Yachting

Estonia is practically an island - Baltic sea in North and West, Lake Peipsi in East. During Soviet occupation the sea was inaccessible to most of people. You had to get a permit to go to island Saaremaa or Hiiumaa, and even there it wasn't about yachting or boating a bit - only fishing boats allowed, boarder guards everywhere. (Don't ever bullshit me about equal and happy life in Soviet Union, I get agitated...).

Ok, after 1991 the sea is for people again. Thanks to European Union you can head out from Tallinn in your yacht and sail to Sweden and back, without any paperwork. By the way, Estonia still is pretty uptight with boating, too much paperwork, regular inspections etc on larger boats and yachts, so many Estonians register their vessel in Sweden, Denmark or Malta.

And finally, to come to what I really wanted to speak about: what is more beautiful than a yacht? It's a wooden yacht. Toomas bought this supreme vessel last year, has been repairing it with care. Now is only needs a new engine for manoeuvring in harbour. Made in Sweden in 1964. Enjoy and envy!

Photos by Vahur, 25 May 2014 Tallinn Lennusadam (old Seaplane Harbour).

Independence Day

Cheers for the Estonian Independence Day! (Starring: spicy sprats on rye bread, filled eggs with egg-spratpiss (salty brine) filling, pickles with chillies (pickled by my mother), Moe vodka (from ecologically clean Estonian grain only), fresh tap water (the purest in Estonia) and, as a decoration, some snowdrops (galanthus) I picked in from of my country house earlier today).

Photo and food by Vahur Afanasjev, 24 February, Tartu.

Weird and Beautiful Ice Vehicles

"Karakat" or "karakatitsa" is a self made vehicle for on-ice fishing. The huge tires (often the inner tyres of large airplanes) make the karakat unsinkable, so one can go winter fishing even if ice conditions are tricky. Each year a Karakatitsa Festival is held in Kallaste.

Karaktitsa is not the only option - some use custom made hovercrafts.

Photos of the Karakatitsa Festival by Vahur Afanasjev, 22 February 2014 in Kallaste, by the Lake Peipsi (Peipus), in the area mostly inhabited by Russian speaking Old Believers who fled to Estonia from repressions in Czarist Russian in 16.-17. century.

Simple Magic

DIY - make dress from mens shirt. Photo by Aapo, 21. 09. 2013, Räpina, South-Estonia.

Fish dries. Ethnic pattern.

Fish dries. Ethnic pattern. Dried fish called VOBLA. Photo by Aapo Ilves, 05.05.2013 in Räpina, South Estonia.

Village hipster

Photo by Aapo Ilves, 24. 08. 2011 in Võru, South-Estonia.

Homemade drails

Photo by Aapo Ilves, 12. 05. 2012 in Räpina, South-Estonia.

Fanfare-helmet

Photo by Aapo Ilves, 20. 05. 2012 in Varbuse, South-Estonia

Armenian Style 1

Mercedes Bear Truck in Jermuk, Armenia. Photo by Vahur Afanasjev, October 2011.

Cranberry Burka Jar Attack

Inshallah. Jam by Mare Sabolotny, photo by Vahur Afanasjev, Tallinn, September 2011

Green sieg-pig

Photo by someone @ somewhere in deep Estonia @ summer of 2011, yea!

Finger-Bunnies

Photo by Annika, 29. 07. 2011, Viljandi Folk Festival.

Dangerous fingernails

Photo by Aapo Ilves, 07. 01. 2011, Räpina, South Estonia.

Primal Hunters

They lived & hunted under the bridge. Photo by Aapo Ilves, 09. 09. 2010, Räpina, South Estonia.

Paperclip Belt

Once upon a time a young Estonian writer Mare Sabolotny wrote a book called Paperclip Belt (Kirjaklambritest vöö). Well, may-be this girl has read that book.
Photo by Aapo Ilves, 23. 07. 2010,Viljandi Folk Festival.

Summer-brows

Photo by Aapo Ilves, 03. 07. 2010, Räpina, South-Estonia

wallpaper dresses

18.06.2010 was graduation day of philosophy department in Tartu University and these two girls made a master in interpreting. They made dresses out of wallpaper because on their first year they were told that "a good interpreter should be unnoticed like wallpaper in a room"
Photo taken by Liiso
Models and designers: Lili, Päivi

Second Hand Fashion Show

Fashionistas try to give impression, that it's all about creativity and expression. Well, normally it's just the big bucks - and it's OK, because there wouldn't be no modern fashion industry without mass productions of clothing. But those facts of life don't mean one cannot produce fashion and glam with much less money. Yes, we can. Second hand fashion show also reveals a well know secret - what was cool in the days before, can be cool any day in future.

Second Hand Emotions @ Genklub / Genialistide Klubi. Photos by Priit Salumaa, Tartu, 30 January 2009.

Re-design

Estonian DIY-design - Grave-Vodka (formerly known as Table-Vodka, left) & ... (formerly known as Rock). Photo by Aapo Ilves, Türi, 02. 04. 2005.

North-Frog

Estonian artist Erki Evestus & his monsterbike Põhja Konn (North Frog, beast from Estonian mythology). Photo by Aapo Ilves, 27. 06. 2009. near Viljandi.