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).

Guts of a Cute Wooden House

A cute wooden house is being renovated in Tallinn Magasini street. It's a typical Estonian 19th and beginning of 20th century city/town dwelling. WWII destroyed thousands of those but there are still large areas intact.

You see that time has taken its share of the wood, insects have eaten their ways into logs, but this can be overcome just shaving off damaged parts. Usually the building as a whole can be saved, if the roof has not been leaking too much.

I also want around the back, to take pics of the garden. It appears the veranda and back side are already in good shape.

Photos by Vahur Afanasjev 24 April 2014 Tallinn

Ikarus Bus

Established in 1895 in Budapest, Hungary, the Ikarus bus company has produced many great public transportation vehicles. Saying many I mean several millions, as Ikarus busses ran everywhere in Soviet Union and Warsaw Block countries, including Soviet Estonia.

Without any "ostalgie", I admit that for me the yellow city Ikarus city busses still seem to be more comfortable than the modern Scanias and whatever is used in Europe. Especially when the bus is crowded, you can reach a handle to grab when standing up. And an old Ikarus has one level floor, the modern city busses tend to be higher in the back and have uncomfortable steps to climb.

Well, I haven't seen a live Ikarus city bus for year but a few days ago I spotted a fully restored Ikarus inter-city by the Tallinn bus station. Good people of Estonian Bus History Society have done a great job restoring it. Beautiful!

By the way, who ever did design yet another anachy symbol inspired Soviet period logo? I mean the Tallinn AP (Autobussipark).

Photos by Vahur Afanasjev, April 2014, Tallinn

Lodi

Lodi is a type of sailing barge used a lot on the Mother River (Emajõgi), Lake Peipsi (all the way to Pskov and Novgorod in Russia) and other Estonian waters. Lodi (plural: lodjad) has been documented in Hanseatic Tartu town and Emajõgi since 14th century.
See some old footage: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_e-tzBV-oD8
Soviet occupation put a full stop to many fields of economic and human activity, so last lodi was seen in 1950ies... Until around 2004-2005 a group of activists built a brand new lodi. Nowadays it's used for tourism and nature sighting, not for transportation of goods, but still the ancient ship building tradition is kept alive. Currently the Lodjakoda activists are building a larger two-mast lodi in Tartu.
Photo by Vahur Afanasjev 30 March 2014
Trivia:
There used to be a huge beautiful bathing house (the wooden structure was heavily damaged in WWII and the later rebuild was destroyed in 1970ies) on the river by the the Lodjakoda site.
Even though we love CCR, their song "Lodi" talks about a city in the United States of America.

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.

Vintage Band 2

1963, Kohila, North-Estonia

Vintage Band

1968, Veriora, South-Estonia.

Wisdom Of The Vikings

Wisdom of the vikings - you hold a tiller & tiller houlds your beer. Photo by Aapo Ilves. 08. 08. 09. Käsmu, festival Viru Folk, viking ship Turm.

how to pee outdoors 3

Find the only remaining "piimapukk" in the village.

Piimapukk (Milk + bench/trestle) is a simple construction. Usually made from wood, the one on the picture is one of the very rare metallic ones. These things appeared in the 1960s when milk trucks were taken to use. Farmers brought their milk jugs there so that a dairy factory car could pick them up and take them to the factory. As this doesn't pay off anymore, the things are slowly rotting.
When our village was still "blooming" the "moving foodshop" (a car or bus that drives around villages and sells food like a store) stopped there. People from close by farms gathered there every Wednesday to gossip and do their grocery shopping. As I've read they were a good place to meet up and gossip in other places as well.
An article about them in Estonian: http://www.ohtuleht.ee/index.aspx?id=142957

Photo by Vahur Afanasjev (Kass Ting) on July 27, 2009.

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.

Jüri, 1962

Jüri (16 at the time): "I come from a satellite town of Tallinn so a bit of a rockabilly touch like this chequered shirt suits me well. I also play drums in a jazz and rock'n'roll band. My aunt sewed the dark blue velvet jacket. Those sunglasses were extremely cool in the Soviet Union at the time, can't remember where I got them though."

The picture was taken in 1962 in Kohila (40km from Tallinn).

Estonian Ski Style

"Suusataja" by Eerik Haamer (1940's)

Estonian Look in the 19th century