foto: Tallinn City Government
Lines from 30 Estonian poems have been sprayed onto the streets of Tallinn as part of a cultural tour that encompasses every district of the capital. The Tallinn Poetry Trail was compiled by young poets Elisabeth Heinsalu and Reijo Roos in cooperation with the city of Tallinn.
Roos said the poems force people to stop in their tracks and pay attention.
The lines of poetry relate to specially chosen locations, and among the authors, in addition to many new creators, there are also familiar names from Maarja Kangro to Tõnu Õnnepalu, he said.
For example, Õnnepalu's verses have been chosen to describe the highest peak in Tallinn, Oleviste Church: "And even higher is the light / and the churches stretch their crosses / so that the light kisses them," While Carolina Pihelga's haiku can be found in Mustamäe's Männi Park: "This is our / local mustamäe / Eden garden." And lines from Timo Maran are located on Lindakivi bridge: "A good companion (here in the stone house of prayer) is our restless, / thousand-eyed city."
Kati Ots, curator of Tallinn's urban art, said creating a friendlier city and more accessible culture is part of Tallinn's long-term development strategy.
Deputy Mayor of Tallinn Kaarel Oja said:
There is room in Tallinn for both larger and smaller street art projects, and any such venture that brings "color" to urban space is worth doing.
The Poetry Trail Map is available online here.
The trail has also been funded by all the district governments of Tallinn, the Estonian Cultural Endowment, the Grano printing house and the Estonian Artists' Association.