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Estonian Destinations: Haapsalu Railway Station Vincent Teetsov Barring more luxurious desti nations, a trip to the beach is among the most casual out ings one makes these days. People go to the beach to splash around in the water and sit in the sun with friends. It’s a pastime where having a good time supersedes formality or a sense of ele gance. Put some flip flops, a swimsuit, sun screen, and snacks in a bag. Throw a towel over your shoulder. Provided the weather is suit able, it doesn’t take much planning. Hop on a bus or in your car and walk until you find a suitable place to set up on the sand and that’s it. In the early 1900s, though, a trip to the seaside was brim ming with grandeur. Especially if you were a Russian Tsar, sojourning in Haapsalu on Estonia’s west coast. Here, evi dence of this grandeur is even built into the place where visi tors arrived by train – Haapsalu raudteejaam. Russian aristocrats had visited Haapsalu since the time of Peter I, seeking the healing properties of local mud treat ments. Even beyond the aristo cracy, Haapsalu became popular for its offerings of tranquility and rejuvenation. In 1867, Tchaikovsky spent his summer in Haapsalu. It’s a destination where visitors can sail around small islands, relax at spas, swim, and stroll around the
Väike viik (a peculiar lake that stretches out into the sea). One can adopt a slower pace of life here. In 1903, after nearly 200 years of Tsars vacationing in Haapsalu, construction began on the railway station that would become the face of this resort town. Tsar Nicholas II was in favour of the train station being constructed, and this explains the details put into the station. For instance, archi tect Karl Werheim designed a dedicated Imperial Pavilion as part of the complex. Pulling into the station, the building curtsies to arriving trains with a 216 metre long row of columns. This colonnade supports the covered platform, which in turn protects arriving passengers from the sun or rain as they head to the passenger building. The waiting room (ootetuba, as a wall sign once indicated) has ornamental stucco ceilings, crown moulding, and dark wooden side panelling. Look up as you enter this room and you will see a few scenic paintings; vignettes of the idyllic town you are about to set foot in. Look beyond the structures and into the collection of the Raudtee ja Sidemuuseum (Rail way and Communications Mu seum) and you’ll witness the progression of rail transit going back 150 years. In Estonia, it all started in 1870, with the first route going from Paldiski, through Tallinn and Narva, and
Kid’s Corner: Helen Eikla’s Sennahoi ja Nurrnopsu Stories Vincent Teetsov As the primary reading material for a child progresses from picture books to early readers and into chapter books, the presence of fantas tical characters and charming illustrations of them become diminished, exchanged with many books about going to school, making friends, and the drama that springs from that. While some chapter book readers, between the ages of 7 and 10 approximate ly, want to read stories about the world they see around
Photo: sennahoi.com
them, others may feel as though the themes and characters they used to enjoy aren’t allowed anymore. Stories like Finders Keepers by Keiko Kasza or The Day the Crayons Quit by Drew Daywalt. Stories with unex pected turns of events and things that happen just because. Illustrations help readers imagine what’s hap pening at the same time, making a story extra appeal ing. Unfortunately, when kids don’t find personally intriguing or funny stories to read, they might abandon independent reading altogether, leading them to miss out on the valuable ideas and situations that fiction teaches us about. Yes, fantastical chapter books are certainly out there. But it was the discovery of Sennahoi and Nurrnopsu, two characters created by Helen Eikla, that had me thinking about these kind of fun chapter books for children. Something for children who are reaching that more complex stage of reading in Estonian, or who could have help from a family
Notice of Meeting of Shareholders Estonian House in Toronto Limited 6:30 P.M June 29, 2021 Online at: www.estohouse. com/agm Photo: salm.ee
Notice to shareholders finally ending in Gatchina, Russia. The museum writes, “By 1904, 650 km of widegauge and 373 km of narrowgauge railways had been built in Estonia…v” The railway museum itself opened in 1970, and contains memorabilia from the station’s golden years: uniforms, a ticket machine, telegraphs and tele phones, and signage. Manne quins are clothed in vintage uniforms. Photo panels and fur niture create an image of what it would have been like to lounge there, newspaper and drink in hand, as you waited for your train. The museum has described how, in the 20s and 30s specifically, you would have heard “ärasõit!” yelled out on the platform as trains departed. Outside are historic passen ger and freight cars of different styles, Krauss-Maffei steam engines, and a Soviet-era diesel locomotive. Time and the weather has taken its toll on some of these vehicles. How ever, if you are a train buff, it’s an intriguing place for you to peruse. Travelling exhibitions come
