Tallinn Guide Aleksandr

05/04/2024

31/12/2023

From the cosy Tallinn Town Hall Square to absolutely everybody - may the upcoming year be better in every sense and may you find your true happiness! And if you already have one, there’s always room for more 😉

02/11/2023

You may have seen my posts and stories regarding Linnahall. Just found this post by the city of Tallinn about the future plans regarding the area.

I’ve got to say - I’m perplexed. According to the Muinsuskaitse, the outside of the protected building must remain in its original form. Here the new building doesn’t resemble its old form at all.

What do you think, is this plan here realistic or is just another fantasy among the ones that have already been done before?

20/10/2023

🇪🇪🇱🇻🇩🇪Baltic Germans..
.is more than just two words or a nation. They were the people who essentially formed the elite part of the society in Estonia and Latvia throughout most of the Medieval times and until early 20th century. Their main place of residence was a manor. A manor was a huge production site, where the labour was done mostly by the Estonians, who weren't free to stay or to go but rather were kept on the grounds by being serfs under the noble living there.

🌾The serfs would be living on the territory in their farms, working the land, herding the cattle. Some of them would also be working in various workshops on the grounds - a distillery, a stable, a barn etc. It was also via the manor kitchen that the knowledge about various herbs and spices made it into the Estonian dishes.

❌The manors were officially abolished by the land decree in 1919. According to it, the Baltic Germans were losing their nobility status, their land and quite often, also the main manor house. The land along with the buildings went to the government that then decided, what to do with it. In some of them, schools were founded, in others - museums or guesthouses.

🚜Today the manors remain an important part of Estonian history and are often very well kept and maintained. Here's some photos from Olustvere manor, in previous times owned by de la Gardie and Fersen families, today being the tourism centre and practice grounds for Olustvere Agricultural School.

13/09/2023

🍂 Autumn is in the air!

It may be a little gloomy but hey, a hot drink, good clothing and you’re good to go to explore Tallinn!

02/09/2023

🏰The skin of the fortress

Is, of course, the city wall. I’ve been told by some people from Southern Europe that their cities were assaulted more than Tallinn and yet still had smaller fortifications than our city.

💪Well, with its 8 massive gates, 40+ towers and 2,5 km of solid limestone protection, the wall of Tallinn still impresses today.

🔥Even the fact that the city stopped being a castle in 1857 and there were plenty of people, who thought, that the wall is now a rudiment from the past, it has withstood the difficulties of the 20th century as well as all the others.

27/08/2023

🇱🇻🇪🇪It’s important to check on your neighbours once in a while. I did it this weekend - they’re great and so am I 😁

A trip to Latvia is always a highlight and if you haven’t given this country a chance - you should. After all, if you’re coming to Estonia already, why not expand your route?

🇱🇻

25/07/2023

🇲🇽Mexico or 🇪🇪Estonia?

Honestly, every time I visit the military objects of Naissaar, there’s one in particular that looks like it should really belong to the Yucatan peninsula and shouldn’t be here in the north at all 😍

20/07/2023

🕺Whenever in a manor like Saku, I can’t help myself but to suit up and feel fancy 😎

17/07/2023

🍻Spa? Beer? BeerSPA? Saku!

🏛Yes, it’s true, Estonians love their foaming cold drink. That’s probably the main connection people make with the name Saku, often forgetting that it’s also a very beautiful manor.

🇮🇹Probably existing already in 15th century, the building we know and love today was built around 1820s. It’s believed that the architect was no other but Carlo Rossi himself, a mastermind behind many incredible architectural pearls in the Baltics and Saint Petersburg!

🇪🇪The place’s name comes from the old landlord, who’s name was Sack. As it usually goes, the locals estonified the name by adding the letter U and thus, the name Saku was born.

🍻Today it serves as a popular place for organising events like weddings and seminars, also it has a very lovely hotel. As a plus, since beer is produced nearby, they have a full-blown beer spa!

12/07/2023

Happy Wednesday, everyone! I’m celebrating with 11 marriages today 😁

06/07/2023

🇪🇪 Still undiscovered

Yes, compared with what some people call “the basics of Europe”, Tallinn remains still in the status of a hidden gem 💎.

So, in order to make it a little less hidden, here’s a little photo dump from the month of June in the capital of Estonia!

18/06/2023

🐺Wolf Island

Is one of the names that island of Aegna used back in the day. Despite being quite far away from Tallinn, not only is it in it’s administration, it’s part of the Kesklinn (City Centre) district!

Why visit Aegna?

It has some of the most beautiful, untouched and protected nature. Rocky and sandy beaches look stunning and the air is very clean.

