Jump to content

Tallinn

From Niidae Wiki

Template:Short description Template:Redirect Template:Use dmy dates Template:Infobox settlement

TallinnTemplate:Efn is the capital and most populous city of Estonia. Situated on a bay in north Estonia, on the shore of the Gulf of Finland of the Baltic Sea, it has a population of Template:Circa (as of 2025)<ref name="stat-pop" /> and administratively lies in the Harju maakond (county). Tallinn is the main governmental, financial, industrial, and cultural centre of Estonia. It is located Template:Convert northwest of the country's second largest city, Tartu, however, only Template:Convert south of Helsinki, Finland; it is also Template:Convert west of Saint Petersburg, Russia, Template:Convert north of Riga, Latvia, and Template:Convert east of Stockholm, Sweden. From the 13th century until the first half of the 20th century, Tallinn was known in most of the world by variants of its other historical name Reval.<ref name="thetravel"/>

Tallinn received Lübeck city rights in 1248;<ref name="auto">Template:Cite news</ref> however, the earliest evidence of human settlement in the area dates back nearly 5,000 years.<ref name="postimees.ee">Template:Cite web</ref> The medieval indigenous population of what is now Tallinn and north Estonia was one of the last "pagan" civilisations in Europe to adopt Christianity following the Papal-sanctioned Northern Crusades in the 13th century.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref name="thetravel">Template:Cite web</ref> The first recorded claim over the place was laid by Denmark after a successful raid in 1219 led by King Valdemar II, followed by a period of alternating Scandinavian and Teutonic rulers. Due to the strategic location by the sea, its port became a significant trade hub, especially in the 14–16th centuries, when Tallinn grew in importance as the northernmost member city of the Hanseatic League.<ref name="thetravel"/> Tallinn Old Town is one of the best-preserved medieval cities in Europe and is listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

In 2012, Tallinn had the highest number of startup companies per person among all capitals and larger cities in Europe.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> Tallinn is the birthplace of many international high-technology companies, including Skype and Wise.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref><ref name="thetravel"/> The city is home to the headquarters of the European Union's IT agency,<ref name="Ingrid Teesalu">Template:Cite web</ref> and to the NATO Cyber Defence Centre of Excellence. In 2007, Tallinn was listed among the top-10 digital cities in the world,<ref name="Digital cities of the world">Template:Cite web</ref> and in 2022, Tallinn was listed among the top-10 "medium-sized European cities of the future".<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

Names and etymology

[edit]

Template:See also The name Tallinn(a)Template:IPA is Estonian. It has been widely considered a historical derivation of Taani-linna,Template:Efn meaning "Danish-castle"Template:Efn (Template:Langx), conceivably because the Danish invaders built the castle in place of the Estonian stronghold after the 1219 battle of Lyndanisse.

The Icelandic Njal's saga—composed after 1270, but describing events between 960 and 1020—mentions an event that occurred somewhere in the area of Tallinn and calls the place Rafala (probably a derivation of Rävala, Revala, or some other variant of the Estonian name of the adjacent medieval Estonian county). Soon after the Danish conquest in 1219, the town became known in the Scandinavian and German languages as Reval (Template:Langx). The etymology of Reval and derivatives in Estonian is unclear and theories are numerous.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

In international use, the English and German-language Reval<ref>Template:Audio; Template:IPA</ref> as well as the Russian analog Revel (Template:Lang) were all gradually replaced by the Estonian name after the country became independent in 1918. At first, both Estonian forms, Tallinna and Tallinn, were used.<ref>Template:Cite book</ref><ref>Tallinna in Estonian denotes also the genitive case of the name, as in Tallinna Sadam ('the Port of Tallinn').</ref>

File:Danmarks flag 1219 Lorentzen.jpg
The first-ever Danish flag falling from the sky during the Battle of Lindanise (Tallinn), 15 June 1219. Painted by C. A. Lorentzen in 1809.

Henry of Livonia, in his chronicle (Template:Circa), called the town with the name that is also known to have been used up to the 13th century by Scandinavians: Lindanisa (or Lyndanisse in Danish,<ref>Template:In lang In 1219, Valdemar II of Denmark, leading the Danish fleet in connection with the Livonian Crusade, landed by an Estonian town of Lindanisse</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Template:In lang Reval's ältester Estnischer Name Lindanisse, Verhandlungen der gelehrten estnischen Gesellschaft zu Dorpat. Band 3, Heft 1. Dorpat 1854, p. 46–47</ref> Lindanäs in Swedish and Ledenets in Old East Slavic).

In 1154, a town called Template:Lang (Qlwn<ref>Fasman, The Geographer's Library, pp.17</ref> or Quwri<ref name="TUE"/><ref>Template:Cite book</ref>) was recorded in the description of the world on the world map (Tabula Rogeriana) commissioned by the Norman King Roger II of Sicily and compiled by Arab cartographer Muhammad al-Idrisi, who described it as "a small town like a large castle" among the towns of 'Astlanda'. It has been suggested that one possible transcription, 'Qlwn', may have denoted a predecessor of the modern city<ref>Template:Cite book</ref><ref>"A glance at the history and geology of Tallinn" by Jaak Nõlvak. In Wogogob 2004: Conference Materials Template:Webarchive</ref> and may somehow be related to a toponym Kolyvan, which has been discovered from later East Slavic chronicles.<ref>Template:Cite book</ref><ref>Template:Cite book</ref> However, a number of historians have considered connecting any of al-Idrisi's placenames with modern Tallinn erroneous, unfounded, or speculative.<ref>Template:Cite book</ref><ref name="auto"/><ref>Template:Cite news</ref><ref>Template:Cite magazine</ref>

History

[edit]

Template:Main Template:For timeline

The first archaeological traces of a small hunter-fisherman community's presence<ref name="postimees.ee"/> in what is now Tallinn's city centre are Template:Circa years old. The comb ceramic pottery found on the site dates to about 3000 BCE and corded ware pottery to around 2500 BCE.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref>

File:Coat of arms of Tallinn (small).svg
The lesser coat of arms of Tallinn depicts the Dannebrog cross.

