Tallinn
Tallinn (recent historical name:
Reval) is the
capital city and main
seaport of
Estonia. It is located on Estonia's north coast to the
Baltic Sea, 80 kilometres south of
Helsinki.
The origin of the name "Tallinn(a)" is certain to be
Estonian, although the original meaning of the name is debated. It is usually thought to be derived from
"Taani-linn(a)" (meaning "
Danish-castle/town";
Latin:
Castrum Danorum). However, it could also have come from
"tali-linna" ("winter-castle/town"), or
"talu-linna" ("house/farmstead-castle/town"). The element
-linna, like
German -burg and
Slavic -grad originally meant "castle" but is used as a suffix in the formation of town names.
Tallinna replaced the previously used official German name () in
1918, when Estonia became independent. In the early
1920s the official spelling of the city name was changed from Tallinna to
Tallinn, making the new name notable since Estonian-language place names generally end with a vowel (denoting
genitive case). However, somewhat confusingly to non-Estonian speakers, the word Tallinna still appears in modern Tallinn as the
-a suffix can denote the genitive case (thus
Tallinna Lennujaam translates literally as Tallinn's Airport).
Historical names
|
Beautifully painted buildings in Old Town Tallinn |
The German and
Swedish name Reval (Latin:
Revalia, earlier Swedish language:
Räffle) originated from the
13th century Estonian name of the adjacent Estonian county of
Rävala. Other known ancient historical names of Tallinn include variations of Estonian
Lindanise (see
Battle of Lyndanisse), such as
Lyndanisse in
Danish,
Lindanäs in Swedish, and
Ledenets in
Old East Slavic.
Kesoniemi in
Finnish and
Kolyvan (Колывань) in Old East Slavic are also other historical names.
Tallinn is situated on the southern coast of the
Gulf of Finland, in north central Estonia.
The largest lake in Tallinn is
Lake Ülemiste (covers 9,6
km²). It is the main source of the city's drinking water.
Lake Harku is the second lake within the borders of Tallinn and its area is 1,6
km². Unlike many of the large towns, the only significant river in Tallinn is located in Pirita (city district counted as a suburb). The river valley is a protected area because of its natural beauty.
A
limestone cliff runs through the city. It is exposed, for instance, at
Toompea and Lasnamäe. However, Toompea is not a part of the cliff, but a separate hill.
The highest point of Tallinn, at 64 meters above the sea level, is situated in the district of
Nõmme, in the south-west of the city.
The length of the
coastline is 46 kilometres. It comprises 3 bigger
peninsulas: Kopli peninsula, Paljassaare peninsula and Kakumäe peninsula.
The southern coast of the Gulf of Finland is thought to have been settled by
Finnic-speaking tribes already in the
2nd millennium BC.
In
1154 Tallinn was marked on the world map of the
Arab cartographer
al-Idrisi.
As an important port for trade between
Russia and
Scandinavia, it became a target for the expansion of the
Teutonic Knights and Kingdom of
Denmark during the period of
Northern Crusades in the beginning of the
13th century when
Christianity was forcibly imposed on the local population. Danish rule of Tallinn and Northern Estonia started in
1219.
In
1285 the city became the northernmost member of the
Hanseatic League - a mercantile and military alliance of
German-dominated cities in
Northern Europe. The Danes sold Tallinn along with their other land possessions in northern Estonia to the
Teutonic Order in
1345. Medieval Tallinn enjoyed a strategic position at the crossroads of trade between Western and Northern Europe and Russia. The city, with a population of 8,000, was very well fortified with
city walls and 66 defence towers.
 |
St. Olav's Church (Oleviste kirik), once the tallest in the world, is still the tallest building in Tallinn |
With the start of the reformation the German influence became even stronger. In
1561 Tallinn became a
dominion of
Sweden.
During the
Great Northern War the Swedish troops based in Tallinn capitulated to
Imperial Russia in
1710, but the local
Baltic German rulers retained their cultural and economical autonomy within
Tsarist Russia. The
19th century brought industrialization of the city and the port kept its importance. During the last decades of the century
Russification became stronger.
On
24 February 1918 the Independence Manifesto was proclaimed in Tallinn, followed by German occupation and a
war of independence with Russia. On
2 February 1920 the
Tartu Peace Treaty was signed with Soviet Russia, wherein Russia acknowledged the independence of the Estonian Republic. Tallinn became the capital of the independent Estonia. After
World War II started Estonia was annexed by the
USSR as a result of coup with help of the Red Army in
1940-41, and later invaded by
Nazi Germany in
1941-44. After Nazi retreat in
1944 it was restored as part of the USSR again. After the
annexion into the Soviet Union, Tallinn became the capital of the
Estonian SSR.
During the
1980 Summer Olympics a regatta was held at Pirita, north-east of central Tallinn. Many buildings, like the hotel "Olümpia", the new Main Post Office building, and the Regatta Center, were built for the Olympics.
In August
1991 an independent democratic Estonian state was re-established and a period of quick development to a modern European capital ensued.
