Tallinn Arts Magazine #2

TALLINN

ARTS

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I consider football to be as serious as literature, art or science and link it to humanity, values and other basics of life.

Through football I can find all of the answers which arise in life.� Aivar Pohlak, President of the Estonian Football Association

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TALLINN

ARTS

Covering Creative Tallinn

FASHION

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20 Modern Artisanship: Custom made shoes 26 Custom made luxury bags 74 Creative mind: Conceptual jewelry

TIPPLING 12 18

Drinking Tallinn In Why Campari Matters

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TECHNOLOGY 46 70

Mobile gadgets The BMW 7-series: Built to last

SPORT 32

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Aivar Pohlak: Estonian Football’s Philospher King Estonia’s Golfing Oasis

MUSIC/DANCE 80 82

Estonia’s New Snow Queen Oleg Pissarenko: All that Jazz

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TALLINN

ARTS

Covering Creative Tallinn

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32 FLÃNERIE 84

The Linnahall: Tallinn’s Modern Urban Ruin

SOCIETY 42 Why is ’China White’ killing Estonia’s

Russian speakers?

66 Economic forecast from Eesti Pank 90 The fire that purifies: Estonian

midsummer’s eve

PHOTOGRAPHY 48

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Being There: A look at Estonian photographer Paul Kuimet’s Exhibitions ”Notes on space” and Viewfinders

Luxury Apartments With Stunning Sea View www.meerhof.ee

DEVELOP MEERHOF

Private 7000m2 Plots Right On The Seafront www.laheranna.ee

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editors contributors

Terje toomistu contributor

Terje Toomistu is an author and anthropologist, currently a Fulbright scholar in University of California, Berkeley, and a PhD student in University of Tartu, Estonia, holding double MA degrees (cum laude) in Ethnology and in Media and Communication. She has supplemented her studies in France, Russia and Indonesia, traveled extensively throughout four continents and worked as freelance journalist, active blogger, documentary film-maker, photographer and curator.

MICHAEL AMUNDSEN editor

Michael has a master of arts degree in the humanities from San Francisco State University. He has been an instructor of humanities and English literature at San Francisco State University, Tallinn University and the Estonian Academy of Art. He has written on cultural matters in Estonia, Russia and the Baltic region for Estonian Public Broadcasting, the Christian Science Monitor, the Financial Times, Vice and others. He is currently pursuing a PhD.

Copyright © 2014 Bonne & Amundsen Media Group Tallinn Arts Magazine 2. edition Cultural Partner: Center for contemporary arts, Estonia Tallinn office: michael.amundsen@tallinnarts.com Cover: Photo: Estonian Football Association WEBSITE: www.facebook.com/tallinnarts

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CAMILLA FRANZISKA BONNE - editor

Camilla has a master’s degree from the University of Roskilde in Denmark in social sciences.

She has applied her degree and life experience to working in Copenhagen’s NGO community, social work and fostering cultural encounters. A lifelong interests in fashion, cultures and aesthetics have found expression in her work in graphic design and media production. She has particular interest in the sensory-emotional value of the built environment and cultural products.

Advertising: Nordicom ADVERTISING@NORDICOM.EE +372 5666 7770 post@cca.ee +372 6314050 Copenhagen office: camilla.bonne@tallinnarts.com Art Director: Camilla Franziska Bonne www.tallinnarts.com (a)tallinnarts

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welcome to tallinn arts For the second addition of Tallinn Arts we get sporty. An intriguing interview with Estonian Football Association president Aivar Pohlak coincides with the 2014 World Cup. Like Aivar always does, many of us have football on the brain now. We look at the bourgeoning world of Estonian golf too.

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TA2 peers into Tallinn’s changing drinking scene, where people are coming around to finer potables while enjoying themselves. We check out Estonian design and fashion with Darja Popolitova’s amazing jewelry creations, Stella Soomlais’ one of a kind handbags, Sille Sikmann’s bespoke shoes for men and Xenia Joost’s sartorial vision for ladies.

We chat with the Estonian National Ballet’s rising star Abigail Sheppard and jazz guitar slinger Oleg Pissarenko. The arts focus in TA2 is on photographer Paul Kuimet whose documentation of Estonia’s vanishing Societ era supergraphics is as arresting as it is poignant.

Terje Toomistu explains the meaning of St. John’s Day. We get a new economic report on Estonia from Eesti Pank, have a look at the BMW 7 series, the best new mobile phones and do a bit of flänerie.

We thank those that appreciated and supported our inaugural run and welcome our new readers.

Enjoy!

The editors

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drinking tallinn in 12

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Estonian tastes are maturing, especially for the younger, hipper set. People are looking for a pleasant glow from a good quality drink, often accompanied by a small plate or something.”

Tallinn’s drinking habits are morphing.

The raucous party years and its crude pastimes have been winnowed by the rise of the hipster and the emphasis on quality over quantity.

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ou can, to be sure, still quaff barrels of cheap lager, silly drinks served in test tubes and wake up in a puddle of your own (or someone else’s) vomit.

But this style of revelry has shifted south to Riga, now the “party capital” of the Baltic region. Tallinn’s tastes have refined.

the younger, hipper set. People are looking for a pleasant glow from a good quality drink, often accompanied by a small plate or something,” he said. “And they don’t want to get up feeling like they went twelve rounds with Mike Tyson the night before.”

Estonian drinking culture has taken a strong move towards micro-brewed beer, wine and quality liquor and cocktails. As one barkeep at a swank Old Town joint put it recently: “Estonian tastes are maturing, especially for

Nowhere is the change to high-end consumption more prevalent than with beer. The micro-brewing revolution that began on the west coast of the United States in the 1980s and 90s has wound its way around the world and finally landed in

BETTER BREW

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Estonia, a country with a history of small producers and “farm beer.” A change in legal status for craft brewers in 2011 has also facilitated their growth.

“The Soviet occupation killed the Estonian beer culture,” says Arkadi Tammik, brew-master and owner of Vormsi Olu a small producer in Koeru, a village in north central Estonia. “The beer industry was a state enterprise for the whole Soviet Union.

The stuff was cheap, weak and of low quality. Beer became associated with drunks at that time.”

The road out of the sudsy doldrums of beer mediocrity and its connection to social problems has been a long one. But brewer Tammik feels the worm has turned for Estonian beer drinkers.

“People are tired of just what’s on offer from the two big brewers,” he says referring to Estonian behemoths Saku and A le Coq. “What they do is fine as far it goes but there’s a strong desire for greater quality and diversity.”

Vormsi Olu produces a mix of styles from Belgian to British with wheat beers, Märzen, pale ales and dark ales.

“People are willing to pay four or five times more for good beer,” Tammik says. “We feel small brewers can do well in Estonia.”

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This page: The matchless view from the terrace at Lounge 24.

Opposite page: Snack at Neh Restaurant and one of Vormsi brewery’s craft beers. Photo: courtesy of Neh Restaurant and Vormsi Olu.

LUXURY LOUNGE

Taking the elevator to the top of Tallinn’s Radisson Blu Sky Hotel, you’ll reach the cocktail Mecca called Lounge 24. The bartender, a comely young woman called Karina Tamm, knows the drinking scuttlebutt.

“Well, less is more for many drinkers nowadays,” she says. “Young people definitely drink less. But when the Finns come to visit they make up for it!”

So aside from Finnish excess, what are folks drinking?

“For drinking at home, many may choose the less expensive option from the shop, but when they go out, quality matters,” Karina says. “Plus we encourage better choices. Ladies are drinking daiquiris and margaritas and for men fine cognac and whiskey.”

Her personal favorite: “A not so usual take on the mojito, with our local Vana Tallinn liqueur instead of rum. Very nice” But what brings imbibers up to Lounge 24 is as much the view as the booze; a panorama that stretches from the port of Tallinn and Pirita to the Old Town, Toompea and well beyond.

“I feel privileged to work here for this view, which is absolutely amazing, especially at sunset…when the sun finally sets in summer!” she says.

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I see Estonian drinking culture developing positively...as with the craft beer trend, I believe in ten years time you will see the same thing with craft wines.”

A WINE COMEBACK

Wine culture is also seeing a renaissance long in coming more than twenty years after the end of the Soviet occupation. During Estonia’s brief independence a winery flourished on Toompea called Luscher&Matiesen. That wine was produced in Estonia in the late 1920s and 30s is a shocker for most people.

“Yes, in 1929 the company was founded on Toompea and it was Estonia’s biggest wine factory,” says L&M CEO and 3rd time founder Peke Eloranta. “We made mostly fruit and berry wines and also vermouth for the Martini drinks company.”

And were Estonians drinking a lot of wine in the first half of the 20th century?

“Well, there was not a strong wine culture in terms of volume, it was more of a niche thing,” he says.

“Estonians were actually drinking less than one liter of wine per person a year in the beginning of the 1930s.

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The French were drinking 144 liters!”

L&M, re-founded after Estonia’s re-independence, is slated to make its first test wine this autumn and its first commercial wine in 2016. Groundbreaking on a new winery on Muhu Island is set for 2015.