Around 1050 AD, a fortress was built in what is now central Tallinn, on the hill of Toompea.<ref name="TUE">Template:Cite book</ref>

As an important port on a major trade route between Novgorod and western Europe, it became a target for the expansion of the Teutonic Knights and the Kingdom of Denmark during the period of Northern Crusades in the beginning of the 13th century when Christianity was forcibly imposed on the local population. The king of Denmark conquered Tallinn and northern Estonia in 1219.

In 1285, Tallinn, then known more widely as Reval, became the northernmost member of the Hanseatic League – a mercantile and military alliance of German-dominated cities in Northern Europe. The king of Denmark sold Reval along with other land possessions in northern Estonia to the Teutonic Knights in 1346. Reval was arguably the most significant medieval port in the Gulf of Finland.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> Reval enjoyed a strategic position at the crossroads of trade between the rest of western Europe and Novgorod and Muscovy in the east. The city, with a population of about 8,000, was very well fortified with city walls and 66 defence towers. The city wall has been described as an outstanding example of German Medieval fortification architecture.<ref>Template:Cite book</ref>

A weather vane, the figure of an old warrior called Old Thomas, was put on top of the spire of the Tallinn Town Hall in 1530. Old Thomas later became a popular symbol of the city.

City skyline of Tallinn (Reval) and the harbour in 1650
City skyline of Tallinn (Reval) and the harbour in 1650

In the early years of the Protestant Reformation, the city converted to Lutheranism. In 1561, Reval (Tallinn) became a dominion of Sweden.

During the 1700–1721 Great Northern War, plague-stricken Tallinn along with Swedish Estonia and Livonia capitulated to Tsardom of Russia (Muscovy) in 1710, but the local self-government institutions (Magistracy of Reval and Estonian Knighthood) retained their cultural and economical autonomy within Imperial Russia as the Governorate of Estonia. The Magistracy of Reval was abolished in 1889. The 19th century brought industrialisation of the city and the port kept its importance.

On 24 February 1918, the Estonian Declaration of Independence was proclaimed in Tallinn. It was followed by Imperial German occupation until the end of World War I in November 1918, after which Tallinn became the capital of independent Estonia. During World War II, Estonia was first occupied by the Soviet army and annexed into the USSR in the summer of 1940, then occupied by Nazi Germany from 1941 to 1944. During the German occupation Tallinn suffered from many instances of aerial bombing by the Soviet air force. During the most destructive Soviet bombing raid on 9–10 March 1944, over a thousand incendiary bombs were dropped on the town, causing widespread fires, killing 757 people, and leaving over 20,000 residents of Tallinn without shelter. After the German retreat in September 1944, the city was occupied again by the Soviet Union.

File:TLA 1465 1 973 Varemetes Harju tänav, vasakul Kuld Lõvi varemed 1944.jpg
Harju Street in Tallinn old town after the Soviet aerial bombing in March 1944

During the 1980 Summer Olympics, the sailing (then known as yachting) events were held at Pirita, north-east of central Tallinn. Many buildings, such as the Tallinn TV Tower, "Olümpia" hotel, the new Main Post Office building, and the Regatta Centre, were built for the Olympics.

In 1991, the independent democratic Estonian nation was restored and a period of quick development as a modern European capital ensued. Tallinn became the capital of a de facto independent country once again on 20 August 1991. The Old Town became a World Heritage Site in 1997,<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> and the city hosted the 2002 Eurovision Song Contest.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> Tallinn was the 2011 European Capital of Culture, and is the recipient of the 2023 European Green Capital Award.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> The city has pledged to cut greenhouse gas emissions by 40% by 2030 and takes pride in its biodiversity and high air quality.<ref name=":55">Template:Cite book</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref> But critics say that the award was received on false promises since it won the title with its "15-minute city" concept, according to which key facilities and services should be accessible within a 15-minute walk or bike ride but the concept was left out of the green capital program and other parts of the 12 million euro program amount to a collection of temporary and one-off projects without any structural and lasting changes.<ref name="Pärli 2023">Template:Cite web</ref>

Geography

[edit]
File:Tallinn aerial 2022.jpg
Aerial view of the city with its lakes and seaside coast
File:Härjapea jõgi, 1889.jpg
Härjapea river, 1889

Tallinn is situated on the southern coast of the Gulf of Finland, in north-western Estonia.

The largest lake in Tallinn is Lake Ülemiste (Template:Convert), which serves as the main source of the city's drinking water. Lake Harku is the second-largest lake within the borders of Tallinn and its area is Template:Convert. The only significant river in Tallinn nowadays is the Pirita river, in the eponymous Pirita city district. Historically, a smaller river, called Härjapea, flowed from Lake Ülemiste through the town into the sea, but the river was diverted into underground sewerage system in the 1930s and has since completely disappeared from the cityscape. References to it still remain in the street names Jõe (from jõgi, river) and Kivisilla (from kivi sild, stone bridge).

