Pigeons in Tallinn and Turtles in Tartu by Maria Tahamtani
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BIOPHILIC CITIES JOURNAL / CITY PROFILE Old Town Tallinn Photo Credit: Maria Tahamtani Tallinn, Estonia Pigeons in Tallinn and Turtles in Tartu Photo Credit: Maria Tahamtani By Maria Tahamtani When visiting Tallinn, Estonia, Soviet Union through a peaceful on the backs of the sculptures, I expected to be met with the revolution of unified song. jumping on and off of them and magic of the Christmas Market, However, on my first journey running in between them, as if to be entranced by the medieval along the narrow, winding they were playing hide-and-seek. fairytale atmosphere that cobblestone pathways that Content with these concrete dominates its Old Town, and to meander through much of the reminders of nature, I smiled feast on a variety of hearty foods city, the one thing I could never and walked on. They were, after such as hand-stuffed meat pies, have expected was perhaps the all, a pleasant surprise and a grilled game sausages, and ox very thing that made me smile sweet addition to the storybook soup served in traditional clay the most: large pigeon sculptures quality of Tallinn. However, bowls. I also expected to feel repeatedly and strategically the further along I walked, the the history underfoot, and to placed in the streets of Tallinn. more sculptures I noticed and walk where courageous men The first time I came across a the more I began to question and women of the small Baltic couple of the birds, I watched their purpose. It took gaining a country once stood, displaying as a few small children who, familiarity with the whole city no taller than the pigeons to finally understand that these their quiet power in the effort to Photo Credit: Maria Tahamtani Photo Credit: Maria Tahamtani regain independence from the themselves, danced and played pigeons were not decorative nor 58 BIOPHILIC CITIES JOURNAL | MARCH 2019 | 59 a temporary art installation, but in more creative ways than one. also kick-sled and skate hikes” www.tallinn.ee/eng/Uudis-Nature- in fact served a unique purpose Walk along the Jõhvi promenade, throughout 2018. In parallel, tourism-NATTOURS-is-launched. within the city. As it turns for instance, and you’ll be the Environment Department of out, the birds act as concrete instantly surrounded by the Tallinn concluded its two-year Pelechovà, E. (2009). Urban Nature. barriers to vehicle traffic on larger than life cranberry seating long effort called NATTOURS, http://www.evapelechova.com/work/ urban-nature. certain streets and street corners and lighting that were inspired which they led jointly with throughout the capital city. by the moniker “jõhvikas,” a the City of Helsinki, Finland, to Pulver, A. (2005, July 27). Seaküla word which not only means a provide more opportunities for Simson lennutab tuvid Tallinnasse. Tallinn commissioned local resident of Jõhvi but also means nature tourism and education https://virumaateataja.postimees. artist Seaküla Simson to create “cranberries” in Estonian. Explore among the two closely linked ee/2276125/seakula-simson- the original ninety-seven birds historical Old Town Tallinn cities. This environmental- lennutab-tuvid-tallinnasse. which were installed beginning instead, and you’ll most certainly tourism based effort included in 2006. While over subsequent come upon expanses of trees many technological innovations, Rikken, K. (2012, February 8). Tallinn: years some of the birds have interspersed throughout the city supplying residents with easy No More Migrating Concrete Birds in Old Town. https://news. been moved so as not to block Children Playing Among the Pigeons in Old Town, Tallinn around which parks have been access to educational information the most efficient delivery routes created, along with wide street on all objects of nature in the err.ee/105052/tallinn-no-more- Photo Credit: Maria Tahamtani migrating-concrete-birds-in-old- for products and services, the medians that provide more space two cities, as well as maps and town. spirit of the pigeons remain a for nature to flourish. This comes GPS-guided nature tours for testament to the ability of a as no surprise, however, for a residents and visitors alike. Rofer, C. (2011, July 17). A Walk city to keep nature front-and- country which boasts that half Through Tartu [Blog post]. center in the most unexpected of its land area remains forest, I was fortunate to be among Phronesisaical website: http:// of ways. Simson was given free while another fifth of the land is the masses of excited citizens phronesisaical.blogspot. reign when it came to choosing preserved as national parks and gathered in Tallinn’s Freedom com/2011/07. the animal that would be so nature reserves. Square counting down from prominently featured, but said he 100 with Estonia’s President to Szmit, K. (2010, January 24). chose pigeons simply because This past year, the Republic of welcome in the 2018 New Year. Tallinna Kivituvid [Tallinn’s Stone they are, and have always Estonia celebrated the 100 year What I didn’t realize then, in Pigeons]. http://karoszmit.blogspot. com/2010/01/tallinna-kivituvid- been, such a prominent part of anniversary of its independence. that moment, however, was just tallinnsstone.html. everyday life in Tallinn. As part of their year-long how meaningful that countdown continued celebration, the would be for a country that is zakrit_dver. (2014, January 10). Reinforcing the nature that is country also took the opportunity continuously advancing toward Jõhvi - Йыхви. https://live-report. already so much a part of the Turtles in Tartu, Estonia to define its future, proudly its future of green. livejournal.com/2117607.html. culture of the city through these Photo Credit: Cheryl Rofer unveiling the “Estonia 100 Hiking traffic barriers is not unique Series” in order to reacquaint to Estonia’s capital. Just about residents with the wondrous Resources: every major city in Estonia also nature in their own backyard. commissioned the creation of Estonia wanted its residents to About Estonia. (2017). https://www. Maria Tahamtani is Partner City some sort of natureful traffic know that natureful experiences eu2017.ee/about-estonia. Coordinator for the Biophilic Cities barrier that would be distinct to like these need not require Network, Founder and President their cities. As a result, visitors travel outside the country’s The centenary year brings an of the University of Virginia’s first will find large sculptures of borders. The hiking series extensive hiking series. (2018, Biophilic Student Organization, January 3). https://www.ev100.ee/ turtles in the southern city of featured an experience suitable BiHOOphilic, and a Master of en/centenary-year-brings-extensive- Urban and Environmental Planning Tartu, large strawberries in for just about any resident, hiking-series. Vilijandi, and small polar bears as including both traditional Candidate at the University of part of the landscape of the city hiking and more water-based Estonia 100 Centenary Week. (n.d.). Virginia. of Jõhvi. adventures via kayaks and https://www.ev100.ee/en/estonia- canoes, along with “nature 100-centennial-week. In fact, nature permeates the observation, mushrooming and streets of Estonia and the lives of Cranberries along the Jõhvi Promenade berry picking hikes, car and other Nature tourism - NATTOURS is Photo Credit: zakrit_dver, Live Journal those who call the country home motorised vehicle hikes and launched. (2016, March 18). https:// 60 BIOPHILIC CITIES JOURNAL | MARCH 2019 | 61.