“I see Estonian drinking culture developing positively,” says Eloranta. “There is a big interest in better drinks and people’s tastes are developing. The trend is for less hard alcohol and more wine, beer and cider. As with the craft beer trend, I believe in ten years time you will see the same thing with craft wines.”

Perhaps the best lead is to follow the hipster, where the seeds for broader future habits can be found sprouting. At Paar Veini over on Sauna street, a quiet stretch of the Old Town, but very near to the epicenter of Tallinn’s luddite bars where on entering you must be frisked by a paramilitary munchkin, they’re already there, the bohemians and the beautiful, with their red zin and tapas.

Peke Eloranta of Luscher & Matiesen

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Why Campari Matters OK, you’re not in Rome. Or Venice. Or Florence. Or even Perugia. It’s summer and you are in Tallinn. That doesn’t mean you need to forgo all of the sun-kissed pleasures of our Italian friends. Some can be brought north; indulged in, savored, appreciated.

Campari, the famous Italian liqueur, is one of those pleasures. Technically an aperitif, it is a versatile drink to be enjoyed in a range of concoctions or with just some ice cubes or soda. The first thing you’ll notice is Campari’s deep red color, and refreshing pungent flavor from chinotto, small bitter flavored oranges. The exact ingredients of Campari is proprietary but the bitterness of the chinotto coupled with a unique blend of herbs infused in water and alcohol bring forth a magical drinking experience once the palate is acclimated. There have been many noteworthy Campari enthusiasts over the years. Allowing that he enjoyed nearly every kind of alcohol, Hemmingway was a fan. Richard Burton and Elizabeth Taylor called Campari mixed with vodka and soda water a “Goop”; one of their favorite cocktails.

George Clooney holed up at Lake Como is said to enjoy a tipple.

When Gaspare Campari invented the aperitif that bears his name near Milan in 1860, he couldn’t have envisioned the global business he was creating. His son Davide took the drink to the next level, making Campari a strong export brand in America, Russia and especially the French Riviera, where it became fantastically popular. Here is where Campari’s mystique took wing. Famous ad campaigns featuring the art work of Leonetto Cappiello and later the graphic design of Art Deco stylist Fortunato Depero established Campari as a byword for sophistication.

Campari’s current advertising poster girl is Uma Thurman, following the likes of Jessica Alba and Penelope Cruz.

And so it goes. People of good taste the world over enjoy Campari as the perfect before dinner drink. Somehow it’s all there in a glass; Vespas, the French Riviera, Audrey Hepburn, Cary Grant, breezes off the Med, elegance, class…

NEGRONI SBAGLIATO 2 cl campari 2 cl red vermouth 2 cl sparkling wine Stir campari, vermouth and sparkling wine.

Pour on ice, add a slice of lime and stir.

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AMERICANO 2 cl campari 2 cl red vermouth soda water Stir campari and vermouth with ice, top with soda water.

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This footwear is constructed to encapsulate each and every personal characteristic of the owner’s feet which ensures a unique degree of comfort when the shoes are worn

Modern artisanship: custom made shoes

Sille Sikmann has a unique vision for the northern European male’s footwear needs. Hailing from Estonia’s university town, Tartu, she has fashioned bespoke men’s shoes for her company Scheckmann since 2012. Sikmann feels that shoes do more than help one get around and aside from comfort and style can convey a personal story. Tallinn Arts caught up with Sille to find out about the world of handmade clogs and how quality footwear can propel a narrative as well as feet.

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hat’s special about your business, methods and techniques?

I do handmade shoes to make them more personal for all my clients. In doing so I am adding their own little stories or some twists to make the shoes look more interesting than usual offerings from the shops. Besides that, Nordic men have bigger and wider feet.

When and why did you decide to start Scheckmann?

In 2011 when I was in Budapest doing my Erasmus Internship course, I worked on my first men’s shoe collection, and after that I started to research whether it was possible to make a niche brand here in Estonia.

And at that time in spring 2012, I graduated Tartu Art College. Scheckmann was also a part of my diploma work, so the business was just a natural way to go after that.

What are your criteria for well-constructed and well-designed shoes?

Comfort, Quality and little twist to make it look good too.

Why invest in a custom-made shoe rather than a ready-made shoe?

It lasts longer, shoes are made out of the client’s measurements, so it’s definitely more comfortable and I also

create the shoes according to their wishes, so a man can order his own personal shoes that are specially designed for him and I can put his own personal story inside of them.

For example one of my clients as a hobby likes quantum physics and is interested in other universes so we made boots that have written on one side ”Parallel” and on the other boot ”Universe”, so on the streets are walking two Parallel Universes. And that is his own personal story and nobody else will have his story.

Can you tell me about a shoe you will never forget?

Probably my first ones and the “twisted” ones, but at the moment I remember all of the work for my clients.

Now I have to ask the question… you make men’s shoes, what about women’s?

Women have to wait, because I promised myself that at first I will start with men and when the brand is really ready, then I will maybe make something for women too.

But here’s a little hint also as to why I make shoes only for men. My brand name, Scheckmann, is my old Baltic German family name and it actually translates as a “chic man” (I just changed the “I” to “e” because it sounded better to me). So a little true story behind my brand, but I never knew that when I was a child that in the future I would make men’s shoes with the “chic man” name.

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My brand name, Scheckmann, is my old Baltic - German family name and it actually translates as a “chic man”.”

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Photos: PR

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STEP

BY STEP

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I N S P I R AT I O N

P L A N N I N G

M E A S U R I N G

Creating a pair of shoes is an inspirational process. Before production Scheckmann research ideas, something unique for a particular pair of shoes, which might reflect the demands of its owner. Scheckmann finds inspiration in any mark, word, pattern or perhaps colour that might connect the shoes to the client.

Also, Scheckmann determines just what kind of ‘life’ the pair of shoes might live. Office or outdoor, cycling or gala evenings?

Once the purpose becomes crystal-clear, only then are the hands and machines put to work.

Both feet are measurred to ensure the footwear will fit as a second skin. If needed, a specific mould or cast is created from which lasts and patterns will be made.

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M A T E R I A L S

TRIAL-VERSION

S H I P M E N T

The footwear and accessories are made from natural materials. You can choose any from an extensive range of colours, textures and thicknesses. Exotic leathers are also available.

Before the finished product is completed a trial version is created to avoid all possible errors and provide a perfect fit. Only when everything is measured and checked at least three times do Scheckmann make the final ‘cut and pull’ – creating an original pair of shoes to be tested and assessed before shipping.

Every pair of the newly hand made shoes is accompanied by its own ‘shoe-care’ booklet to ensure tha your shoes last for as long as you care for them.

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Custom made luxury bags

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tella Soomlais designs handcrafted one of a kind bags for discriminating male and female consumers. She uses the finest natural materials in the construction of accessories made to last a lifetime, working primarily with high quality leather to create unique bags to the specifications of clients. Stella spoke candidly with Tallinn Arts about the perils of entrepreneurship and why style is something you can’t fake

Can you please tell us a little more about yourself? How did you decide to become a handbag designer?

It all seemed a big coincidence at the time, but now, looking back, I regard it as kind of subconscious decision. I had always loved my Mum’s shoes and handbags and I enjoyed sewing from a very early age, but until the university exams I had thought of leather as something brown, which all those boring boxes and book covers were made from. The worst nightmare for me was the leather paintings that were extremely popular during the end of Soviet times. Luckily, one of my friends had studied leather design for one year and she was the one that introduced me to the connection between accessories and leather.

As I had always dreamed of becoming an interior architect, my first two preferences were interior design and furniture restoration. Luckily I didn’t pass the tests, because during the exams I already understood that I had the completely wrong idea about these fields. I was in love with the idea of being an interior designer, but I’m definitely not the right kind of person for that job. I’m really lucky to have realized that in an early stage – I can imagine discovering it now, it could be quite hard to quit after investing into something for so long!

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But I fell in love instantly with accessories design! I felt at home during the exam period. Everything seemed so logical and I became challenged immediately. I remember I had to write an essay about how I picture myself in the future, after graduating. And when I now think about it, then it’s exactly my present life, so my realization during the college exams was kind of manifest.

At first I wasn’t that sure about the material though, but during the past few years I have discovered the endless oppor-

Stella Soomlais concentrates on custom made orders, especially weekend bags. Photo: Tรถnu Tunnel

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tunities which leather gives. My respect for the material has grown a lot, so besides the people I work with, one of my biggest inspirations is definitely the material itself!

Can you tell us a little about your business model?

In my own brand I concentrate on custom made orders, especially weekend bags. By Christmas I plan to launch also the collection, which consists of the carefully selected models, which I have developed with my clients over the years. In one year I want to implement a system, where a client can buy either a bag at once, order the existing model in a different color or with some extra details or let me make the custom made design. The latter will be done only by me, but for the collection I have trained some people who help make them, otherwise I would have a 2 year long queue.

In the future I want to implement a circular system, where a client can return the bag and use the same material from the old bag for a new design or product. That means that I have already designed the blueprints of the first bag in a way that it would be

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In the future I want to implement a circular system, where a client can return the bag and use the same material from the old bag for a new design or product. ”

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possible to redesign it after the client is tired of the old product. Leather is meant to last and it ages beautifully, so it may even add value to the second and third product made of the same leather. I came up with this idea already in my MA thesis, but it takes time to develop the designs. Within the last three years I have learned a lot about bags, their durability and lifetime circle and the needs of clients, but to build a really great system with quality service design and products takes time, so I’m happy when I reach that point in 5 years time.