The length of the seaside coast is Template:Convert, comprising three larger (Kopli, Paljassaare, and Kakumäe) peninsulas. The city has a number of public beaches, including those at Pirita, Stroomi, Kakumäe, Harku, and Pikakari.<ref>Template:Cite book</ref>

The highest point in Tallinn, at 64 m (about 200 ft) above sea level, is situated in Hiiu, Nõmme District, in the south-west of the city. A large limestone cliff runs through the city. It can be seen at Toompea, Lasnamäe, and Astangu. However, the hill at Toompea, despite its prominence, is not geologically connected to the larger limestone cliff formation.

The rocks and sediments underneath Tallinn are of different composition and age. Youngest are the Quaternary deposits. The materials of these deposits are till, varved clay, sand, gravel, and pebbles that are of glacial, marine and lacustrine origin. Some of the Quaternary deposits are valuable as they constitute aquifers, or as in the case of gravels and sands, are used as construction materials. The Quaternary deposits are the fill of valleys that are now buried. The buried valleys of Tallinn are carved into older rock likely by ancient rivers to be later modified by glaciers. While the valley fill is made up of Quaternary sediments the valleys themselves originated from erosion that took place before the Quaternary.<ref name=Vaheretal2010/> The substrate into which the buried valleys were carved is made up of hard sedimentary rock of Ediacaran, Cambrian and Ordovician age. Only the upper layer of Ordovician rocks protrudes from the cover of younger deposits, cropping out in the Baltic Klint at the coast and at a few places inland. The Ordovician rocks are made up from top to bottom of a thick layer of limestone and marlstone, then a first layer of argillite followed by first layer of sandstone and siltstone and then another layer of argillite also followed by sandstone and siltstone. In other places of the city, hard sedimentary rock is only to be found beneath Quaternary sediments at depths reaching as much as 120 m below sea level. Underlying the sedimentary rock are the rocks of the Fennoscandian Craton including gneisses and other metamorphic rocks with volcanic rock protoliths and rapakivi granites. These rocks are much older than the rest (Paleoproterozoic age) and do not crop out anywhere in Estonia.<ref name=Vaheretal2010>Template:Cite journal</ref>

Climate

[edit]
File:Tallinna vanalinn päikesetõusu ajal.jpg
Tallinn's Old Town on a September morning.

Tallinn has a humid continental climate (Köppen climate classification Dfb) with warm, rainy summers and cold, snowy winters.<ref name=Peel>Template:Cite journal</ref>

Winters are cold, but mild for its latitude, owing to its coastal location. The average temperature in February, the coldest month, is Template:Convert. During the winters, temperatures tend to hover close to freezing, but mild spells of weather can push temperatures above Template:Convert, occasionally reaching above Template:Convert while cold air masses can push temperatures below Template:Convert an average of 6 days a year. Snowfall is common during the winters, which are cloudy<ref name=ncei>Template:Cite web</ref> and characterised by low amounts of sunshine, ranging from only 20.7 hours of sunshine per month in December to 58.8 hours in February.<ref name=sun/> At the winter solstice, daylight lasts for less than 6 hours and 5 minutes.<ref name=TAD2>Template:Cite web</ref>

Spring starts out cool, with freezing temperatures common in March and April, but gradually becomes warmer and sunnier in May, when daytime temperatures average Template:Convert, although nighttime temperatures still remain cool, averaging Template:Convert from March to May.<ref name=temp/> In early spring, freezing temperatures are common in March and snowfall can occur in April.<ref name=ncei/>

Summers are warm with daytime temperatures hovering around Template:Convert and nighttime temperatures averaging between Template:Convert from June to August.<ref name=temp/> The warmest month is usually July, with an average of Template:Convert.<ref name=temp/> During summer, partly cloudy or clear days are common<ref name=ncei/> and it is the sunniest season, ranging from 255.6 hours of sunshine in August to 312.1 hours in July although precipitation is higher during these months.<ref name=precip/><ref name= sun/> At the summer solstice, daylight lasts for more than 18 hours and 40 minutes.<ref name=TAD2/>

Autumn starts out mild, with a September average daily mean of Template:Convert and increasingly becomes cooler and cloudier in November.<ref name=ncei/> In the early parts of autumn, temperatures commonly reach Template:Convert and at least one day above Template:Convert in September. In late autumn, snowfall can occur in October and freezing temperatures become more common in November.

Tallinn receives Template:Convert of precipitation annually, which is evenly distributed throughout the year although March, April and May are the driest months, averaging about Template:Convert, while July and August are the wettest months with Template:Convert of precipitation.<ref name=precip/> The average humidity is 81%, ranging from a high of 89% to a low of 69% in May.<ref name=humidity/> Tallinn has an average windspeed of Template:Convert with winters being the windiest (around Template:Convert in January) and summers being the least windy at around Template:Convert in August.<ref name=ncei/> Extremes range from Template:Convert on 31 December 1978 to Template:Convert on 30 July 1994.<ref name=extremes/>

Tallinn has one of the most unpredictable weather conditions among European capital cities,</ref> According to a 2021 study commissioned by price comparison site Uswitch.com, Tallinn was the most unpredictable European capital in terms of weather conditions, with a total score of 69/100. Riga and Helsinki took second and third places.</ref> mostly due to its location between a more maritime and a more continental climate and the variation in the duration of sunshine as a consequence of its high latitude.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> Template:Weather box