Historical sites spread from the medieval times until the 20th century military objects. That includes the labyrinth in the Viking style, fortifications from the WW 1 and many abandoned houses that look like they were inhabited only yesterday.

Perfect place for a picnic that is both close and yet still only reachable by boat. So you can have yourself a day adventure without really heading too far away from Tallinn!

🐺Волчий Остров

Это одно из старых названий острова Аэгна. Несмотря на то, что он от Таллинна достаточно далеко, он мало того, что входит в состав города, он ещё и является под администрацией района Кесклинн (центр города)!

Почему Аэгна стоит посетить?

На острове много нетронутой, прекрасной и хорошо защищённой природы. Пляжи с галькой и песком так и манят к себе, а воздух просто чистейший!

Исторические объекты есть как средневековые, так и со времён мировых воин и советского времени. Например лабиринт в стиле викингов, фортификации с первой половины ХХ века и много заброшенных домов, глядя на которые кажется, что в них жили только вчера.

Это прекрасное место для пикника, которое одновременно и достаточно близко, но до которого без судна не доберёшься. Так что останавливаясь в Таллинне, можно устроить себе небольшое однодневное приключение!

15/06/2023

☎️Hello! This is your new decade calling! Just wanted to remind you that this is your birthday since you tend to forget it constantly!

31 it is, happy birthday me! 😁

05/06/2023

🏗1899 was the year when Dvigatel factory for train cars was founded on the outskirts of Tallinn.

💰It became the largest factory in Estonia, but during the independence years, the economic potential of it reduced drastically and ultimately it was bought by the state.

✈️During that time on the rented areas the production of airplanes starts and an airport is constructed, becoming the busiest in the Eastern Europe.

🚩During Soviet times, Dvigatel (engine in Russian) was a secret factory, making space and military equipment.

💥Everything changes again with the USSR collapsing in 1991 and the factory is bought a few years later by Mainor AS.

📈In 2010 the concept of Ülemiste City is created. As of today, it’s the third biggest contributor for the business economy after the cities of Tallinn and Tartu.

👨‍💻It’s the centre for innovation and brave ideas, an economical and technological driver and is the biggest among the business districts in all of the Baltic States.

🏗Это был 1899 год, когда завод по производству вагонов "Двигатель" был запущен на окраине Таллинна.

💰Он стал самым большим заводом в Эстонии, но во время независимости, его экономический потенциал сильно снизился и государству пришлось его выкупить.

✈️В это время в сданных в аренду ангарах начали собирать самолеты и рядом с заводом построили аэропорт, который стал самым загруженным в Восточной Европе.

🚩В советские времена, Двигатель был секретным предприятием, которое делало военную и космическую технику.

💥Всё вновь меняется с развалом Союза в 1991 году и вскоре, завод приобретает фирма АО Маинор.

📈В 2010 году создаётся концепция городка Юлемисте. На сегодняшний день, этот квартал - третий по вкладу в экономику страны после городов Таллинна и Тарту.

👨‍💻На сегодня, это один из центров инновационных и смелых идей, самый крупный и ведущий квартал предпринимательства в странах Балтии!

29/05/2023

It’s here that most people get their first acquaintance with Tallinn old town.

Viru gate is one of the 8 gates that used to protect the medieval Reval.

Today it’s one of the most popular meeting spots in the city!

Именно здесь происходит первое знакомство многих со старым Таллинном.

Ворота Виру - одни из 8 ворот, которые раньше защищали средневековый Ревель.

А сегодня, это одно из самых популярных мест для встречи!

22/05/2023

The May evenings at the Tallinn seaside are something else 😍

Майские закаты на побережье Таллинна - это прекрасно 😍

11/05/2023

☀️ The spring is a little treacherous, the Sun may be out but the wind might be freezing 🥶 or like a tourist asked from me “Are you sure that the ice age in Estonia actually did finish?” 😁

☀️ Наша весна может быть опасной, солнце может и греет, но ветер при этом бывает ледяным 🥶 или как один турист у меня спросил «а в Эстонии ледниковый период точно закончился?» 😁

03/05/2023

🌱 Have some spring Tallinn colours in your feed!

🌱Вот вам красок весеннего Таллинна в ленту!

01/05/2023

🥳Events in Tallinn, May 2023:

👆All links are in bio!

🍺Tallinn Craft Beer Weekend – The name speaks for itself. Different breweries bring out their best flavours and world class produce. You can taste over 400 different beers during the two days of the festival. The entrance ticket includes all the tasting already!

📍Kultuurikatel
Põhja pst 27a

05.05.2023 - 06.05.2023 17:00 - 23:00

🎵 Tallinn Music Week fills the city streets with concerts! Great way to discover our city and enjoy all kind of international artists from various genres.