Besides my own brand I also co-operate with other designers, so we are launching a new brand Rüü with Toomas Thetloff in the beginning of summer.

Rüü offers all sorts of cases for Apple gadgets and wallets and bags for people who are into natural materials and minimalistic design. I have also started a board game set with a UK designer Nick Rawcliffe, where steel meets leather and the design of the game is sort of a game itself. I also developed a CycleBag project with Marko Ala, which should go into production as soon as we find a person to run it.

Photos: Tรถnu Tunnel 29

Photo: T천nu Tunnel

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Why did you decide to start your own label as opposed to joining an existing company?

We don’t have very many possibilities to become an in-house designer in accessories production in Estonia, which is why I started thinking of developing my own brand quite early. After graduating my Masters it was just very logical next step to start the company and see what happens. I had nothing to lose. I still don’t. When I decide one day that I’ve had enough and it’s time to move on to something else, then I can stop and turn a new page. I’m sure I will survive everywhere, because I’m not used to giving up. Of course I’ve had my moments of deep depression, where there seems no light in the end of the tunnel, but I never let myself make a decision during that period. I understand that investing into something takes time and effort.

If I do something now, then it starts to show effects maybe in two years or so.

I have found myself thinking that maybe I made the wrong choice and should have used internships outside of Estonia. By now I understand that the way I have chosen is OK too. I have learned the same way from my own mistakes and co-operating with other designers and specialists. Plus, I like when the team is small and flexible, working for a big brand is not that appealing. I need the workplace to act like a family. I have that at my workplace and I’m really happy with it.

What I like about having my own brand is the versatility. It is not only design or handcrafting or marketing or logistics that you deal with – it’s all of that together and that is what makes it so interesting. Of course it’s hard to divide myself. Being a CEO and designer and a secretary in one person is quite challenging, but I guess I’m too impatient, to just be one of those, I need the variety in my daily life.

What is special about your methods? Can you tell us a little bit about your techniques and materials?

What I like about my work is that it’s the combination of old techniques and leather crafts and the new materials and technology. I can take the old way of how things were made when

my grandpa was born and translate it into today’s production.

I’m really strict when it comes to quality, so I have organized my production in a way that I can control the process. I order some things and stages from bigger producers and then have my own people sew and assemble the bags and wallets together or do it myself. Therefore I get inspired by both – the possibilities used in production and the experience given us over the centuries. Using old tools is the ultimate satisfaction, it makes you calm as you can work with your hands, but trying innovative technologies makes you feel that you can make the difference.

In my design I use only quality leather, I don’t work with PU. I also try to avoid textile, I use it only in some type of wallets.

The reason for this is that the leather lasts a lifetime, but textile is not that durable. Of course it adds a bit of weight, but there will be no holes in your lining.

What’s your proudest moment of your career?

I think the proudest I have felt is when I heard through my friend that one of my students regards me as her role model. The feeling that you are able to inspire someone with something you love to do is a great recognition. It gives me strength to carry on, and not give up on my dreams. As a tutor the biggest gift you can have is that your students are actually motivated by what you say and do. Of course it needs two people to think alike and you need to be the right person for another for that moment. You are not able to inspire everyone, even the same person when the time is wrong, but I think very many of us admit that feeling useful and needed is one of the biggest motivations out there.

To you style is?

Style for me is the experience, sincerity and smartness seen in the eyes and the stance and attitude that support that. Trying to be someone else is the biggest turn-off when it comes to style. I can regard someone’s clothes or home stylish in design ways, but this is style that you can copy-paste easily, the essence of yourself is the thing that brings out the real style.

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During the past few years I have discovered the endless opportunities which leather gives. My respect for the material has grown a lot, so besides the people I work with, one of my biggest inspirations is definitely the material itself!”

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aivar pohlak: Estonian Football’s Philosopher king

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ivar Pohlak is not your everyday football administrator, or anything else for that matter. The President of the Estonian Football Association since 2007, Pohlak marches to the beat of his own distinctive drummer. With his flowing locks and beard and near ever present sheepskin vest, he is a breath of fresh air amongst the suit and tie set of the multi-billion dollar global football business. A former school teacher and children’s book writer, Pohlak sought to revive the tradition of Estonian football after the fall of the Soviet Union, founding club team FC Flora for which he was also a player and coach. His tenure as the head man in Estonian football has seen the national side pull off improbable wins against much bigger countries, including a 3-1 thrashing of Serbia at Belgrade in a European Championship qualifier in 2010 and last autumn’s tie with Holland, a side fielding some of the world’s highest paid and well-known footballers. Tallinn Arts had a chat with Aivar about the state of Estonian football, his philosophical approach to the beautiful game and his famous fashion accessory.

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What brought you to the game of football?

I remember playing football from early childhood and I guess that the first thing that fascinated me was the passion of the game. New meanings came along later.

When I was about 12 years old I was playing in the living room on a Persian carpet with two teams made of chess pieces, leading one team with the left and the other with the right hand, a pearl from my mother’s necklace being a ball.

Sometimes the right hand’s team won and sometimes the left. By analyzing my childhood it is not difficult to notice that I was training myself thoroughly to develop and lead in football (laughs).

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Do you have an overarching philosophy for life and football?

I consider all human actions as an inseparable part of life. I do not value football higher or other activities higher, but at the same time it is not lower either. I consider football to be as serious as literature, art or science and link it

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to humanity, values and other basics of life. Through football I can find all of the answers which arise in life. Football is my creative function with all the parts of the creative process – getting an inspiration, getting it to swing, creating a shape which conforms to all the rules and completing the project.

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Estonia has yet to qualify for a major football tournament. What steps is the Estonian Football Association taking to make participation in a World Cup or European Cup final a reality?

I categorically disagree with the way in whatever area of life people are trying to be successful by contributing to the final phase of action first. Processes are always founded by systematically built bases of logic which will bring luck. This means that we want to be successful through completely harmonic development. We have to qualify to final rounds through educating the coaches, which itself will also bring the development of the players. The only way of getting successful as a small nation is by at one point having such a big

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I catagorically disagree with the way in whatever area of life people are trying to be successful by contributing to the final phase of action first.”

Estonian football’s diehard fans are still waiting for a trip to the European Championship and the World Cup. Photos: courtesy of Estonian Football Association

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When I was about 12 years old I was playing in the living room on a Persian carpet with two teams made of chess pieces, leading one team with the left and the other with the right hand, a pearl from my mother’s necklace being a ball.”

concentration of knowledge and understanding, that it will compensate for the lack of choices –that despite this- technically and physically we will be able to compete with the world’s best.

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Do you feel that Estonia, as a small nation, has become accustomed to losing? Perhaps this a tough mentality to break through?

Yes, that’s the thing that needs understanding and overcoming and for that reason we have brought the project we call “The other side of the ball” into life. In our football classes we also speak about mental values that come along with the game and other things, which should help us overcome the unequal starting point you describe.

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Brazilians play “samba” football. Germans are dogged technicians. What characterizes the Estonian style of football?

Like I mentioned before, our opportunity lies in our wisdom. On the field it means that every player understands his weaknesses and strengths and is capable of making the best balanced performance and the sum of the actions made by all the players as a team is the best possible. Besides using the instructions given by the coach, the players also have to be able to change during the game and react in real time to the needs appearing in the game and be successful through that.

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It seems to the casual observer that Estonia’s football team is consistently inconsistent. Wins over the likes of Serbia can be followed by losses to the Faroe Islands. How does the national team attain a strong level of play and remain there?

I would not say that we have been unstable, we have rather beat the small ones and a defeat to the Faroe Islands will hopefully stay as an unpleasant exception. Our recent years success has been based on creative team play. I rather think it is an exceptional way for a small country to be successful in football and this kind of productivity cannot be stable. That’s why we are now trying to cement the bricks in the wall of positive meanings which we have built by raising our so called routines of the game – I am talking about standard situations, which have brought too many scores into our goal and which we have not taken advantage of in our own scoring opportunities.

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Who are some up and coming stars that fans should be aware of?

They can be seen playing in this year’s Premium League. Some 18 years old footballers worth watching are Mihkel Ainsalu from Nõmme Kalju, Rauno Sappinen from FC Flora, Artjom Škinjov from Narva Trans and Eduard Golovljov from Infonet, who is even a year younger.

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Finally, do you sleep in your sheepskin vest?

Not really, but the vest stays on the windowsill besides my bed. It is a talisman and has to be close to me.

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What is youth football like in Estonia? Is the game growing for young people?

In youth football we keep moving on conceptually and at the moment we are focusing on teaching youth coaches to concentrate on the development of the players mentally and not to emphasize success as the only thing in youth football. I believe that football is a very emotional game and for that reason it is uncommon in terms of everyday life. Here our smallness is an advantage – important methodical and philosophical aspects can be easily implemented.

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Tallinn’s golfing Oasis

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hen it comes to golf, Estonia is no Spain, Ireland or even Sweden for that matter.