Wind speed for Tallinn
Month Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec Year
Average wind speed m/s (ft/s) 3.7
(12.1) 		3.5
(11.5) 		3.4
(11.2) 		3.3
(10.8) 		3.1
(10.2) 		3.0
(9.8) 		2.8
(9.2) 		2.7
(8.9) 		3.0
(9.8) 		3.3
(10.8) 		3.6
(11.8) 		3.8
(12.5) 		3.3
(10.8)
Source 1: NOAA/NCEI<ref name=ncei/>
Coastal temperature data for Tallinn
Month Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec Year
Average sea temperature °C (°F) style="Template:Weather box/colt;"|1.0
(33.8) 		style="Template:Weather box/colt"|0.1
(32.2) 		style="Template:Weather box/colt"|0.1
(32.2) 		style="Template:Weather box/colt"|1.7
(35.1) 		style="Template:Weather box/colt"|6.9
(44.4) 		style="Template:Weather box/colt"|13.4
(56.1) 		style="Template:Weather box/colt"|18.8
(65.9) 		style="Template:Weather box/colt"|19.0
(66.2) 		style="Template:Weather box/colt"|15.8
(60.4) 		style="Template:Weather box/colt"|10.8
(51.4) 		style="Template:Weather box/colt"|7.0
(44.6) 		style="Template:Weather box/colt"|4.1
(39.4) 		style="Template:Weather box/colt; border-left-width:medium;"|8.2
(46.8)
Source 1: Seatemperature.org<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

Administrative districts

[edit]
File:Districts of Tallinn named.svg
Administrative districts of Tallinn

.

District Flag Arms Population
(2022)<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> 		Area Density
Haabersti File:Flag of Haabersti district, Tallinn, Estonia.svg File:Haabersti linnaosa vapp.svg 47,980 Template:Convert 2,157.2/km2 (5,587.1/sq mi)
Kesklinn (centre) File:Kesklinn linnaosa lipp.svg File:Kesklinn linnaosa vapp.svg 65,041 Template:Convert 2,128.3/km2 (5,512.4/sq mi)
Kristiine File:Kristiine linnaosa lipp.svg File:Kristiine linnaosa vapp.svg 32,725 Template:Convert 4,175.4/km2 (10,814.4/sq mi)
Lasnamäe File:Flag of Lasnamäe district, Tallinn, Estonia.svg File:Lasnamäe linnaosa vapp.svg 117,230 Template:Convert 4,269.0/km2 (11,056.6/sq mi)
Mustamäe File:Mustamäe linnaosa lipp.svg File:Mustamäe linnaosa vapp.svg 65,978 Template:Convert 8,156.1/km2 (21,124.3/sq mi)
Nõmme File:Flag of Nõmme district, Tallinn, Estonia.svg File:Nõmme linnaosa vapp.svg 37,402 Template:Convert 1,282.1/km2 (3,320.6/sq mi)
Pirita File:Flag of Pirita district, Tallinn, Estonia.svg File:Pirita linnaosa vapp.svg 19,034 Template:Convert 1,016.1/km2 (2,631.7/sq mi)
Põhja-Tallinn File:Põhja-Tallinn linnaosa lipp.svg File:Põhja-Tallinn COA.svg 59,612 Template:Convert 3,751.6/km2 (9,717.6/sq mi)

Tallinn is subdivided into eight administrative linnaosa (districts). Each district has a linnaosa valitsus (district government) which is managed by a linnaosavanem (district elder) who is appointed by the city government. The function of the "district governments", however, is not directly governing, but just limited to providing advice to the city government and the city council on issues related to the administration of respective districts.

The districts are administratively further divided into 84 asum (subdistricts or "neighbourhoods" with officially defined borders).<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> Template:Clear

Government

[edit]

The city is governed by the Tallinn City Council which consists of 79 members elected to four year terms via party list. The mayor is elected by the city council.

Demographics

[edit]

Template:Historical population

The population of Tallinn on 1 January 2024 was 457,572.<ref name="stat-pop" /> It is the primate and most populous city in Estonia, the 3rd most populous city in the three Baltic States (Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania), as well as the 59th most populous city in the European Union.

According to Eurostat, in 2004, Tallinn had one of the largest number of non-EU nationals of all EU member states' capital cities. Ethnic Russians are a significant minority in Tallinn, as around a third of the city's residents are first and second generation immigrants from Russia and other parts of the former Soviet Union; a majority of the Soviet-era immigrants now hold Estonian citizenship.<ref>Template:Cite book</ref>

Ethnic Estonians made up over 80% of Tallinn's population before World War II. As of 2022, ethnic Estonians made up over 53% of the population. Tallinn was one of the urban areas with industrial and military significance in northern Estonia that during the period of Soviet occupation underwent extensive changes in its ethnic composition due to large influx of immigrants from Russia and other parts of the former USSR. Whole new city districts were built where the main intent of the then Soviet authorities was to accommodate Russian-speaking immigrants: Mustamäe, Väike-Õismäe, Pelguranna, and most notably, Lasnamäe, which in 1980s became, and is to this day, the most populous district of Tallinn.

The official language of Tallinn is Estonian. As of 2011, 50.1% of the city's residents were native speakers of Estonian, whereas 46.7% had Russian as their first language. While English is the most frequently used foreign language by the residents of Tallinn, there are also a significant number of native speakers of Ukrainian and Finnish.<ref name="Tallinn_City_Council">Template:Cite web</ref> Template:Clear

