My hotel room looks almost pathetically out of the Soviet apartment handbook. The beds are small and have the thinnest mattresses in any hostel I've been in. Not a big deal as its just a place to rest my head and I'm not picky. But food for thought if anyone is planning a trip to Tallinn. Old House hostel might not be your bag. I like the ambiance though.
Friday was spent getting clothes washed and wandering out of old town to see the city.
"Portland says hi. Miss me?"
The laundromat was populated by very serious Russian women, though they were pretty damn cute. One thing I noticed is the women here are very thin with startling green or blue eyes. I definitely am a fan of the ex-Soviet block gals it seems. I'm not sure if everyone just has a washing machine, but the place was mostly for business clothes and suits. I was to only on the entire time using the coin machines, and this place was the only place like it for miles.
A stroll around the block bolstered by a steaming bowl of soljanka (Estonia spelling of the Russian solyanka), a latte, fold, pack, and on my way. I managed to find some good chocolate (sokolaad) - a couple Bailey's and an amaretto - for snacks in the room at night.
A stroll around the block bolstered by a steaming bowl of soljanka (Estonia spelling of the Russian solyanka), a latte, fold, pack, and on my way. I managed to find some good chocolate (sokolaad) - a couple Bailey's and an amaretto - for snacks in the room at night.
The night walks through old town were fun. The cobblestone medieval streets and old world buildings/architecture with stops for mulled hot wine or glogg formed a perfect soporific. I put in early hoping to knock out some of my jet lag.
The next morning I got up early, snacked on some tasty Estonian pastries and homemade elk sausage (bought the night previous), followed by a latte from the downstairs breakfast room. A light mist and lingering fog highlighted my walk down towards the Occupation Museum. Every east block ex-Soviet country I've visited had two museum that were geared more towards the population than tourists. One would be the history of the region, generally from the 5th century or so up to modern times. The other would focus on the German Nazi and Soviet Russian occupations (1930s to 1990). While the Nazis reign was horrible, it usually was very short (2-4 years). The Soviet occupation was far longer and took a bigger toll on the population. In the US we usually focus on the Holocaust and don't realize that for some countries - far more people were killed being worked to death in Russian gulags over a longer period. You can get a feeling from reading the vitriol laced passages in the occupation museums of just how repressed they were under the watchful eye of the KGB.
The next morning I got up early, snacked on some tasty Estonian pastries and homemade elk sausage (bought the night previous), followed by a latte from the downstairs breakfast room. A light mist and lingering fog highlighted my walk down towards the Occupation Museum. Every east block ex-Soviet country I've visited had two museum that were geared more towards the population than tourists. One would be the history of the region, generally from the 5th century or so up to modern times. The other would focus on the German Nazi and Soviet Russian occupations (1930s to 1990). While the Nazis reign was horrible, it usually was very short (2-4 years). The Soviet occupation was far longer and took a bigger toll on the population. In the US we usually focus on the Holocaust and don't realize that for some countries - far more people were killed being worked to death in Russian gulags over a longer period. You can get a feeling from reading the vitriol laced passages in the occupation museums of just how repressed they were under the watchful eye of the KGB.
Freedom Square in Tallinn
The museum had a neat art piece on the outside. A series of suitcases made of concrete with steel handles. Some marked with luggage tags from various countries, signifying the dream and impossibility of escape from the Soviet regime.
The museum was filled with memorabilia from the two occupations, along with video segments detailing the various periods. The pre-occupation (starting with the non-agression treaty between Germany and Russia), German occupation, Soviet occupation, and the peaceful revolution to eventual self-governance.
One of the most interesting exhibits was a collection of photographs released from the KGB section in Estonia. It detailed the surveillance of ordinary citizens with photos and the stated reasons from keeping tabs on them., Pretty chilling stuff when you realize there really wasn't a lot of reason most of the times. The total photos recalled were around 3000, which was actually quite a lot considering nothing was digital at the time and they all had to be developed secretly on site - and this was just from Tallinn. They also shown the tools they used for surveillance, They are crude by modern standards, but its fascinating the technology used for bugging apartments back in the 60s. These were the real deal spy hardware that you sometimes see eluded to in old James Bond flicks. It gives you are eerie feeling that makes you look over your shoulder, just in case.