But the sport is growing, perceptibly, steadily, incrementally, with increased awareness of the great game and the expansion of the middle and leisure classes. Starting from point zero after the fall of the Soviet Union (golf is still barely known in Russia) Estonia now boasts several courses and about 4,000 registered players with a handicap. The man at the center of the golf scene in Estonia is Hanno Kross, President of the Estonian Golf and Country Club outside of Tallinn. His mission is to grow the game in Estonia and keep the EGCC’s two courses, the Sea Course and the Stone Course, in superb playing condition. Anyone who has played the beautiful and challenging Sea Course can attest that Estonia is lucky to have such a fine golfing experience located so close to the capital. Tallinn Arts talked with Hanno about the golf culture in Estonia and where it’s headed.

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Photos: Estonian Golf and Country Club 39

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Tell us about the courses at EGCC. What is the style of golf? What are the highlights? What are the challenges?

There are two courses – the 9 hole links style Stone Course and the 18 hole championship Sea Course. Both are very different – the Stone Course is a little shorter and good for a beginner. The Sea Course is a true championship course where the World Cup Qualifier was played in 2009 and 2011.

The Sea Course varies a lot – it has both forest and sea side open to the elements. The elevation

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Starting from point zero after the fall of the Soviet Union Estonia now boasts several courses and about 4,000 registred players with a handicap.”

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goes up 40 meters so you can experience a lot in a round.

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What is the state of golf in Estonia today?

What do you see as the future of the sport here? Are there any youth golf programs to speak of?

The state of golf is getting better every year. Last year we got 130 new members to our club. A lot of people between the ages of 30-40 are taking up the sport. It is a lot more affordable than it used to be. For example at our Stone Course you can pay 350€ for as much golf as you want in a year. There are also junior programs and we have approximately 60 juniors training weekly. For me the junior trainings are not only about sport but also it helps to grow the person – the etiquette, the people and everything which surrounds golf – this helps children to be a better person.

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What are the big events coming to EGCC in summer 2014?

At EGCC we will host the Ladies Individual European Championships this year. Also

there will be the Estonian Championships played at EGCC the next three years. But altogether more than 100 events a year!

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What are the future plans for development at EGCC? The plan is to build the Stone Course up to an 18 hole course so for a tourists, for example, they can do a long weekend and play twice at our Sea and Stone Course. We have been voted three times in a row as one of the TOP 100 golf courses in Continental Europe and the aim is one day to become top100 in the World.

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How are membership levels? What are the requirements of membership? What advantages are conferred to members?

There are around 600 members in EGCC already – the advantage is that you can pay a yearly fee and play as much as you want, even 200 rounds if you can! We have introduced a new membership scheme where you can choose to play either the Stone Course for 350€ per year or Sea and Stone Course for 1000€ per year.

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How do you see the sport of golf developing in the region? Will Russia ever become a golfing nation?

Russia is developing but the problem there is that golf is very expensive and there are no public golf courses where you can play golf for a reasonable price.

I’m sure it will take time but for example the St Petersburg region with 5 million people – there could be easily 100 golf courses if we compare it with the Scandinavian model. At the moment there is only one which I think is slated to be opened in 2014 or 2015.

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Presently, who is Estonia’s best golfer?

We have one professional player, Mark Suursalu, our club member. He won the Nordic League tournament last year which was the first professional golf tournament won by an Estonian. His rounds were 69, 66 and 64, -17 under par. He got a lot of confidence from that tournament and I hope he has a chance to qualify for the PGA Europe Challenge Tour soon.

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Why is ’China White’ killing Estonia’s Russian speakers?

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Russian-speaking Estonians, due to their socio-economic background, of being for a generation on the margins of Estonian society due to language and cultural borders and unemployment are more at risk to experience greater stresses in their lives.”

The Baltic nation has the highest per capita drug-related death toll in the EU, due almost entirely to synthetic opiate fentanyl – which is used primarily by Estonia’s Russian-speaking minority.

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hen one thinks of countries with drug problems, the tiny Baltic nation of Estonia is likely not the first to come to mind. But despite being best

known for IT startups and the fairy tale medieval old town in Tallinn, the capital, Estonia has the dubious distinction of leading the European Union in deaths from drug overdoses per capita – almost entirely caused by the use of fentanyl, a synthetic opioid that took root among Estonia’s intravenous drug users during a heroin shortage a decade ago.

Lasnamae, a Soviet era housing project where many Russian speakers live. Photo: Estonian Architecture Museum.

Stranger still, abuse of fentanyl is a particular scourge of Estonia’s marginalized Russian-speaking minority, and has not crossed into the majority ethnically Estonian community. This peculiarity has flummoxed social workers and government officials combating the problem, who say that it hints at deeper sociological roots to the drug’s abuse.

“Russian-speaking Estonians, due to their socio-economic background, of being for a generation on the margins of Estonian society due to language and cultural borders and unemployment are more at risk to experience greater stresses in their lives,” says Kristina Joost, a social worker with Convictus, an Estonian nongovernmental organization that strives to mitigate the fentanyl problem and runs Tallinn’s needle exchange program.

“The bigger the stress the harder the drug. The drug use is just the tip of the iceberg and the causes of the problem run much deeper.”

SYNTHETIC HEROIN Called ”China White” on the street, fentanyl in most of the world is a prescription pain reliever administered through a patch or tablets. Estonia’s addicts inject fentanyl, which can be hundreds of times stronger than heroin. The drug creates the intense but short lived euphoria that addicts crave – it is common for fentanyl users to use the drug three or four times a day.

Like heroin, it is extremely addicting and causes intense withdraw symptoms when use is cea-

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”

The drug use is just the tip of the iceberg and the causes of the problem run much deeper.”

This page: China White Other page: Tallinn’s bus station, a point for needle exchange in the city.

sed. For users, days and nights are centered on how to meet the needs of their habit and because fentanyl is so potent and doses vary in strength, overdosing is a constant threat.

According to the European Monitoring Center for Drugs and Drug Addiction, an EU agency, a total of 123 cases of direct drug-related deaths were recorded in Estonia in 2011, the last year in which statistics are available. Of these 95 percent were caused by fentanyl overdose. Nearly all were men and the average age was thirty.

Estonian Minister of the Interior Ken-Marti Vaher, whose office works to interdict the flow of illegal drugs, sees a link between fentanyl’s place of origin across the border in Russia and use among Estonia’s ethnic Russians. A heroin shortage of ten years ago was quickly seized upon by Russian producers of fentanyl.

“The sources of illegal fentanyl are mostly considered to be Russia, Belarus, and Ukraine,” Mr. Vaher says. “One of the reasons why fentanyl made it to Estonia’s injecting addicts so fast after the market was cleared of heroin is a common border with the producer country and some common communication networks between Estonian and Russian drug addicts and dealers.”

A CULTURAL DIVIDE But the fact that fentanyl use is largely confined to Estonia’s Russian speakers is a puzzle that leads experts to theorize about the country’s differing subcultures.

Peeter Vihma, a lecturer in sociology at Tallinn University who studies the city’s drug culture, sees differences in consumption habits between ethnic Russians

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and Estonians.

“Stimulant use is definitely greater among ethnic Estonians. It’s associated with the clubbing scene,” Mr. Vihma says. But where the drug scene for the majority group centers on partying and the cache of expensive drugs associated with nightlife, the Russian minority’s subcultures are more diverse and drug-use bonding is more cloistered and hard-core.

“Group solidarity is bigger with ethnic Russian subcultures,” he says. ”The Russian community is more differentiated and the obligation to the group seems stronger. There can be something of a ghetto effect.” Bonding in the intravenous drug-use subculture means using fentanyl.

Vaher too sees social factors as contributing greatly to the restriction of fentanyl use largely to ethnic Russians.

“It is true that there are considerably more Russian speakers among injecting drug addicts,” Vaher says. “The reason could partially be the fact that injected drugs first spread to Estonia among the Russian-speaking population in the beginning of the ‘90s, when times were hard and social protection structures were not functioning.

Drug use is a social behavior that is passed on in circles.”

Though Estonia has made remarkable strides since gaining independence from the Soviet Union in 1991, the Russian-speaking population has lagged behind and not reaped the benefits of economic growth and political freedom. Substance abuse, high rates of HIV, and criminality plague these communities.

ATYPICAL ABUSERS Estimates for the number intravenous drug takers in Tallinn run between 6,000 and 10,000. Of those, over half use fentanyl. Interestingly, these hard-core users may not fit everyone’s stereotype of a junkie.

“Most users have health insurance, which means they have jobs,” Ms. Joost says. “Among our needle exchange service clients we see mostly young men aged 20-30 who have jobs and go to school and less clients who you would consider totally cut off from society and living on the streets.”

But fighting the fentanyl problem means more than just helping addicts. The sale of the drug is a lucrative business involving transnational criminal syndicates.

“One of the most important priorities towards decreasing the supply of drugs in the recent years has been activity against fentanyl sellers through the whole purveyance chain, starting with street dealers and ending with large criminal networks. This will remain a priority for the upcoming years,” says Vaher.

Both the Estonian state and the NGO community see some headway with their efforts.

“Estonia has been very good at developing harm reduction services for drug users in cooperation with NGOs,” says Joost. Adds Vaher, “Fentanyl related deaths are decreasing and the falling trend is ongoing. We’re making progress.”