Ethnic composition 1922–2021
Ethnicity 1922<ref>Template:Cite book</ref> 1934<ref>Template:Cite book</ref> 1941<ref>Template:Cite book</ref> 1959<ref name=":0">Template:Cite book</ref> 1970<ref name=":0" /> 1979<ref name=":0" /> 1989<ref name=":0" /> 2000<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> 2011<ref name="RL0429">Template:Cite web</ref> 2021<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
Number % Number % Number % Number % Number % Number % Number % Number % Number % Number %
Estonians 102,568 83.9 117,918 85.6 132,396 94.0 169,697 60.2 201,908 55.7 222,218 51.9 227,245 47.4 215,114 53.7 217,601 55.3 233,520 53.3
Russians 7,513 6.14 7,888 5.72 5,689 4.04 90,594 32.2 127,103 35.0 162,714 38.0 197,187 41.2 146,208 36.5 144,721 36.8 149,883 34.2
Ukrainians – – 35 0.03 – – 7,277 2.58 13,309 3.67 17,507 4.09 22,856 4.77 14,699 3.67 11,565 2.94 15,450 3.53
Belarusians – – – – – – 3,683 1.31 7,158 1.97 10,261 2.39 12,515 2.61 7,938 1.98 6,229 1.58 6,154 1.41
Finns – – 304 0.22 214 0.15 1,650 0.59 2,852 0.79 2,996 0.70 3,271 0.68 2,436 0.61 2,062 0.52 3,431 0.78
Jews 1,929 1.58 2,203 1.60 0 0.00 3,714 1.32 3,750 1.03 3,737 0.87 3,620 0.76 1,598 0.40 1,460 0.37 1,405 0.32
Latvians – – 572 0.42 340 0.24 702 0.25 1,007 0.28 1,259 0.29 1,032 0.22 827 0.21 628 0.16 1,500 0.34
Germans 6,904 5.65 6,575 4.77 – – 125 0.04 217 0.06 332 0.08 516 0.11 516 0.13 492 0.13 1,219 0.28
Tatars – – 75 0.05 – – 745 0.26 1,055 0.29 1,500 0.35 1,975 0.41 1,265 0.32 1,012 0.26 1,033 0.24
Poles – – 599 0.43 502 0.36 759 0.27 967 0.27 1,084 0.25 1,240 0.26 936 0.23 768 0.20 940 0.21
Lithuanians – – 92 0.07 97 0.07 594 0.21 852 0.23 905 0.21 1,052 0.22 949 0.24 795 0.20 1,092 0.25
Unknown/Not stated 0 0.00 368 0.27 150 0.11 0 0.00 0 0.00 1 0.00 7 0.00 3,694 0.92 709 0.18 4,317 0.99
Other 3,354 2.74 1163 0.84 1,523 1.08 2,174 0.77 2,528 0.70 4,023 0.94 6,458 1.35 4,198 1.05 5,180 1.32 17,873 4.08
Total 122,268 100 137,792 100 140,911 100 281,714 100 362,706 100 428,537 100 478,974 100 400,378 100 393,222 100 437,817 100
Largest ethnic groups<ref name="pub.stat.ee">Template:Cite web</ref>
Ethnic group Population (2022) %
Estonians 233,518 53.34
Russians 149,878 34.23
Ukrainians 15,449 3.53
Belarusians 6,153 1.40
Finns 3,431 0.78
Jews 1,405 0.32
Latvians 1,343 0.34
Germans 1,219 0.28
Lithuanians 1,092 0.25
Armenians 1,043 0.24
Tatars 1,033 0.24
Azerbaijanis 1,029 0.23
Poles 940 0.21
Other 15,960 3.64
Unknown 4,318 0.99

Religion

[edit]

The pie chart to the right shows the distribution of religion in Tallinn as of 2021. Template:Pie chart

Economy

[edit]
File:Rotermann Quarter.jpg
Rotermann business district

Template:See also Tallinn has a highly diversified economy with particular strengths in information technology, tourism and logistics. More than half of Estonia's GDP is created in Tallinn.<ref name="BBN">Template:Cite web</ref> In 2008, the GDP per capita of Tallinn stood at 172% of the Estonian average.<ref name="Statistics">Template:Cite web</ref> In addition to longtime functions as seaport and capital city, Tallinn has seen development of an information technology sector; in its 13 December 2005, edition, The New York Times characterised Estonia as "a sort of Silicon Valley on the Baltic Sea".<ref>Mark Ländler, "The Baltic Life: Hot Technology for Chilly Streets" Template:Webarchive, The New York Times, 13 December 2005.</ref> One of Tallinn's sister cities is the Silicon Valley town of Los Gatos, California. Skype is one of the best-known of several Estonian start-ups originating from Tallinn. Many start-ups have originated from the Institute of Cybernetics. In recent years,Template:When Tallinn has gradually been becoming one of the main IT centres of Europe, with the Cooperative Cyber Defence Centre of Excellence (CCD COE) of NATO, eu-LISA, the EU Digital Agency and the IT development centres of large corporations, such as TeliaSonera and Kuehne + Nagel being based in the city.<ref>Anthony Ha, "GameFounders: An Accelerator For European Game Startups" Template:Webarchive, Techcrunch, 21 June 2012.</ref>

Tallinn receives 4.3 million visitors annually,<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> a figure that has grown steadily over the past decade. The Finns are especially a common sight in Tallinn;<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> on average, about 20,000–40,000 Finnish tourists visit the city between June and October.<ref name="finntour">ERR: Finnish tourist numbers on the rise – new generations traveling to Estonia</ref> Most of the visitors come from Europe, though Tallinn has also become increasingly visited by tourists from the Asia-Pacific region.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> Tallinn Passenger Port is one of the busiest cruise destinations on the Baltic Sea, it served more than 520,000 cruise passengers in 2013.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref>

The state-owned energy company Eesti Energia, the nationwide electric power transmission system operator Elering, the natural gas distributor Eesti Gaas, and the country's largest private energy company, Alexela Group, all have their headquarters in Tallinn.