They also had a display about Ingrid Bergman on entry. I searched high and low through the display looking for some tie in to the Soviets or Nazis - to no avail. The only thing I could think of was that maybe a curator had a crush on her and snuck in at night one evening to set it up.
Uhm...wtf?
There was a section dedicated to rock and roll also. While you may find this puzzling, rock and roll was actually a huge part of the ex-Soviet block countries' revolution. I seen this in Prague and in Warsaw. Western 60-70s music was considered decadent and the epitome of capitalistic corruption by the Soviet secret police. The fearless change came mostly from the youth as the Soviet Union fell and this was fueled by the rock music of the 60s and 70s. The roots of the peaceful revolution were laid out in the rebellious lyrics and poems of that time. As such, there is usually a section of these museums dedicated to the local bands that lead the way.
One of my favorite parts of the museum was the propaganda poster section. The blatant brainwashing attempts coupled with fairly decent artwork (for the time) is just fascinating to me. Cheerful and proud, reading the words send tiny shivers down my spine. The creep factor is strong with this one. Especially considering behind every smiling face on a posters - there were hundreds of not so happy faces dying in Siberia in the gulags.
There was a section dedicated to rock and roll also. While you may find this puzzling, rock and roll was actually a huge part of the ex-Soviet block countries' revolution. I seen this in Prague and in Warsaw. Western 60-70s music was considered decadent and the epitome of capitalistic corruption by the Soviet secret police. The fearless change came mostly from the youth as the Soviet Union fell and this was fueled by the rock music of the 60s and 70s. The roots of the peaceful revolution were laid out in the rebellious lyrics and poems of that time. As such, there is usually a section of these museums dedicated to the local bands that lead the way.
One of my favorite parts of the museum was the propaganda poster section. The blatant brainwashing attempts coupled with fairly decent artwork (for the time) is just fascinating to me. Cheerful and proud, reading the words send tiny shivers down my spine. The creep factor is strong with this one. Especially considering behind every smiling face on a posters - there were hundreds of not so happy faces dying in Siberia in the gulags.
"LONG
LIVE THE 30TH ANNIVERSARY OF THE GREAT OCTOBER SOCIALIST REVOLUTION!
(1947)
The poster depicts a mini-parade, the mandatory “elements” of which needed to
be a worker, a pioneer, a communist, and a young woman in folk dress."
"WE
THANK GREAT STALIN FOR A HAPPY CHILDHOOD! (1952)
Socialist-realism posters made during the Stalin era have an especially
hyper-realistic effect by way of their Soviet symbols, gestures, and slogans;
reflecting in this way some virtual ideal world in the place of actuality."After all that oppression, I needed to head out for a brisk walk around old town. I wandered the upper hill which housed the old battlements and fortifications, now housing their parliament and prime minister. I found the old church that was built in the Russian Orthodox style with its colorful domes. Apparently after the Soviet Union collapsed - they wanted to tear it down. Luckily cooler heads prevailed and they preserved it for future generations. Now its not viewed with the hate it once brought, its a beautiful reminder of a bitter past - nothing more.
I got the rest of my Christmas shopping for the US folks done, though yalls will have to wait until I get back. Frankshten is gonna love his, And if he doesn't, I'm keeping the sucker.
The rest of the day was filled with Sicilian style pizza (yay Pulcinella's!), hot mulled wine, and fantastic views.
The rest of the day was filled with Sicilian style pizza (yay Pulcinella's!), hot mulled wine, and fantastic views.
The only other thing of note was maybe my meal at the Napalese place down the street. While the food was so-so, there were two waitresses with only three groups of people in the whole place. Which they largely ignored. Even by European standards, its was shitty service. Oh well, another day - another meal elsewhere.
Oy, depressin' repression! But...chockies!
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