through the museum, too. One recent exhibition was of illus trations inspired by the stories of Polish science fiction writer Stanisław Lem. Another exhibi tion has marked 150 years of railways in Estonia. For families with young children, a road train called Peetrike takes passengers at regular intervals on a 40 minute guided tour, showing you points of interest around Haapsalu. The museum is open on weekends; and throughout the summer months it’s open from Wednesday to Sunday, between 11:00 AM and 5:00 PM. A standard ticket costs four euros. Currently, you can’t travel to Haapsalu by train. It was 1995 when the last passenger train arrived at this station. Furthermore, in 2004, Haapsalu Raudtee OÜ started to remove rails from the RiisipereHaapsalu railway. There is a bike trail at the station, where the rails once were. However, in September 2020, ERR interviewed Esto nia’s Minister of Economic Affairs and Infrastructure, Taavi Aas, and reported that a railway
member in figuring out new words. These characters have two books written about them so far: Sennahoi ja Nurrnopsu. Üks põhjamaa lugu (“Sennahoi and Nurrnopsu: A Nordic Story”) from 2017, and the sequel, subtitled Külaline suu rest linnast (“A Visitor from the Big City”). Both have been published in hardcover format by Papallona Print OÜ and have been popular choices at Rahva Raamat book stores in Estonia. Sennahoi is a green creature with protruding ears and feet who gets around Sinimetsa (“The Blue Forest”) in big leaps and bounds. He is crafty and ambitious, having built himself a home on top of a pine tree. His neighbour and friend is Nurrnopsu, a cozy creature with something of a resemblance to a panda bear, who makes waffles and cinnamon rolls for everyone to enjoy. The second story of the series, from 2019, begins at the time of the vernal equinox, when a new visitor, by the name of Mr. Kaa, arrives from the Big City. Where he comes from, life has challenges that Sennahoi can’t initially con ceive of in his mind, like the rushed pace of residents and the pursuit of wealth. Comparative ly, in Sinimetsa, there are the
lumeloomad (“snow animals”) who steal icicles from Nurr nopsu’s house in winter. Other hungry monsters are tempted to eat up sweet treats they find, as pictured on the book’s front cover. Nurrnopsu, Sennahoi, and their trickster pal Maru, have to take care of a whole bunch of little blue birds that hatch from their eggs. And then there is Sennahoi’s new seasonal predicament of how to deal with the shedding of his fur as all creatures in Sinimetsa do. For each character, there are things that bug them about where they live. Yet, for Mr. Kaa, there is much to be excited about in this new place, including the green coat that he has acquired in ex change for his suit and tie. He sees the extraordinary qualities of this land away from home and wonders whether returning to the Big City is truly what he wants. Over 128 pages, the story engages the old question of “is the grass greener on the other side?” with a mischievous cast of characters, including a cave dweller with a long white beard who drops in wisdom here and there. The characters show comical expressions that kids will connect to while connect ing with the sincere messages conveyed in the text. These
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Shareholders are invited to par ticipate in the Annual General Meeting of the Estonian House in Toronto Limited on June 29, 2021. Shareholders can attend the meeting virtually or over the phone. Instructions for access ing the meeting are available at www.estohouse.com/agm. This meeting is a private meeting of Estonian House in Toronto Limited and is closed to the general public. Invitations have been mailed, and where requested emailed, to all Shareholders. Shareholders who are unable to participate have the option of assigning a proxy. Proxies must be regis tered twenty-four (24) hours prior to the meeting. Shareholders can register proxies in the following manner: 1. By mail, addressed to the Secretary Eric Sehr at 958 Broadview Avenue, Toronto M4K 2R6; 2. By fax to 416-461-2017; 3. Deposited at the Manager’s office located at 958 Broadview Avenue; or 4. By email to shares@ estohouse.com. Any proxies sent by mail that are not received or submit ted by fax, in-person or email after 6:30 pm on June 28, 2021 will not be accepted. These timing restrictions are designed to allow management adequate time to prepare and distribute electronic ballots for each proxy holder for the online election platform, Electionbuddy, to be used at the meeting.
qualities help to present the story in an entertaining way. The book’s interior and exte rior artwork, by Vietnamese illustrator Thai My Phuong, is clever in its use of maximalism, with details left for closer examination. Some of the best images in the book capture the optical illusion of rays and auras of glowing light passing over and behind the characters and scenery. The illustrations have impressive dimension, showing scenes from unexpec ted angles. It’s a book that would fit into the fantasy-leaning part of a book collection, but as any fantasy aficionado could attest, what’s inside is close to reality at the core. Both books of the series can be found at sennahoi.com. A Polish version of the series’ first story is out there currently, so hopefully an English translation will eventually become avail able, too.