Tallinn has historically consisted of three parts:
* the
Toompea (
Domberg) or "Cathedral Hill", which was the seat of the central authority, first the ruling bishops, then the Teutonic Order, then the
Baltic German nobility; it is today the seat of the Estonian government and many embassies and residencies.
* the Old Town, which is the old
Hanseatic town, the "city of the citizens" - this was not administratively united with the Hill until the late 19th century. It was the centre of the medieval trade on which it grew prosperous.
* the Estonian town forms a crescent to the south of the Old Town, where the Estonians came to settle. It was not until the mid-19th century that ethnic Estonians replaced the local Baltic Germans as the majority amongst the residents of Tallinn.
Historically, the city has been attacked, sacked, razed and pillaged on numerous occasions. Although extensively bombed by Soviet air forces during the latter stages of World War II, much of the medieval Old Town still retains its charm. The Tallinn Old Town (including
Toompea) became a
UNESCO World Cultural Heritage site in
1997.
At the end of the
15th century a new 159 m high
Gothic spire was built for
St. Olav's Church. Between
1549 and
1625 it was the
tallest building in the world. After several fires and following rebuilding, its overall height is now 123 m.
For
local government purposes, Tallinn is subdivided into 8 administrative
districts (
Estonian:
linnaosad, sg. -
linnaosa). The district governments are city institutions that fulfill, in the territory of their district, the functions assigned to them by Tallinn
legislation and
statutes.
Each district government is managed by an Elder (
Estonian:
linnaosavanem). He or she is appointed by the City Government on the nomination of the
Mayor and after having heard the opinion of the Administrative Councils. The function of the Administrative Councils is to recommend, to the City Government and Commissions of the City Council, how the districts should be administered.
|
Tallinn city hall (Raekoda) |
Population development| Year | Population | | 1372 | 3250 |
| 1772 | 6954 |
| 1816 | 12,000 |
| 1834 | 15,300 |
| 1851 | 24,000 |
| 1881 | 45,900 |
| 1897 | 58,800 |
| 1925 | 119,800 |
| 1959 | 283,071 |
| 1989 | 478,974 |
| 1996 | 427,500 |
| 2000 | 340,000 |
| 2005 | 401,694 |
The population is about 500,400 (2000), registered 401,694 (March 2005).
According to
Eurostat, the statistical agency of the
European Union, of all EU member states' capital cities, Tallinn has the largest number of non-EU nationals: 27.8% of its population are not EU citizens. This is because planned immigration from other
Soviet republics during the period of
Soviet control (
1944-
1991) brought large numbers of non-Estonians, mostly
Russians, to Tallinn and other areas of Northern Estonia. Many of these immigrants and their offspring do not qualify automatically for Estonian citizenship.
In addition to the native
Estonian language (which is of the
Finno-Ugric group, closely related to the
Finnish language), Finnish,
Russian and
English are widely understood in Tallinn.
In addition to longtime functions as seaport and capital city, Tallinn has seen development of an
information technology sector in recent years; in its 13 December 2005 edition,
The New York Times characterized Estonia as "a sort of Silicon Valley on the Baltic Sea".
Skype is the best-known of several Tallinn IT start-ups, and a first
venture capital firm was founded in 2005. Many are housed in the Soviet-era
Institute of Cybernetics, which is said to been one of the seeds for Estonian adoption of computing technology. Despite this, the most important economic sectors of Tallinn are the light, textile, and food industry, as well as the service and government sector.
Tallinn is the location of
Tallinn University of Technology, as well as other institutions of higher education and science, including:
*
Tallinn Pedagogical University (new name Tallinn University)
*
Estonian Academy of Music*
Estonian Academy of Art*
Estonian Academy of State Defence*
Estonian Evangelical Lutheran Church Institute of Theology
*
Estonian Business SchoolSince independence, improving air and sea transport links with Western Europe and Estonia's accession to the
European Union have made Tallinn easily accessible to tourists. The picturesque old town, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, and the current novelty of the destination attract many tourists and facilities (hotels, restaurants) have developed to meet their needs. English is widely spoken within the tourist areas.
The local transport system is good (see "City transport", below).
Note that Estonia has made rapid economic progress since independence and that this is reflected in local prices. Although not extortionate, neither are prices as cheap as in other former Eastern Bloc countries.
The local tourist office sells the "Tallinn Card" which gives the holder free local public transport and entry to most attractions. Although the economics of this may be marginal, it is convenient to use. Local walking tours offer short-cuts to understanding the city.
The main attractions are in the two old towns (Lower Town and
Toompea) which are both easily explored on foot. Eastern districts around
Pirita and
Kadriorg are also worth visiting and the Estonian Open Air Museum (
Eesti Vabaõhumuuseum) near Rocca al Mare, west of the city, preserves aspects of Estonian rural culture and architecture.
Toompea
This area was once the home of the nobility and bishops of Estonia, occupying an easily defensible site overlooking the surrounding districts. The major attractions are the walls and various bastions, the
Russian Orthodox Alexander Nevsky Cathedral (built during the period of
Russification by the
Tsarist Russian government) and the
Lutheran Cathedral (
Toomkirik).
