Rubber, Anybody?

Rubberland on Raadi Military Airfield. Notice the formula 1 tyres:) About the now abandoned airfield: strategic bombers carrying nuclear warheads used to take off and land every 10 minutes - used to watch them land through kitchen windows in 1980ies. Maybe next time I'll show the runway too, this time it was a bit dark for my shitty camera. Photo by Vahur, June 2014

Vacuum Microphone

A girl's got to sing when a girl's got to sing.

Photo by Vahur in the backyard of Tartu Write's House, 12 June 2014

Nail File

In South Estonia, people like it big. For example, we build huge nail files that foreigners mistake for houses.

Photo by Vahur 12 June 2014,  in the back of the Writers' House in Tartu

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

Literature festivals are sexy

Literature festivals are sexy.

Photo by Vahur 31 May / 1 June 2014, afterparty of Headread festival in Kuku club.

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).

Punk Power

Punk and beer, it's like surf music and joints or transce and eeez. Punk legend, a hero of many generations - Villu Tamme! Photo by Vahur 3 May 2014, biker's thing just behing the 16 kannu pub in Tartu Tammelinn.

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

Wastelands

Empty space in city. Room to breathe. I wonder what will they build here. And when. And if.
Photo by Vahur, April 2014 Tallinn (direction Toonela tee to Võistluse street).

Meeting Calamary

Kitty meeting calamary. Photo by Mare Sabolotny, Kirepi village 18 April 2014

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

Double-decker Woodshed 2

Another double-decker woodshed in Tartu (Jaama street). Photo by Vahur Afanasjev, 14 April 2014.
Another post on the some topic.

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.

Fishing 2

Just another fishing day by the Mother River (Emajõgi). Quick snaps on my way to Tartu bus station, 1 April 2014. Vahur Afanasjev

Macho Hat

Special Estonian macho hat. April 2014

Fishing

Fishing is rapidly getting hip! Forget about planking, selfies and digital shit and grab a fishing rod!

Photos by Vahur Afanasjev, 30 March 2014 in Tartu by the river Emajõgi. Oh and btw there's a pile of snow across the river - will take a month to melt it.