📍Telliskivi Loomelinnak
Telliskivi tn 60a
10.05.2023 - 14.05.2023

🎨 The Night of Museums is the time when you can visit almost any museum during the later evening and do so absolutely for free! Every year there’s a specific topic that the festival focuses on.
Any museums in Tallinn you’ve always wanted to see and never had the time or funds? Now is the time!

20.05.2023

👨‍👩‍👧‍👦 Kumu Family Mornings are for families with 4-8 y/o kids. A little intro is done to one exhibit of the museum, after which the kids can try a captivating art-centered workshop.
NOTE: The event is in Estonian🇪🇪

📍Kumu kunstimuuseum
A. Weizenbergi tn 34
07.05.2023, 14.05.2023 12:00 - 13:30

🎭 XIII Tallinn TREFF visual theatre festival offers you a wide selection of performances from all over Europe and also from the local artists. It’s the combination of puppet, object, physical and multimedia theatre and explores both the traditional and novel forms of acting.

📍Eesti Noorsooteater
Nunne tn 4
25.05.2023 - 28.05.2023 11:00 - 22:00

Photos: 1. Fábio Alves 2. Anthony DELANOIX 3. Jorien Loman 4. Karel Koplimets 4. Nadim Merrikh

All photos are for illustrative purpose only!

28/04/2023

☀️ The golden hour in Tallinn is an absolute beauty. Have you ever just gone to the streets of the old town and gotten (kind of) lost there?

☀️ Золотой закат в Таллинне просто прекрасен. А вы когда-нибудь приходили в старый город и прогуливаясь, просто растворялись в его улочках?

25/04/2023

Me in my natural habitat, talking about (in this case) about Niguliste church and why are our churches so tall 😁

Я в своём обычном элементе, рассказываю (в данном случае) про церковь Нигулисте и про причины, почему наши церкви такие высокие 😁

24/04/2023

🇬🇧🇺🇸Puppet that says “Yes” (🇷🇺⏬)

🎭Estonians love theatre. They sell more tickets than the cinemas do. And of course, to each their own kind of play.

💁‍♂️Officially, the name of the place today is the Estonian Theatre For Young Artists, formerly and more widely known as the Puppet Theatre. It was founded by Ferdinand Veike (the bas-relief on the wall) in 1952.

📍The location has been the place for a theatre also before this building was completed in 1907. August von Kotzebue, father of famous explorer Otto von Kotzebue, founded the first professional theatre in Tallinn (Reval at the time) at the same place in 1813.

🎎Today it remains the only professional state theatre in Estonia that focuses on visual and puppet play.

🇷🇺Кукла, говорящая «Да»

🎭Эстонцы обожают театр. Настолько, что продажи билетов в них выше, чем в кино. И разумеется, каждому свои представления.

💁‍♂️Официально сегодня этот театр называется Эстонский Театр Для Молодых Актёров, раньше был более известен как Кукольный.

📍Данное место использовалось для театра и до того, как современное здание было построено в 1907 году. Именно тут Август фон Коцебу, отец знаменитого исследователя Отто фон Коцебу, в 1813 году основал первый таллинский (тогда ещё ревельский) профессиональный театр.

🎎 На сегодня это единственный государственный театр страны, который специализируется на кукольном и визуальном искусстве.

13/04/2023

🎩Everyone has their own outfits. Blazers and t-shirts are a usual thing by now but how often does one combine a t-shirt with a top hat?

🎩 Никого уже не удивить комбинацией футболки и пиджака, а вот футболку и цилиндр увидишь не каждый день! А как выглядит ваш сегодняшний костюм?

29/03/2023

❤️The heart of culture..
.lies in the heart of Tallinn. (По русски в комментариях) This is the house of the National Opera and Ballet Estonia (left wing) and also the Estonia Concert Hall (right wing).

🔨The house was completed in 1913 by the Finnish architects Armas Lindgren and Wivi Lönn. Initially it was done in jugend style while the roof was inspired by an Asian pagodas.

❌The house was destroyed in WWII and renovated in 1947.

💰As the Emperor of Russia refused to fund the building, it was done only thanks to all the donations. That’s why there is no marble or gold in sight in the rooms.

🖌Some of the original decorations are visible in the halls, including the national cornflower pattern under some arches.

🪑The opera side has 811 seats and the concert hall has 993. The opera stage rotates and 16m wide, 20m deep and 22m high.

👨‍🎨In total, the National Opera and Ballet offers jobs for 460 people and grew out of one of the first theatrical collectives, keeping its name in the process.

🎭The decorations for the plays are done in the rooms above the stage and get lowered with special decorations winches to the stage area. Costumes are also done on the spot and you can even borrow them for your own use!