--This article first appeared in the Christian Science Monitor--

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nokia lumia 1520 or

samsung

galaxy

s5

A quick overview of the two hottest smart phones to hit the shelves in recent months

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he Nokia Lumia 1520 uses the Windows Phone Phablet with a 6-inch display, bigger than the Galaxy S5’s 5.1-inch display. It has a great processor in

the Snapdragon 800, but not quite as fast as the 801 in the Galaxy S5. The 20MP main camera is a definite plus and the Lumia is known for its great photos. It’s a fine phone for those that prefer the Windows operating system.

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he Galaxy S5 has an attractive 5.1-inch display, somewhat smaller than the 6-inch Lumia 1520, and its Snapdragon 801 quad-core works at 2.5GHz, a slight

upgrade over the older Snapdragon 800 in the Lumia. Both devices sport a micro-SD card slot – the Galaxy S5 lets you use up to 128GB against the 64GB with the Lumia. The cameras are different – the S5 uses a 16MP main camera that takes great pictures, but not as good as the Lumia 1520. The Galaxy S5 is

Which is better?

handier with its smaller size and it’s lighter. One big difference is the operating systems where the Galaxy S5 uses Android. The Nokia Lumia 1520 uses Windows Phone 8. The operating system you prefer could make a big difference on the phone you choose.

It’s a personal choice

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P

aul Kuimet is a young Estonian visual artist whose works are garnering praise around Europe. His art pays attention to spaces and their potential meanings. During the spring, summer and autumn of 2012 Kuimet photographed more than 100 monumental paintings in public spaces throughout Estonia. The result was the book Notes on Space and an exhibit of the same name exhibited at Kumu last year. This was the first time that the history of Estonian monumental works of art was recorded.

Kuimet’s photos frame the works in their urban and spatial context, while also highlighting the rise and fall of this art in Estonian public space during the 20th century. His pictures are a series of 38 black and white photos which not only capture but enhance the viewers’ understanding of context for these publicly commissioned works, which were intended to inform attitudes and social norms in Soviet Estonia and are fading from memory. The appreciation of Soviet cultural products is not without a strong dose of nostalgia for older Estonians and a measure of kitsch for the young. Kuimet’s pictures avoid these

sentiments. His photos of these decaying works are a commentary on cultural obsolescence, all the more poignant for their lack of overt emotional content. Kuimet’s pictures can also be seen to address historical process and the creative destruction of post-Soviet Estonian capitalism. Images of stained-glass works and religious murals from the interiors of empty churches speak of the Christianity that never entirely found a home here, the Lutheranism that departed with the Baltic Germans and postmodern agnosticism. Many of the Soviet-era wall murals have since been covered by advertising or painted over all together. Some of this socialist art was of high caliber and has been thoughtlessly lost. Paul spoke with Tallinn Arts about his methods and aesthetic sense for documenting a vanishing cultural legacy.

The color photos in this article come from Kuimet’s solo exhibition “Viewfinders”. Urban environment and the formation of an identity of place are at the heart of these works. The centerpiece of “Viewfinders” was “Kairo Street”, a photographic installation of eight pictures set in light boxes that depict homes in the Toukola district of Helsinki.

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A look at Estonian Photographer Paul Kuimet's Exhibitions "Notes on Space" and "Viewfinders"

being there

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exhibition: notes on space

Tõnis Saadoja. Theatre NO99 ceiling mural. 2012.

Charcoal, acrylic and sandpaper.

Theatre NO99.

Tallinn, Sakala 3.

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This genre of art has never been fully documented. This is quite bizarre considering that it was a very prominent and important genre within visual arts, especially during the late 60s, 70s and 80s.”

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Urmas Mikk. Supergraphics on the end wall of a residential building 1987. Overpainted in the 1990s. Tallinn, Liivalaia 3.

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Dolores Hoffmann. Stained glass windows. 1987–1996. Church of the Holy Spirit. Tallinn, Pühavaimu 2.

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These Supergraphics were some of the better examples of urban design in my mind and sadly a lot of them are fading or already gone and they’ve been replaced by advertisements.”

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THIS PAGE: Ain Padrik, Aet Maasik. Mural. 1985. Initially the Raikküla Kolkhoz Centre, currently the Raikküla Library and offices. Village of Raikküla.

OPPOSITE PAGE: Rait Prääts, The Colours of Creation.

Stained glass windows 1985. Initially the Political Education Building, currently the Entraction Estonia LLC conference room.

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You must realize that for most monumental works we had no idea what we were going to see, as most of them lack any photographic documentation.”

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”

With most of my work of this kind I try to find a vantage point with my camera that articulates the space it is depicting best. This means finding a place for the camera from which all important or large elements in the frame are well balanced within the frame and in relation to each other… quite basic compositional stuff I think.”

THIS PAGE: Leonhard Lapin. Pantheon. 1989. Oil on canvas/mirrors. Initially the Aruküla Manor house, currently Aruküla Waldorf School.

Opposite page: Richard Sagrits. View of Tallinn. 1955. Marouflage, oil on canvas. Initially the Tallinn Airport passenger terminal, currently the Tallinn Airport adm. building.

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”

The photographs try to be objective towards the works of art, precisely because I’m depicting other people’s works, but since the most basic question or problem in monumental and public works is the way in which the paintings are engaged with the space which they inhabit, I also tried to show the context around the works.”

THIS PAGE: Jevgeni Olenin & Eduard Pashover. Mosaic. 1982. Initially the administrative unit of the old spinning mill at the Kreenholm factory, currently unused. Narva, Kreenholm Island. OPPOSITE PAGE: Aleksander Igonin. Supergraphics. Ca. 1976. Murals. Kohtla-Järve, Metsapargi tee 4 and Kalevi tee 36.

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exhibition: Viewfinders

”

The work is very much about looking. I was thinking how, by using ’objective’ tools, the type of photography used for this work, I try to present a ’subjective’ experience of this street. I hope the wet asphalt and the car that is leaving the frame in the middle of one exposure further intensify the feeling of presence. But I think that typological framing also is a kind of a comment on identity, the little differences and so on. The fact that the images are all set in the frame the same way places emphasis on the ’set’ identity.”

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TALLINN

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economic growth will pick up this year 66

AN ECONOMIC FORECAST FROM EESTI PANK

T

he slowdown in growth in 2013 and the decline in gross domestic product (GDP) at the start of 2014 have not so far noticeably worsened household finances or the state budget. Wage rises have remained high in the labour market and so tax revenues have been good. The increase in the nominal size of the economy has mainly been caused by increases in production costs and product prices in recent years, but this is no longer possible to the same extent. For the Estonian economy to continue developing, state finances to remain good and household incomes to continue rising, real growth in the economy needs to accelerate.

Economic growth will start to pick up this year and will be 0.7% for the year as a whole due to weakness in the first quarter, then the economy will grow by 3.5-4% in the next two years. The decline in GDP in the first quarter was concentrated in particular sectors, most notably transportation and storage, energy, and construction.

As production in the energy sector was held down by the warm winter and an increase in the share of energy imported, the negative contribution of the sector to GDP will fade out in the second quarter. The negative contribution of transportation and storage to economic growth will also

be reduced from the second quarter due to the change in comparison base, as the fall in the value added of the sector started at the same time last year. Demand in export markets, which companies say has been the biggest restriction on higher production, will start to improve gradually. As production capacity in the economy is still under-utilised, companies are able to fulfil larger orders.

Growth has recovered at the expected rate in the euro area as a whole, but has picked up less quickly than had been hoped in the main target markets of several Estonian exports. The

risk of unexpected developments in individual target markets will make it important for companies to be flexible in their range of products and target markets and in their ability to change to other markets. The deterioration in the external environment following the conflict between Ukraine and Russia at the start of this year temporarily lowered the confidence of companies and households, but the actual impact on the economy has so far been small. If tensions rise and sanctions are applied, then opportunities for exports might be more restricted than is forecast, both for direct trade with Russia and Ukraine and indirectly for

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WAGES

trade with other partner countries.

In this case the recovery in Estonian economic growth may be delayed.

The ability of the Estonian economy to withstand the impact if the negative scenario is realised is better than it was in the last crisis, as the loan burden on the economy is smaller, as is indebtedness to other countries.

There will be no let up in the shortage of qualified labour in Estonia, nor in the wage pressure it causes. Wage growth will slow because the capacity for companies to increase payroll costs at the same rate as before is limited. The need for wage rises to adjust is indicated by the increase in the share of companies that are losing competitiveness, the fall in corporate profitability, and the slow growth in prices in foreign markets, which puts ever more of a limit on the ability of companies to pass wage costs into prices. In the years ahead, the public sector will need to avoid driving wage growth, as that would make adjustment of the growth in wages in the private sector harder. If wage growth slows in the private sector, the public sector needs to be ready for it to slow there too.

The forecast expects unemployment to fall slowly, as the qualifications of the unemployed often do not match the requirements of companies. To

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address the problem of structural unemployment, the government will need to continue with its active labour market policies, with support from regional, education and population policies. The population is shrinking and ageing, and this means that even more decisive steps need to be taken to increase the labour force participation rate. As government measures have an impact over a longer term, companies will need to help employees improve their skills in order to cope with the shortage of labour. To cope with wage pressures, companies need to invest above all in making production more efficient.