Tallinn is the financial centre of Estonia and also an important economic centre in the Baltoscandian region. Many major banks, such as SEB, Swedbank, and Nordea, have their local offices in Tallinn. LHV Pank, an Estonian investment bank, has its corporate headquarters in Tallinn. Tallinn Stock Exchange, part of NASDAQ OMX Group, is the only regulated exchange in Estonia.

Port of Tallinn is one of the biggest ports in the Baltic sea region, whereas the largest cargo port of Estonia, the Port of Muuga, which is operated by the same business entity, is located in the neighboring town of Maardu.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> Old City Harbour has been known as a convenient harbour since the medieval times, but nowadays the cargo operations are shifted to Muuga Cargo Port and Paldiski South Harbour. As of 2010, there was still a small fleet of oceangoing trawlers that operated out of Tallinn.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> Tallinn's industries include shipbuilding, machine building, metal processing, electronics, textile manufacturing. BLRT Grupp has its headquarters and some subsidiaries in Tallinn. Air Maintenance Estonia and AS Panaviatic Maintenance, both based in Tallinn Airport, provide MRO services for aircraft, largely expanding their operations in recent years. Liviko, the maker of the internationally known Vana Tallinn liqueur, is similarly based in Tallinn. The headquarters of Kalev, a confectionery company and part of the industrial conglomerate Orkla Group, is located in Lehmja, near the city's southeastern boundary. Estonia is ranked third in Europe in terms of shopping centre space per inhabitant, ahead of Sweden and being surpassed only by Norway and Luxembourg.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

Notable headquarters

[edit]

Notable IT development centres

[edit]

Education

[edit]
File:Tallinn University of Technology.png
The buildings of Tallinn University of Technology

Institutions of higher education and science include:

Culture

[edit]

Tallinn was a European Capital of Culture for 2011, along with Turku, Finland.

Museums

[edit]

Template:See also

File:Kadrioruloss1.jpg
Estonian Art Museum in Kadriorg Palace

Tallinn is home to more than 60 museums and galleries.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> Most of them are located in Kesklinn, the central district of the city, and cover Tallinn's rich history.

One of the most visited historical museums in Tallinn is the Estonian History Museum, located in Great Guild Hall at Vanalinn, the old part of the city.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> It covers Estonia's history from prehistoric times up until the end of the 20th century.<ref name="visittallinn.ee">Template:Cite web</ref> It features film and hands-on displays that show how Estonian dwellers lived and survived.<ref name="visittallinn.ee"/>

File:Kadrioru lossikompleksi köögihoone, A.Weizenbergi 28 (1).jpg
Mikkel Museum

The Estonian Maritime Museum provides an overview of the nation's seafaring past. The museum is located in the Old Town, inside one of Tallinn's former defensive structures – Fat Margaret's Tower.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> Another historical museum that can be found at city's Old Town, just behind the Town Hall, is Tallinn City Museum. It covers Tallinn's history from pre-history until 1991, when Estonia regained its independence.<ref name="Tallinna Lunnamuuseum">Template:Cite web</ref> Tallinn City Museum owns nine more departments and museums around the city,<ref name="Tallinna Lunnamuuseum"/> one of which is Tallinn's Museum of Photography, also located just behind the Town Hall. It features permanent exhibition that covers 100 years of photography in Estonia.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

Estonia's Vabamu Museum of Occupations and Freedom is located in Kesklinn (the Central district). It covers the 51 years (1940–1991) when Estonia was occupied by the former Soviet Union and Nazi Germany.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> Not far away is another museum related to the Soviet occupation of Estonia, the KGB Museum, which occupies the 23rd floor of Sokos Hotel Viru. It features equipment, uniforms, and documents of Russian Secret Service agents.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

The city is also home to Estonian Museum of Natural History and the Estonian Health Museum, both located in Old Town. The Museum of Natural History features several themed exhibitions that provide an overview of the wildlife of Estonia and the world.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> The Estonian Health Museum has exhibitions covering human anatomy, health care, and the history of medicine in Estonia on display.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

Tallinn is home to several art and design museums. The Estonian Art Museum, the largest art museum in Estonia, consists of four branches – Kumu Art Museum, Kadriorg Art Museum, Mikkel Museum, and Niguliste Museum. Kumu Art Museum features the country's largest collection of contemporary and modern art. It also displays Estonian art starting from the early 18th century.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> Those who are interested in Western European and Russian art may enjoy Kadriorg Art Museum collections, located in Kadriorg Palace, a beautiful Baroque building erected by Peter the Great. It stores and displays about 9,000 works of art from the 16th to 20th centuries.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> The Mikkel Museum, in Kadriorg Park, displays a collection of mainly Western art – ceramics and Chinese porcelain donated by Johannes Mikkel in 1994. The Niguliste Museum occupies former St. Nicholas' Church; it displays collections of historical ecclesiastical art spanning nearly seven centuries from the Middle Ages to post-Reformation art.

