Holy Smoke

Estonian youth has a tradition to celebrate our Independence War (1918-1920) by smoking holy herb behind the Liberty Cross in Tallinn. Photo by Vahur, 1 June 2014

Proto Hipster

Impossible to deny that hipsters stole their style from hobos. Got one sleeping in front of my laboratory/Tallinn home. Photo by Vahur, 3 May 2014, Tallinn.

Dallas Style

Newer mess with a poet. Model: Kaur. Photo and accessories: Vahur.
Den Pobedy!
9 May 2014, Tartu

Estonian Ranger

 ...or just playing Cowboy Superhero? Who cares, it looks cool & steampunk anyway. Photo by Kaili, Räpina, South-Estonia, april 2014.

My Hole

Thousands of people, mostly in their sporting outfit, have crawled through this hole in years. Still the gate on that side is firmly locked. Sometimes the administration put barbed wire over the hole. People cut it off and keep on crawling. It's OK, as it's also a kind of sport to get to the stadium.

I never us the main gate on the other side of the stadium.

Photos by Vahur Afanasjev, 24 April, Tallinn

Private Concert

Ready... and rocking. Photo by Vahur Afanasjev from a private and unsactioned concert by the Revolver band. 19 April 2014 Tartu

Restaurant for Animals

During winter, wild animals may end up starving. There's some stuff around, like treebark, frozen grass under the snow. Wild boars dig up leftover potatoes from fields, deer and rabbits come near houses and munch on young trees that people have planted a year before... But near the spring it's pretty hard as most of the resources are exhausted. Predators (wolves, foxes, lynx) are hungry, too, unless sleeping as bears do.

That is why humans, mostly represented by the hunting club members, serve the forest dwellers the high cuisine of potatoes, perfectly dryed hay and selected branches from young apple trees. Special animal feeding "restaurants" are built.

The whole are of Kääpa (Välgi) nature reserve is 2039,8ha of land plus 256,4ha of water. By the way, in spring, parts of the reserve are off limits for the man kind (besides authorised personnel) as the local wild bunch is making babies.

Photos by Vahur Afanasjev 7 March 2014, Välgi nature reservoir.

Fear Factor

As all European, and, especially, Eastern European countries, Estonia is full of Le-Corbusier-insiper concrete buildings. Most people hate those... and problably these have the most inhabitant, by percentage. I, personally, rather like the buildings for the straightforward look, logical room planning, economical and environmentally practical central heating. If placed correctly (the distance between two buildings has correspont to be their double height) and surrounded with a touch of nature (grass, tress, bushes, flower beds, playgrounds), they're ok.

But what I hate, is that in 1990ies people took extreme liberties in fucking up the face of these houses, closing the terraces, balconies and loggias any way came to their mind. Oh, well, there's some vernacular coolness about it, too, but in general - it's ugly. What impressed me on this 9-storey house in Tartu Annelinn (Ann's town), is the last floor grated terraces. I guess there was some reason in those metal bars at some point, but the current level of criminality is so low that I hardly imagine somebody breaking in from there and carrying all the stolen stuff (TV set?) away over the roof... On the other hand, in the mid 1990ies, there was a wave of stealing bikes from 2-3 storey balconies. So maybe I'm just snobbish and the bars have to be there.

By Vahur Afanasjev, Tartu, 2010

Insulting BB

Somebody's been writing insults to Bridgitte Bardot in Tartu Annelinn/Ülejõe area. A supporter of fur coats? An owner of a meat restaurant? Spotted by Vahur Afanasjev, April 2012.

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.

Thief Style

Real thieves leaving the band rehearsal room with some gear. If you recognize the bastards, let know Mr Karupoeg.

Pillivargad lahkumas proovikast. Rohkem fotosid ja asjade omaniku kontakt FB-s.

Photo: CCTV

Hotel Comfort Battery

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

Writer's security

Looks like Estonian writer Arvo Valton has started a security company in Hungary.
Photo by Vahur Afanasjev, Budapest, August 2008

Forest Brothers - Old School v. New School

The Forest Brothers (also: Brothers of the Forest, Forest Brethren; Forest Brotherhood; Estonian: metsavennad) were Estonian partisans who waged guerrilla warfare against Soviet rule - Wikipedia.
Photo by Aapo Ilves, 28. 10. 2005, Lindora, South Estonia.

Три богатыря (Three Ancient Heroes)

Out blog proudly present the three Ancient Russian Heroes: Pasha, Alesha and Sasha. Available as strong alcoholic eau de Cologne in the best night shops and kiosks. See also: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bogatyr
Photo by Vahur Afanasjev, Tartu, 2006

Primal Hunters

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

Mermaid Attack

Artist Peeter Laurits barely survived a mermaid attack in Kütiorg. Photo by Vahur Afanasjev 7 August 2010

Party

Photo by Aapo Ilves, 01. 08. 2010, @ Party.

Wild Wild East part 2

One isn't safe even on stage.

Photo by Mare Sabolotny. 25th of July 2010 in Räpina, open-air concert "Aapo ja sõbrad".

555 Honest

Photo by Mare Sabolotny in Tallinn, 3.12.09.