The assumptions used in the forecast favour an acceleration in investment growth, as loan interest rates remain low and bank loans readily accessible.

The decisions of households about consumption and investment will

start to be affected by a slowing of growth in incomes, and the rise in real purchasing power will be restrained by accelerating inflation in the coming years. The very low inflation in the first half of 2014 will start to pick up steadily as the economies in partner countries improve and raise the prices of goods imported into Estonia.

Rises in domestic prices will also be moderate, and part of the general rise in prices will come from rising excise taxes. Inflation will rise from 0.8% in 2014 to 2.4% in 2015 and 2.7% in 2016, exceeding the euro area average.

Inflation will be higher than the euro area average because the economy and incomes are growing faster.

The general government budget balance will deteriorate this year and next because the economy is weaker than was forecast earlier and because of the looser fiscal policy of the new government coalition, but the budget deficit will start to fall in 2016 under the positive influence of the economic cycle. The targets for state financing

INFLATION

are more relaxed than before under the new budget strategy, as the goal of achieving a nominal surplus has been postponed and the goal of reaching a structural surplus stripped of cyclical effects has been adjusted downwards.

Eesti Pank estimates that structural budget balance is not really achievable within the time covered by the forecast given current assumptions, as strong growth in tax revenues is inconsistent with the projected weak economic growth. Although general government finances will generally remain strong under the forecast, the budget targets should allow enough leeway that any unforeseen deterioration in circumstances should not lead to unexpected changes in tax policy. The basis for the Estonian budget strategy must be that the tax environment should be stable and reliable for both companies and households.

GOVERNMENT BUDGET

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The BMW 7-Series: Built to Last

T

he Bavarian Motor Works’ 7-Series models are the flagship luxury sedans of the fabled German auto group.

First produced in 1977, The 7-Series was redesigned in 2009 and the V12-powered 760Li was brought online in 2010. Earlier models included such extravagancies as telephones and fax machines, and wine chillers.

The focus is now on style and performance. Still offered in regular and extended wheelbase versions, both the 750i and 750Li are powered by a 400-horsepower 4.4-liter twin-turbocharged V8 engine. The styling of the 7-Series continues to evolve.

The fourth-generation 7-Series was also the most hightech vehicle to be offered by BMW up to that time and new technology included iDrive which integrated many vehicle functions into a single controller in the center console. The 7-Series continues to feature the latest high-technology features.

The 2014 BMW 7-Series remains largely unchanged, but does have electronic updates that include a new touchsensitive iDrive controller, updated Bluetooth integration and a dynamic instrument cluster.

The 7-Series always packs an incredible engine and acceleration, comfortable seats, and stunning graphics on display screens.

The fifth generation of BMW 7-Series continues to offer

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the BMW 7-Series as top-of-the-line models. The BMW TwinPower Turbo V12 accelerates the Sedan from 0 to 100 km/h in 4.6 seconds. The 8-gear Steptronic transmission changes almost imperceptibly and keeps the revs low even at high speeds. The unique sound of the V8 engine in the BMW 750i/Li is instantly recognizable.

”THE BMW TWINPOWER TURBO V 12 ACCELERATES THE SEDAN FROM 0 TO 100 KM/H IN 4.6 SECONDS” 71

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The BMW ActiveHybrid 7 is the perfect combination of comfort and dynamics in a luxury sedan. It’s finally possible to enjoy the agility and performance of a BMW 7-Series while noticeably saving petrol and CO2, without compromising on comfort or roominess.

BMW Individual allows you to customize your BMW 7-Series Sedan to suit your needs: with exclusive paintwork, leather accessories and woods. Give your vehicle the personal touch and discover something that isn’t obvious at first glance: just how special and rare individuality is. Exclusivity that’s reflected in even the tiniest detail of the BMW Individual 7-Series sedan.

”

Photos: courtesy of Bavarian Motor Works

The 7-Series always packs an incredible engine and acceleration, comfortable seats, and stunning graphics on display screens.”

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creative mind: conceptual jewelry

Darja Popolitova creates stunning and original jewelry. She studied Metals and Jewelry in Bratislava and graduated from Estonian Academy of Arts in 2013 with a degree in Jewelry and Blacksmithing. Her work explores human essences and sexuality and is highly influenced by the Estonian landscape, weather, seasonal extremes and folklore. She is currently a freelance artist at studio Monquer in Tallinn and doing her MA degree at EKA, creating jewelry that reflects her love of unusual materials and designs that embody contemporary elegance and pure style. Her aim is to create whimsical pieces that enchant and make the viewer think and dream. Tallinn Arts chatted with Darja about her special perspective on jewelry design and what an ‘’urban nymph’’ might be.

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id you have any formal training in jewelry design and creation?

How did you come to realize your talent?

Yes, I started to do my bachelor’s in 2009 at the Estonian Academy of Arts on a specialty of glass art and after two years switched over to jewellery art, where at the moment I continue with my MA degree. Looking now at the situation from another angle I can't objectively claim that one specialty is better than another.

How does it turn out that one idea in a person’s consciousness becomes more obsessive and stronger than another? Some wish very strongly and others complain that there's nothing to wish for.

My interest started in 2011 when I went for an exchange to Bratislava at the Academy of Fine Arts and Design. It was an illuminating trip; I

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remember listening to lectures by such known jewellery artists as Katja Prins, Mark Monzo.

After coming back to Estonia I participated in the most interesting projects in the jewellery and blacksmithing art department at Estonian Art Academy. I had been looking for a mentor in art jewellery who would move me forward, inspire, believe in me and see further than I could see. Estonian jewellery artist Piret Hirv became such a person, she has an ability to analyze and understand human potential thanks to some phenomenal intuition.

At this time I created the body-jewellery “Well” and a headpiece called “Fire.” The last one was photographed at Theatre NO99, and afterward these pictures were published in a book dedicated to Estonian fashion "Kaamos." It is a remarkable and illustrated book supervised by Estonian jewellery artist Tanel Veenre.

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I grew up in an artistic family. I used to see how my father created beautiful objects using wood and semiprecious stones. His passion to collect old things induced me to stay in his workshop to play with his tools or to dress myself in antique dresses.

These childhood memories influence my perceptions today.

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”

One day I was influenced by a meeting with Kateryna Pishon, now the co-founder of Estonian jewellery brand Monquer. She taught me that it is important to look at the skill from different angles. Jewellery has to be shown not only at exhibition space, but also on a person’s body. Her love of beauty and people stayed with me regards ornamentation.

Factors as paganism of Estonian society, being surrounded by the sea and long dark winter days are undoubtedly influencing me.”

Is there something you are currently working on, or are excited about starting that you can tell us about?

One of my projects is a series of jewelry for both sexes. The idea was inspired by of differences in sexual perceptions. In this is expressed the opinion that designing jewellery is not always about creating emerald earrings for a lady and a leather bracelet for a man, sometimes you let the public decide who should wear it.

The series called “Kliv” is made of cutlery; originally fork parts were handmade and processed --cut, bended and polished--into unusual brooches which are attachable for the edges of clothes, earrings, pendants and double rings.

Darja’s collection “Gallop” is aboutapplying the symbol of a horse to humans. Darja feels that today’s culture is fascinated by all things technical and digital but beauty is connected with the exact opposite; the physical and instinctive. Her jewelry is a symbolic approach to celebrating being human.

Daria uses different materials to create this collection; in the main leather, silver-plated messing and iron.

Photo and styling: Dmitry Knut.

Make-up artist: Lidija Malinovskaja

Some of them are with a combination of stones. I really love this project because of the variety of jewellery this medium offers. I feel that sharpness is presented in my works as primal. It gives them a special force. It’s not about femininity or masculinity, but about sexuality as a whole.

It is going to be photographed by car photographer Vladimir Ljadov. I find something in common between car photography and jewellery. He as nobody else can catch details or inhale emotions into the subject.

Also I am working on jewellery for Erki Fashion Show 2014. It is a series of blacksmithed, silver and leather jewellery

for hands, neck and the head. The collection is called "Gallop", with the idea to apply the symbol of a horse to a human.

Today's culture is fascinated by the technical and digital. Its precise beauty, however, is connected with the opposite: physical and instinctive. Modern people, working primarily with flows of information, lack rituals. We run almost with our eyes closed speeding up the tempo.

One of the archaic rituals, identifying yourself with animals, originated long before the appearance of civilizations, and the reason is always the same, not referring oneself to an animal but drawing something from them by way of decorating the body with jewellery which ascribes to a

person a certain force.

My work points not only to the quickening pace of life but to a hidden human potential and to female sexuality. Here jewellery becomes a symbolic approach to celebrate being human.

For me this is a real challenge. It is the first time I have worked on conceptual jewellery.

There has to be an integral picture and a strong image.

We'd love to know about your design process-choosing materials, design development, how the team works to do this, etc.