Those who are interested in design and applied art may enjoy the Estonian Museum of Applied Art and Design collection of Estonian contemporary designs. It displays up to 15.000 pieces of work made of textile art, ceramics, porcelain, leather, glass, jewellery, metalwork, furniture, and product design.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> To experience more relaxed, culture-oriented exhibits, one may turn to Museum of Estonian Drinking Culture. This museum showcases the historic Luscher & Matiesen Distillery as well as the history of Estonian alcohol production.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

File:Bernt Notke Danse Macabre.jpg
Danse Macabre by Bernt Notke on display at St. Nicholas' Church

Lauluväljak

[edit]

Template:Main

File:Estonia - Flickr - Jarvis-4.jpg
The Tallinn Song Festival Grounds (Lauluväljak)

The Estonian Song Festival (in Estonian: Laulupidu) is a large choral event, listed by the UNESCO as a Masterpiece of the Oral and Intangible Heritage of Humanity. It is held every five years in July on the Tallinn Song Festival Grounds (Lauluväljak) simultaneously with the Estonian Dance Festival.<ref name=celebrations>Estonian Song and Dance Celebrations Estonian Song and Dance Celebration Foundation</ref> The joint choir has comprised more than 30,000 singers performing to an audience of 80,000.<ref name=celebrations /><ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

Estonians have an extensive collection of folk songs, consisting of some 133,000 folk songs.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> From 1987, a cycle of mass demonstrations featuring spontaneous singing of national songs and hymns that were strictly forbidden during the years of the Soviet occupation to peacefully resist the oppression. In September 1988, a record 300,000 people, more than a quarter of all Estonians, gathered in Tallinn for a song festival.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> Template:Clear

Tallinn Black Nights Film Festival

[edit]

Template:Main

Tallinn Black Nights Film Festival (Estonian: Pimedate Ööde Filmifestival, or PÖFF), is an annual film festival held since 1997 in Tallinn, the capital city of Estonia. PÖFF is the only festival in the Nordic and Baltic region with a FIAPF (International Federation of Film Producers Association) accreditation for holding an international competition programme in the Nordic and Baltic region with 14 other non-specialised festivals, such as Cannes, Berlin, Venice. With over 250 feature films screened each year and over 77500 attendances (2014), PÖFF is one of the largest film events of Northern Europe and cultural events in Estonia in the winter season. During its 19th edition in 2015 the festival screened more than 600 films (including 250+ feature-length films from 80 countries), bringing over 900 screenings to an audience of over 80, 000 people as well as over 700 accredited guests and journalists from 50 countries. In 2010 the festival held the European Film Awards ceremony in Tallinn.

Cuisine

[edit]

Template:See also The traditional cuisine of Tallinn reflects culinary traditions of north Estonia, the role of the city as a fishing port, and historical German influences. Numerous cafés have played a major role in a social life of the city since the 19th century, as have bars, especially in the Kesklinn district.

The martsipan industry in Tallinn has a very long history. The production of martsipan started in the Middle Ages, almost simultaneously in Tallinn (Reval) and Lübeck, both member cities of the Hanseatic League. In 1695, marzipan was mentioned as a medicine, under the designation of Panis Martius, in the price lists of the Tallinn Town Hall Pharmacy.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> The modern era of martsipan in Tallinn began in 1806, when the Swiss confectioner Lorenz Caviezel set up his confectionery on Pikk Street. In 1864, it was bought and expanded by Georg Stude and now is known as the Maiasmokk café. In the late 19th century martsipan figurines made by Tallinn's confectioners were supplied to the Russian imperial family.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref>

Arguably, the most symbolic seafood dish of Tallinn is vürtsikilu ("spicy sprat") – salted sprats pickled with a distinctive set of spices including black pepper, allspice and cloves. The making of traditional vürtsikilu is thought to have originated from the city's outskirts. In 1826, the merchants of Tallinn exported 40,000 cans of vürtsikilu to Saint Petersburg.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> A closely associated dish is kiluvõileib ("sprat-butter-bread") – a traditional rye bread open sandwich covered with a layer of butter and vürtsikilu as the topping. Boiled egg slices and culinary herbs are optional extra toppings. Alcoholic beverages produced in the city include beer, vodka, and liqueurs (such as the eponymous Vana Tallinn). The number of craft beer breweries has expanded sharply in Tallinn over the last decade, entering local and regional markets.

Tourism

[edit]

What can arguably be considered to be Tallinn's main attractions are located in the Tallinn Old Town (divided into a "lower town" and Toompea hill) which is easily explored on foot. The eastern parts of the city, notably Pirita (with Pirita Convent) and Kadriorg (with Kadriorg Palace) districts, are also popular destinations, and the Estonian Open Air Museum in Rocca al Mare, west of the city, preserves aspects of Estonian rural culture and architecture. The historical wooded suburbs like Kalamaja, Pelgulinn, Kassisaba and Kelmiküla and revitalized industrial areas like Rotermanni Quarter, Noblessner and Dvigatel are also unique places to visit.

Toompea – Upper Town

[edit]
File:Toompea loss 2014.jpg
Toompea castle
File:Stenbock House.jpg
Stenbock House on Toompea hill is the official seat of the Government of Estonia.

Template:Main This area was once an almost separate town, heavily fortified, and has always been the seat of whatever power that has ruled Estonia. The hill occupies an easily defensible site overlooking the surrounding districts. The major attractions are the medieval Toompea Castle (today housing the Estonian Parliament, the Riigikogu), the Lutheran St Mary's Cathedral, also known as the Dome Church (Template:Langx), and the Russian Orthodox Alexander Nevsky Cathedral.

All-linn – Lower Town

[edit]

This area is one of the best preserved medieval towns in Europe and the authorities are continuing its rehabilitation. Major sights include the Town Hall square (Template:Langx), the city wall and towers (notably "Fat Margaret" and "Kiek in de Kök") as well as a number of medieval churches, including St Olaf's, St. Nicholas' and the Church of the Holy Ghost. The Catholic Cathedral of St Peter and St Paul is also in the Lower Town.

Kadriorg

[edit]

Template:Main

Kadriorg is Template:Convert east of the city centre and is served by buses and trams. Kadriorg Palace, the former palace of Peter the Great, built just after the Great Northern War, now houses the foreign art department of the Art Museum of Estonia, the presidential residence and the surrounding grounds include formal gardens and woodland.

