's more than just the Old City. Tallinn is a modern city, having gone through an incredible construction boom post-Independence. I decided to stay in the modern part of the city, in the Rotermann Quarter (pic 3) which is also just by the Old City Gates (pic 9 & 10), in a wacky modern hotel, The Nordic Hotel Forum (view from my room window pic 2), which I think was the perfect location for me. I had access to the whole city, either by foot, train, tram or bus. And the wonderfully quirky Rotermann shopping area was just behind - don't miss the fabulous Loovala, which is a series of art studios and workshops all joined together on one big floor, where local artist work and sell their wares. I had a wonderful chat with a local spinner and knitter. Fabulous.
Tallinn is a city to explore, so I got out and about. I visited the rock of Estonian culture, The Song Festival Grounds (pic 11), which has been holding Estonian folk song festivals as well as concerts and cultural events since 1928. It has a very special place in the heart of Estonians, this was the only place, during their many occupations, that they could express their nationalism as Estonians. It was also the vehicle for Estonians to "gather" (read: protest) moving into the late 80s when the hint of freedom was in the air. It is a very special place.
I also trekked out to Nomme on the train to see the beautiful old wooden houses of times gone by. These houses are hundreds of years old, and Nomme is a suburb with some of the best preserved houses. I wandered the romantic streets for a couple of hours, in the drizzle, imagining times gone by. Oh and by the way, if you decide to take the train, just a note, some of the doors don't open, so check out which ones do before your stop arrives - otherwise it's an embarrassing sprint to the other end of the carriage!
I also spent a whole day in Kadriorg Park. It's only a 20 minute walk from town. This beautiful park was built by Tsar Peter I in the 18th Century for his empress, Catherine. He built her a small cottage first (pic 15 & 16), then a huge Palace, Kadriorg Palace, which now houses the foreign art branch of the Art Museum of Estonia. The Park also houses the current Presidential Palace (pic 14), and another branch of the Art Museum of Estonia, Kumu.
Kumu Art Museum (pic 17, 18,19) was quite something. I have already confessed that I am a total cultural ignoramus, yet I managed to spend 4 hours wandering around this museum. It houses work from the last two centuries, including both the German and Soviet occupations. I found the whole place fascinating - they have pamphlets in English to explain how artists worked under Communism and Nazi rule. It was fascinating and sad at the same time. They also had an excellent exhibition on the DP Camps (Displaced Persons), which again, was both incredibly fascinating, sad, and ultimately inspiring.
I may have overdone the whole Soviet thing - I had visited the Occupation Museum the day before, where I spent over 2 hours (I was finally thrown out after closing time) watching the excellent documentaries on the 20th Century history of Estonia. Don't miss this. I learnt more than I ever imagined I would, and now feel incredibly embarrassed I knew nothing of the history of the Baltic States. INCREDIBLY INTERESTING.
Yet, with all this heavy talk of Occupation, tragedy and darkness, I found Estonia to be so beautiful, friendly, touching, and very very inspiring. I would go back to Tallinn in a second, in fact I would love to have a couple of months to explore Estonia better. What a truly amazing story of survival, courage, and intense national pride - I'd like to find out more.
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