I like everything to be well organized. I prepare a lot before starting to create an

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�

Usually the strongest ideas come at the most unexpected moments, being out of the studio. They sort of float in the air. An artist being sensitive to such vibrations can catch them and embody them into material.�

Besides conceptual jewelry Darja Popolitova also creates contemporary jewelry for everyday use. Opposite page: Moon and orbital earrings made of opalite silver and velvet.

idea; drawing sketches, reading books, listening to people. Ideas find their force when you make time for them.

Usually the strongest ideas come at the most unexpected moments, being out of the studio. They sort of float in the air. An artist being sensitive to such vibrations can catch them and embody them into material.

In Estonia there are a lot of designers creating in private studios. A designer In Estonia is often the founder, creator, the service personnel and a businessman.

Working as a jewellery designer for the new Estonian brand Monquer was for me a good experience. It is wonderful when there is a creative team, when somebody can look with a fresh view at the sketch and give a critical opinion. In this way good ideas are developed and the bad ones abandoned.

The jewellery production process is often hidden behind the scenes. Our consciousness separates the creative process from shiny and polished products in a show-window. Behind the scenes there is research of its form, a selection of materials, 3D drawing development and only then production.

How does life living in Estonia influence your design style? Describe your

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aesthetic.

It is difficult to talk about aesthetics objectively. Even if I consider my creativity as strict and elegant, these definitions exist on their own and I just project it into reality using different materials like silver, iron, wood, leather, stones.

I’m getting an Estonian education with its qualities. The Dutch school, for example, lets out students with another aesthetic view. Modest temperament, symbolism and mythology in Estonia is different from other moods. Also such factors as paganism of Estonian society, being surrounded by the sea and long dark winter days are undoubtedly influencing me.

In this context my aim is to create whimsical pieces that could enchant and make the viewer think and dream. I believe in the idea of a close relationship between the body and jewellery. It has the possibility of delicately manifesting a person’s sexuality.

If you could see any woman wearing your beautiful designs who would it be?

I like strong female characters like in Helmut Newton’s pictures. People nowadays have become more flexible and mobile. We have all these devices to plan our time. During the week we can lead a company and go to an underground rock concert on Friday. I would like to combine these lifestyles with jewellery where it could be worn by an "urban nymph.”

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Estonia’s new snow queen

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native of Thunder Bay, Ontario, Abigail Sheppard began her professional ballet training in 2002 at Canada’s National Ballet School. In 2011, she moved to Amsterdam to study with the Dutch National Ballet Academy. During this time she performed in the Dutch National Ballet’s productions of Tchaikovsky’s “Swan Lake” with choreographer Rudi van Danzig and “The Nutcracker & The Mouse King” with Wayne Eagling. Since August 2012, Abigail has performed with the Estonian National Ballet. Here she has danced as the Snow Queen in the Ballet’s beloved production of the Nutcracker among many other roles. Tallinn Arts caught up with Abigail to find out about the daily life of a dancer, her aspirations as an artist, and why Hollywood’s depictions of the ballet world aren’t so far off the mark.

How did your life start in dance?

Well, I am from Thunder Bay, Ontario in Canada. My mom got me into ballet when I was 5 years old. At 11 I went to Canada’s National Ballet School, which is a boarding school so I was already on my own at such a young age. There was a regular school during the day and then ballet in the afternoon.

Was it rigorous? Did you feel a lot of pressure to do well?

I think some students felt really stressed out. I could see that. I felt so happy to be there and was so excited. The pressure didn’t really bother that me that much. As I got older it increased a bit.

We had an evaluation every year to stay on, so this added some stress. Dancing is a regimented life and puts a lot of demands on your time.

How did you come to Estonia?

To be honest, I didn’t know much about Estonia. I graduated the National Ballet School at 18 and nothing presented itself immediately. I perhaps wasn’t quite ready yet so I moved to Amsterdam to study with the National Ballet Academy and was able to perform with the Dutch National Ballet in “Swan Lake” with Rudy van Danzig as choreographer and also the “Nutcracker” with Wayne Eagling doing the choreography. From there I was accepted for the Estonian National Ballet and arrived in late summer of 2012.

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How does the approach to ballet differ in Estonia compared to other places you’ve been?

The artistic director Thomas Edur has an interesting background. He grew up in the Soviet era in Estonia so that Russian influence is felt, the rigor and attention to detail, even when warming up which was new to me. You could say it’s old school somewhat.

And many of the dancers have that background so the Russian influence is strong.

But Thomas danced for much of his career in England. His dancing partner and wife is Agnes Oaks who is also Estonian and she works with us as well. It’s a good mix of styles.

What the daily life of a dancer like? How do you prepare the day of a show?

We work six days a week including Sundays. Monday is the day off. A big part of the lifestyle, aside from actual dancing, is taking care of yourself. I work out a lot on the elliptical machine and do pilates. I’m afraid the clichés of the dancer’s diet are

somewhat true. I try to eat well; stuff that helps my body recover, like lean meat, fish and vegetables. On the day of the show we rehearse until 2.00 and then I go home and have a nap, get up, have a hardboiled egg and a yogurt and get to the theatre and work out the nerves which are always there.

What are your aspirations as an artist? What are your long term goals?

As a dancer I am striving to be very comfortable on stage, where I can do my absolute best when performing and not leave it in rehearsal. Sometimes it easier to dance your best when practicing simply because you’re more relaxed. I am very happy here and not worrying too much about the future.

The great thing about working in Estonia are the opportunities afforded a young dancer. I have been performing as the

Snow Queen with Sergei Upkin and Jonatan Davidsson in the “Nutcracker” this season. And we have very good attendance at our shows which is thrilling. The arts scene is quite strong here and I have been very impressed by that.

I apologize for this last question, but I had to ask. What did you think of Darren Aronofsky’s film The Black Swan?

I personally enjoyed it. And I think Natalie Portman did really well with the dancing, especially her upper body movements. But you can’t become a dancer in a year and they maybe could have acknowledged a bit more that a pro was doubling for her. Perhaps a better ballet film was Center Stage from around 2000 because they used real dancers. It’s a bit cheesy but entertaining.

Photo: Harri Rospu 81

oleg pissarenko: all that jazz

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auded by critics for his originality and virtuosity, guitarist Oleg Pissarenko’s music is genre defying. He hails from eastern Estonia’s border city of Narva and has worked tirelessly to promote musical education and jazz in Tartu, Narva and Estonia’s smaller communities. In 2013 he was named Estonian musician of the year by the music writers of Estonian Public Broadcasting. Tallinn Arts had a conversation with Oleg about his early influences, the mystery of song craft and why pigeonholing his music is someone else’s problem.

What drew you to the guitar?

I think it was like it often happens with very many young boys, when at the age of 12-13 some rock idols become important and you want to follow them in music, philosophy…

I felt the same at that time listening a lot to The Doors, Queen, and the Russian band Kino. I think those musicians drew me to the music and the guitar as well.

What were some of your early musical influences?

I seriously investigated the philosophy of Viktor Tsoi (from Kino) and Jim Morrison when I was 12-16 years old but coming to Tallinn in 1996 changed my musical orientation a lot. I can say I was infected by the “jazz bacterium” and discovered geniuses like Miles Davis, John Scofield and other great jazz men.

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I don’t like classifying or tagging music. Just listen to, feel and dip into it.”

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How would you classify your music?

Comparisons are seldom a good thing, but I hear a bit of Pat Metheny and Michael Hedges. I don’t like classifying music at all, for me the most important thing is the energy, power and philosophy of music. Style and genre are important for other guys like music sellers, managers or critics. Pat Metheny is one of my favorites really, so some influences came from him anyway I think. I like him very much as well as Arvo Pärt, Michael Jackson and other very different artists.

Would you dislike the term “new age” applied to your music?

New Age is more like an era in the development of our planet for me, not a music style. The music style “New Age” is not evident for me, what does it mean really?

You can put any terms to my music, please be so kind, but as I said, I don’t like classifying or tagging music.

Just listen to, feel and dip into it. Please don’t think so much about what it is!

Do you compose and arrange all of your songs, or is it a collaborative process with your band?

When I compose a new song, I play it on my guitar, changing some details until I feel it is “ready”. That means I have a very good feeling playing it and don’t want to stop playing it! At that moment I say - this song is ready! The next step is deciding what is the new song talking about - or maybe not deciding but discovering – that’s a more correct definition. After that we meet with my best friends and fantastic musicians - Raun Juurikas on keyboards, Mihkel Mälgand on bass and Ahto Abner on drums and start arranging this material. The final result is a product of co-operation between four men.

Everyone is bringing his own personality to this music.

You are from Narva. What is the music scene like in eastern Estonia, which is perceived as so different from cosmopolitan Tallinn? How did growing up in Narva influence you as an artist?

Narva is a very specific city in Estonia today, but it was not so in Soviet times. I was born in a very regular small, Soviet, Russian speaking city. Today we have Narva as strategically important place on the border between the Russian Federation and European Union - on a border between east and west I would say. But if you ask about Narva’s influences on me, this was the place of my childhood, my roots are there.

Unfortunately, I cannot speak a lot about the music scene there now. I have lived in Tartu for the last 9 years. We’re just trying to develop it, using the Narva Jazz Club project in the new building of University of Tartu, Narva College. Jazz

Club events are taking place two times a month on Wednesdays and already have became very popular there! This is a connection platform for European and Russian musicians.