The main building of the Art Museum of Estonia, Kumu (Template:Langx, Art Museum), was built in 2006 and lies in Kadriorg park. It houses an encyclopaedic collection of Estonian art, including paintings by Carl Timoleon von Neff, Johann Köler, Eduard Ole, Jaan Koort, Konrad Mägi, Eduard Wiiralt, Henn Roode and Adamson-Eric, among others.

Pirita

[edit]

Template:Main This coastal district is a further 2 kilometres north-east of Kadriorg. The marina was built for the Moscow Olympics of 1980, and boats can be hired on the Pirita River. Two kilometres inland are the Botanic Gardens and the Tallinn TV Tower.

Transport

[edit]
File:TTTK 502 in Pärnu highway.JPG
A CAF tram in Tallinn (Pärnu maantee street) in 2018

City transport

[edit]

Template:Main The city operates a system of bus (73 lines), tram (5 lines) and trolley-bus (4 lines) routes to all districts; the Template:Convert long tram system<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> is the only tram network in Estonia.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref> A flat-fare system is used. The ticket-system is based on prepaid RFID cards available in kiosks and post offices. In January 2013, Tallinn became the first European capital to offer a fare-free service on buses, trams and trolleybuses within the city limits. This service is available to residents who register with the municipality.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

Tallinn offers a wide range of smart mobility options, with extensive free-floating fleets of e-scooters, e-bikes, bikes, and cars available for rent throughout the city.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

Air

[edit]

The Lennart Meri Tallinn Airport is about Template:Convert from Town Hall square (Template:Lang). There is a tram (Line Number: 4) and local bus connection between the airport and the edge of the city centre (bus no. 2). The nearest railway station Ülemiste is only Template:Convert from the airport. The construction of the new section of the airport began in 2007 and was finished in summer 2008.

Ferry

[edit]
File:Old City Harbour, Tallinn.jpg
The port of Tallinn is one of the busiest cruise and passenger harbours in Northern Europe with over 10 million people passing through in 2016.

Template:See also Several ferry operators, Viking Line, Tallink and Eckerö Line, connect Tallinn to Helsinki, Mariehamn, Stockholm, and St. Petersburg. Passenger lines connect Tallinn to Helsinki (Template:Convert north of Tallinn) in approximately 2–3.5 hours by cruiseferries, with up to eight daily crossings all year round.

Railroad

[edit]
File:Balti jaam.JPG
Railway platform at the Tallinn Baltic Station

The Elron railway company operates train services from Tallinn to Tartu, Valga, Türi, Viljandi, Tapa, Narva, Koidula. Buses are also available to all these and various other destinations in Estonia, as well as to Saint Petersburg in Russia and Riga, Latvia. The Russian railways company operated a daily international sleeper train service between Tallinn – Moscow, and was stopped in 2020.

Tallinn also has a commuter rail service running from Tallinn's main rail station in two main directions: east (Aegviidu) and to several western destinations (Pääsküla, Keila, Riisipere, Turba, Paldiski, and Kloogaranna). These are electrified lines and are used by the Elron railroad company. Stadler FLIRT EMU and DMU units are in service since July 2013. The first electrified train service in Tallinn was opened in 1924 from Tallinn to Pääsküla, a distance of Template:Convert.

The Rail Baltica project, which will link Tallinn with Warsaw via Latvia and Lithuania, will connect Tallinn with the rest of the European rail network. An undersea tunnel has been proposed between Tallinn and Helsinki,<ref>Mike Collier. "Helsinki mayor still believes in Tallinn tunnel Template:Webarchive", The Baltic Times, 3 April 2008. Retrieved on 2021-09-13.</ref> though it remains at a planning phase.

Roads

[edit]

The Via Baltica motorway (part of European route E67 from Helsinki to Prague) connects Tallinn to the Lithuanian-Polish border through Latvia.

Notable people

[edit]

Pre-1900

[edit]

1900 to 1930

[edit]

1930 to 1950

[edit]

1950 to 1970

[edit]

1970 to date

[edit]

Architects and conductors

[edit]

Sport

[edit]

Twin towns – sister cities

[edit]

Tallinn is twinned with:<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> Template:Div col

Template:Div col end

[edit]

See also

[edit]

Template:Portal

Notes

[edit]

Template:Notelist Template:Reflist

References

[edit]

Template:Reflist

Bibliography

[edit]

Template:See also

Books and articles

[edit]
  • Burch, Stuart. An unfolding signifier: London's Baltic exchange in Tallinn. Journal of Baltic Studies 39.4 (2008): 451–473.
  • Hallas, Karin, ed. 20th Century Architecture in Tallinn (Tallinn, The Museum of Estonian Architecture, 2000).
  • Template:Cite book
  • Kattago, Siobhan. War memorials and the politics of memory: The Soviet war memorial in Tallinn. Constellations 16.1 (2009): 150–166. online
  • Naum, Magdalena. Multi-ethnicity and material exchanges in Late Medieval Tallinn. European Journal of Archaeology 17.4 (2014): 656–677. onlineTemplate:Dead linkTemplate:Cbignore
  • Õunapuu, Piret. The Tallinn department of the Estonian National museum: History and developments. Folklore: Electronic Journal of Folklore 48 (2011): 163–196.
  • Pullat, Raimo. Brief history of Tallinn (Estopol, 1999).
  • Template:Cite book

Travel guides

[edit]
[edit]

Template:Wikivoyage Template:Commons category

Template:Navboxes

Template:Authority control

Retrieved from "https://wiki.niidae.com/index.php?title=Tallinn&oldid=26514"