Khrushchyovka

Death of Stalin (1953) put the end to shared apartments (one kitchen, one toilet, several families) and neoclassical, even neobaroque housing. Much lighter, modern buildings started to pop up. Prefabricated concrete panels (patented French technology, I've heard) or bricks were used. What's most important, green light was given to private space. Of course you could hear your neighbours well, but still the tiny flat with symbolic kitchen was at the disposable of your own family and nobody else. I wonder what did that Jeanneret guy think? Actually, I've seen similar housing in Basel, Berlin and Brussels, so I suppose he'd be eligible to comment on that.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Khrushchyovka

Photo by Vahur, April 2014, Tallinn, Toonela tee.

Anarchy in USSR

Who the f... was this person, who managed to sell anarchy symbol to the Traffic Police (Militia) of Soviet Estonia, as a logo of voluntary/assistan constables. Must have been early 80ies... Discovered by Mare and Vahur in a secondhand in Tallinn.

Hotel Comfort Battery

Photo by Vahur Afanasjev, 2 June 2011 here: http://www.patarei.org/eng/

Soviet Estonia Revisited

Hot, hot, hot and political! Estonian Soviet Socialist Republic has been re-established in Ratanakiri, Cambodia, by the lakeside. Oh, that Soviet shit - of course swimming is prohibited there.

Photo by Mare Sabolotny, December 2009, Cambodia

The original flag of the Soviet Estonia and the corresponding Wikipedia article:

Pioneers

Members of the Young Pioneer Organization of the Soviet Union in year 2009 - Empire strikes back? Don't worry, just a play "Kolhoos" (Kolhoz). Photo by Aapo Ilves, 16. 07. 2009, Tartu.

Electorate in Moskvitch

As most of the European countries, Estonia held the elections for the European Parlament last Sunday. A Soviet Moskvitch car decorated with Estonian national flags is a stylish way to go voting. Btw, I used to have one of those in 90ies. It's engine showed an amazing ability to stop working when the car was heading downhill no gear engaged.

Photo by Rosin (Kass Ting casting agency) on Tallinn-Narva motorway 7 June 2009.

A zombie rising from the ground

Paldiski - the ex Soviet Army nuclear submarine training centre, now reminding a ghost city with a large number of abandoned houses and military facilities. It is slowly growing and improving, when just a few years ago the only amenity was a small hotel called "The White Ship" ("Valge Laev") (the food is very tasty there by the way), now the town has two grocery stores,a liqueur store, a bank, a tavern and a bed&breakfast. The train station was recently renovated and holds a small cafe.
A part of the film Lilya 4-ever was filmed there. Also featured in one episode of the American TV show "Alias".
It's not far from Tallinn, about 50 km, easily accessible by train or by car.

Picture by Tuuli Teppo. March 11, 2007

80s in Estonia

A great young New York / Estonian artist Martin Saar has thrilling series of paintings of Soviet Estonia. All Soviet kids have had those three wheelers! Featered in our blog "My first girlfriend" by Martin Saar