What are you trying to do with a piece of music? How do you know when you have captured something special in a song?

I try to get this mystical feeling of the right condition in a new song. This is like a meditation maybe. If I feel it is right, then I know exactly what is it talking about after some minutes. I understand that it can seem very obscure but I cannot explain it better. It is mystery anyway how music comes into to this world, or more correct would be to say - music exists already, the composer is only the man who finds and senses it.

Every sound exists in nature, just listen

to the singing of birds for example!

Do you ever play anything other than the Ovation acoustic-electric?

I play two different guitars for my concerts with two different tunings.

Also I have a new hand-made guitar that being made especially for me by a master from Tartu called Halvo Liivamägi.

Where do you feel your music is heading?

My last CD asked a question, Who Are You? (the man, the human being).

As that question was asked, I feel the need to answer this. The question is so simple but it is so difficult to find an answer. I will try to do it.

Photo: Ülo Josing

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Aerial view of the Tallinn Linnahall. The design has been compared to a medieval bastion, bunker and ziggurat.

Photo: Museum of Estonian Architecture

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The Linnahall: Tallinn’s Modern Urban Ruin

It is not uncommon for visitors arriving at Tallinn’s port to stumble upon a massive, decrepit concrete structure while dragging their luggage to the hotel. The invariable question is: “what is this?” Tallinn’s Linnahall is a large and neglected reminder of Estonia’s Soviet past hard by the Baltic Sea. It desperately needs some love or a wrecking ball.

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The interior of the Linnahall in its heyday. The auditorium could hold 4600 people and has been used for everything from rock concerts, to political rallies to Jehovah’s Witness meetings.

Photo 1+2: Museum of Estonian Architecture.

The electronic clock at the entrance to the Linnahall. It adds to the uncanny effect of futuristic obsolescence that the building conveys.

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The sense the inside of the Linnahall presents, like much of Soviet modernism, is an attempt to grasp the future in architectural space, or of science fiction.”

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he Linnahall was christened the V.I. Lenin Palace of Culture and Sport and used as the home for the sailing competition at the 1980 Summer Olympics. Raine Karp, the most important Estonian architect of Soviet modernism, headed the project. It is interesting that Karp’s description of influences for the building’s design have changed over time from ‘Japanese Metabolist architecture’ when the building was being considered, to a medieval bastion in more recent utterances.

It is true that the building resembles a bunker and does look something like the Swedish bastions found in Tallinn, thus making the Linnahall contextually appropriate. The building included a concert hall, an exhibition hall, a bowling alley, eateries and a massive rooftop space for strolling and visiting, with beautiful views of the Baltic Sea. The project was grandiose in scale and composition and opened up the seafront from its industrial surroundings. This location meant the structure was built low to the ground to ensure that views of Tallinn’s medieval centre from the sea would remain unobscured. The best way to get a sense of this ambitious project is from an aerial view.

The Linnahall’s exterior is still very much a living space and finds many visitors for various pursuits.

From auspicious beginnings – the Linnahall was given a Soviet State award and a Grand Prix from the Interarch World Biennale in Sofia in 1983 – the building fell into popular disfavour. It was seen as an alien intrusion in Tallinn’s landscape and, after independence in 1991, as a reminder of Soviet repression. In Estonia there is a strong consciousness of the political origins and ideology of architecture from the Soviet era. The Soviet occupation of Estonia is viewed as a national tragedy, and thus prominent public works from this historical period were commonly seen through a prism of resentment against that built environment and what it represents. This can make rehabilitating buildings from this era problematic

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Tallinn’s Linnahall is a large and neglected reminder of Estonia’s Soviet past hard by the Baltic Sea. It desperately needs some love or a wrecking ball.”

and politically very sensitive. For younger Estonians this mindset is far less prevalent, which allows for the appreciation of Soviet-era Estonian architecture without the attendant political baggage and with perhaps the hope of ‘recycling socialism’.

But for older folks nostalgia intruded as well, as people’s personal memories were invested in the building. The Linnahall remained a venue with diverse activities: a heliport and small ferry terminal were added, and variously a bar, disco, concert venue, and a meeting hall for political parties and Jehovah’s Witnesses were in use. All the while the city of Tallinn retained title to the structure and sought a private developer.

By 2004, a potential investor was found who wished to demolish the structure and replace it with a posh residential district. The concert hall, however, was listed as a protected monument, scuttling this scheme. No definitive plans have emerged for the Linnahall. This doesn’t stop the space from being used by the public. Visitors are fre-

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quent, especially on nice days, and workers from surrounding areas can enjoy their lunch hour with a view of the Baltic Sea. Graffiti artists make the Linnahall their canvas. The unusual contours of the structure make it a site of recreation for parkour enthusiasts. The Linnahall is a popular spot to have a beer and simply hang out. In this sense the structure has already been ‘recycled’.

Entering the Linnahall, the visitor is struck by an intense musty odor. There is an electronic clock ticking away, as if the building still had some functionality. An attendant sits in a glass enclosure.

The Linnahall’s interior is only open by special appointment, so his job is most often to tell people to leave as the building is closed. The sense the inside of the Linnahall presents, like much of Soviet modernism, is an attempt to grasp the future in architectural space, or of science fiction. There is a fantastically massive coat check in the curved space in front of the concert hall. The concert hall itself is in a state of disrepair. The stage is heaped with junk. But the feeling of the former grandeur of the place is evident.

The exterior of the Linnahall at Tallinn’s seaside. The multiuse venue, designed by architect Raine Karp, was built for the sailing competition of the 1980 Summer Olympics.

Since the 1990s it has steadily fallen into disrepair.

In the 1990s a heliport and small ferry terminal were added to the rear of the Linnahall.

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The fire that purifies:

Estonian Midsummer’s eve Terje Toomistu reflects on the meaning of Estonia’s most important summer holiday and reveals the nation’s pagan soul.

The days at the end of June are probably the most magical of the year in Estonia. Not only because we can finally be certain about having beaten winter, but it’s warm and green, the air is clear, the sun never entirely sets and the sky appears to embrace a psychedelic wonderland; endless plays of color, mind-blowing patterns, electric vibrations, glow.

On June 23, comes Midsummer’s Eve, the most celebrated ancient Estonian summer holiday.

I remember one Midsummer’s Eve many years ago, which somehow profoundly shifted my perception. After having faced quite a few years of anxiety among friends in terms of finding the “best plan” while at all cost trying to avoid the commercialized beer-soaked scene that appears in many towns and villages, I felt exhausted.

On that day, my friends came to me. We spent the whole afternoon cooking various international dishes in my kitchen in downtown Tartu, almost purposefully rejecting the holiday, even more so since it was raining heavily outside. But despite our low expectations, the rain suddenly stopped, the sky cleared up and we decided to take off towards Southern Estonia.

As we cruised between hills and lakes, dotted by raising lines of smoke from the numerous bonfires by the road, something struck me. One by one, memories of various bonfires and whitest-night experiences from the past appeared on my mental landscape. I remembered the bonfire in a backyard in Tallinn. I was only five and was proud not to been put to bed before midnight.

I remembered the smell of freshly marinated mutton shashlik in the countryside at my grandparents’ home and my grandfather’s meditative expression, staring at the flames. I remembered the first time I ever saw the sunrise before going to bed. It was suddenly clearer to me than ever that it is not about the party, grilled meet and buckets of beer. It’s about the fire, the cleansing, transformative, awakening fire, which joins friends and families of all ages and from all walks of life. These

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flames gain their purifying strength precisely from the lightest night of the year.

Fire is central to Midsummer’s Eve. Small bonfires pop up around towns and huge bonfires raise their flames in the villages around the country. Traditionally, this was the occasion when children and grannies alike, came together to have fun. The chosen spot for the fire was often on high ground.

For the Midsummer’s Eve, these places were decorated with birch trees. As a gesture of admiration, young men used to bring birches at the doors of their loved ones. The smoke of the bonfire is considered to be purifying. Until the early 20th century livestock were taken near the fire that evening. In Eastern parts of Estonia, it is common to jump over the flames, as this would be a way to cleanse your spirit.

Midsummer’s Eve has always been associated with singing, dancing and a variety of customs, such as wrestling or tug of war. It has been common to have musical collectives near the bonfire. The holiday is so important, that nobody is allowed to work, traditionally not even the servants of the manors.

There is one flower which blossoms only at the Midsummer’s Eve - the flower of the fern. You have to look for it in the forest and if you find it, you will be granted happiness, wealth and immediately know all the special skills and secret languages.

This can be especially magical when you go looking for the flower with your lover! Yes, this is the night full of magic.

That night in Southern Estonia, we didn’t find the flower of the fern, but we were grateful for coming across a huge bonfire and cozy sauna followed by a few jumps into the chilly pond. At other times, we have sat on the beach around the fire through the night, welcoming the rising sun with a refreshing swim in the sea. At other times, we have gathered with a group of artists, actors and dancers at tiny Vormsi Island to celebrate the Victory of the Darkness at the residency of one of our witches, Vormsi Enn. After all, this is the turning point of the year when the darkness starts ruling again and the days are getting shorter, so you better embrace the magic and stay near the fire.

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