Lower Town
This area is one of the best preserved old towns in Europe and the authorities are continuing its rehabilitation after years of neglect. The "must see" sights include Raekoja plats (Town Hall square), the town walls and towers (notably "Fat Margaret" and "Kiek in de Kök") and St Olaf church tower (124 metres).
|
Kadriorg Palace and ornamental garden |
This is 2 kilometres east of the centre and is served by buses and trams. The former palace of
Peter the Great, built just after the
Great Northern War, now houses (part of) the Estonian Museum of Art, presidential residence and the surrounding grounds include formal gardens and woodland.
There is now built the new residence of Estonian Museum of Art: KUMU(Kunstimuuseum, Art Museum). It's also situated in Kadriorg.
This coastal district is a further 2 kilometres north-east of Kadriorg. The marina was built for the
Moscow Olympics of 1980, but for the less capable, boats can be hired on the Pirita river. Two kilometres inland are the Botanic Gardens and the
Tallinn television tower.
|
The port and Old Tallinn skyline as seen from the sea |
City transport
The city operates an extensive system of bus,
tram and
trolley-bus routes to all districts. Fares are reasonably-priced and a flat-fare system is used. Payment is made either by pre-purchase of tickets at street-side kiosks or to the vehicle driver (but this is more expensive) - tickets must then be validated using machines on the vehicle. The
Tallinn Card is a way of pre-paying for local transport.
Since 2004, holders of an Estonian
ID card can purchase electronic tickets via internet, phone, some ATMs or using cash. [https://www.pilet.ee/pages.php/04030301,960]
Air
Tallinn Airport[
1] is about 4 kilometres from Raekoja plats (Town Hall square); there's a local bus connection between the airport and the edge of the city centre. The terminal building is a small but modern, convenient and clean building - the modernisation was famously prompted by Estonian President
Lennart Meri holding a press conference [
2] in the terminal's public toilets to publicise the poor state of the facilities.
Several airlines (eg,
easyJet,
Estonian Air,
Finnair,
KLM,
LOT,
Lufthansa and
SAS) operate between Tallinn and European cities such as
Amsterdam,
Berlin,
Brussels,
Copenhagen,
Helsinki,
London,
Kiev,
Milan,
Moscow,
Stockholm and
Warsaw.
In addition, there is an hourly
helicopter service to Helsinki operated by
Copterline, advertised as the fastest capital-to-capital link in the world. Copterline leaves from
Linnahall, an events hall on the outskirts of the old town.
Rail and road
The
Edelaraudtee railway company operates train services from Tallinn to
Tartu,
Valga,
Türi,
Viljandi,
Tapa,
Narva,
Orava, and
Pärnu. Buses are also available to all these and various other destinations in Estonia, as well as to
St Petersburg in
Russia and
Riga in
Latvia. The
EVR Ekspress company operates a daily international sleeper train service between Tallinn and
Moscow.
Tallinn also has a commuter rail service running from Tallinn's main rail station (
Balti jaam) in two main directions: east (
Aegviidu) and to several western destinations (
Pääsküla,
Keila,
Riisipere,
Paldiski,
Klooga). These are electrified lines and are used by the
Elektriraudtee railroad company. The trains are a mixture of modernised older Soviet EMU's and newly built units. The first electrified train service in Tallinn was opened in
1924 from Tallinn to Pääsküla, a distance of 11.2 kilometres.
The
Via Baltica motorway (part of
European route E67 from
Helsinki to
Prague) connects Tallinn to the
Lithuanian/
Polish border.
Frequent and affordable long-distance bus routes connect Tallinn with other parts of Estonia.
Ferry
Several ferry operators,
Viking Line,
Silja Line,
Linda Line Express,
Tallink and others, connect Tallinn to
*
Helsinki (
Finland)
*
Stockholm (
Sweden)
*
Åland (
Finland)
*
Saint Petersburg (
Russia)
*
Rostock (
Germany)
See also: Ports of the Baltic SeaThe most popular passenger lines connect Tallinn to Helsinki (approximately 80 kilometres north of Tallinn) in less than one hour and twenty minutes by hydrofoil or 4 hours by conventional ferry. The fares are reasonably priced.
Tallinn participates in international
town twinning schemes to foster good international relations. Partners include:
* -
Dartford,
United Kingdom* -
Los Gatos, California,
United States* -
Schwerin,
MV,
Germany* -
Ghent,
Belgium* -
Malmö,
Sweden* -
Rīga,
LatviaTallinn also has a mutual friendship with the city of
Portland, Oregon,
United StatesBattle of Lyndanisse,
Eurovision Song Contest 2002,
Legends of Tallinn,
Tallinn TV Tower* Mark Landler,
"The Baltic Life: Hot Technology for Chilly Streets",
The New York Times, December 13, 2005
*
The Website of the City of Tallinn (official)
*
Tallinn on
Wikitravel*
Tallinna Lennujaam - Tallinn Airport *
Port of Tallinn*
Tallinn weather*
Landsat photo of Tallinn, via Google Maps*
Panoramic photo of Tallinnroa-rup:Tallinn
