Our framework (introduction)

Tallinn, the capital of Estonia, a city where more than one third of the Estonian population lives, is located on a bay in the north of Estonia, on the shore of the Baltic Sea. Our school, the Estonian Academy of Arts -  Eesti Kunstiakakeemia - has its home base in the city of Tallinn. All of us have created a personal perception of and connection with the country - both the new Erasmus students that have lived here only for a couple months and the Estonian students that have lived here all their lives.

Although we spend most of the time in Tallinn, Estonia has much more to offer other than its capital city. With this trip, which is called ‘Estonia Diagonal’, our teachers Keiti and Andra took us all through Estonia to show us some of the still unknown aspects. We discovered few of the many faces of Estonia, its culture, geography, industries, politics and policies, religions and rituals,.. in other words, both tangible and intangible particularities. With this trip we enriched our knowledge about Estonia and broadened our perspectives. Besides the information we gained, this journey also created a framework in which we got to know one another better. As a group with diverse backgrounds, histories, and interests it was very valuable to share lived experiences and collectively create a new, unique experience.

The start of our journey (day 1)

We started our journey in Tallinn, meeting in Balti Jaam, where we boarded a van that would drive us all around the country. The friendly bus driver was experienced and knew very well when to follow the road and when to deviate from it. Our teachers had carefully mapped out a route that would offer us a varied view of Estonia. This gave us the opportunity to form an honest and truthful envisioning of Estonia. Nothing was kept hidden from us - both the wonderful and the unpleasant, the lively and the lifeless, bustling cities and “ghost town” cities were highlighted.

Our first stop was in Tallinn-Kiviõli, where we walked up an artificial hill and looked over the landscape. This first panoramic view immediately showed us the great diversity of the Estonian landscape, which is characterised by opposites. Untouched nature and polluting industries stand right next to each other. Furthermore, we could clearly distinguish residential areas from recreational zones. Other than the information given to us without words by the landscape, Keiti and Andra enriched our knowledge by telling deeper insights. Later on the same day, we visited Tamme-Lauri oak - Estonia’s largest oak tree. This oak tree was named after Laurits, the god of fire, who was said to live in the oak and bring misfortune  (although  sometimes virtue) to the surrounding farms. We continued our journey by walking through Sillamäe, where we saw many pieces of Stalinist architecture. Later, we had a stroll in Viivikonna-Sirgala, a place you could call a ‘ghost town’. With a population of merely 39 inhabitants, the town is so vacant it was very unusual to bump into someone. At this moment in time, the city is mainly known for its ruin-like character. We ended our day in Narva, where the city architect, Peeter Tambuga, guided us through the city. Situated at the border, the neighbouring country Russia becomes suddenly very palpable. Narva is Estonia’s third largest city but is experiencing population decline. Narva’s population mainly consists of elderly, as most younger generation moves to other places where they see more future opportunities. We were lucky to sleep at Narva Art Residency (NART), a cultural platform founded in 2015. NART facilitates residencies, art exhibitions, talks and educational workshops and is located on the Kreenholm site.

Continuing exploring (day 2)

We started our second day with a guided tour through Kulgu harbour, given by Johanna Rannula, the head of NART. At this harbour we were introduced to the concept of ‘Datcha’ and experienced it first hand. Next, we continued our ride and stopped at a sediment pool, where we wondered how something so polluting and destructive can, at the same time, be so beautiful. We talked and learned about the consequences of using industries on the landscape. Later, in the Russian Orthodox Kuremäe monastery, we had a holy and whole different experience. Some of us took a dip in the sacred spring, which is said to heal wounds if you bathe in it. We continued by driving to Omedu, where we had some ‘ruin-porn’. We took a group picture at the famous Urban Studies spot and then individually wandered through the vacant buildings, visually documenting the decay and feeling the desolation. In Kallaste, we had a short stop to enjoy a view over Lake Peipus and had the opportunity to buy some local fish. We ended our day at Otepää–Järve at a cosy farmstead. After a warm welcome by the owners, we had a lovely and restful evening, where we cooked together, had a sauna, swam in the lake and  up by the fireplace while playing board games and sharing stories.

The end of this journey, and the beginning of another (day 3)

On our final day, we started with a morning exercise by climbing a wooden watchtower to look over the Southern Estonian landscape. Here we saw trees, and hundreds of them!The autumn season was characterised by a huge diversity of colours. Later we visited Sangaste castle, a place that prospers both from nature and architecture . Due to its magical atmosphere, it’s commonly used for weddings. At Tsooru lake, we admired the work of fellow EKA interior architecture students, that during summer created a floating sauna on the lake. The next work of architecture we visited was the administrative building of kolkhoz ‘Linda’. A lady took us behind the scenes and gave us the chance to explore the artist’s rooms and the space for the technicians too. We ended our trip with a walk from Valga to Valka. Valga, a town in Estonia by the Latvian border , shares the area with Valka, in Latvia. The border runs straight through the town.

Looking back, going forward

What a surprising, unique experience this trip has been! Not only did we learn a lot about Estonia and its culture, but also about its neighbouring countries and the way they influence each other. We learned about all kinds of processes, from industrial, social, economical, political, cultural, religious,.. and all the complex relations between them. We learned that nothing exists in isolation, everything and everyone is connected. We got to know each other better and by sharing our own experiences we gained an even broader understanding about the processes happening all around us. A combination of our immediate environment with further memories and knowledge formed a valuable breeding ground for new insights.

As a group, we want to thank Keiti and Andra for creating this unique opportunity and giving us this valuable experience.

©  Written by Lore Gijsenberg, edited and carried by all of us.

Pictures of Estonian diagonal trip © By everyone

Anne Panten
Ayse Gesen
Isabela Cadorin
Jeroen Pilaat
Lion Herrmann
Lore Gijsenberg
Madita Kümmeringer
Maria Kazlovskaya
Mariana Pedro
Marta Bodnar
Piret Saar
Sofia Ignateva
Tilde Platz
Katharina Hoffmann
Meret Stockhecker

&

Keiti Kljavin
Andra Aaloe