Through pictures and texts, The Tallinn Collector introduces you to the history of tourism in Tallinn during the Soviet Union. The materials found on this blog come from authentic tourist guides produced and released between 1950 and 1991. This is a tribute to Tallinn, a city that I love!
My passion for Tallinn and its tourism history began to grow in 2005 when I moved to Tallinn from Stockholm. During my time there, I realized more and more that I had arrived in a city with many exciting faces and a very rich cultural history. It became a hobby of mine to collect old Tallinn guides from the Soviet era because I thought that they were great examples of historical material. They bring you back to Tallinn as it once looked (or, even more interesting, how the guides wanted Tallinn to look!).
After spending almost 8 fantastic years in Tallinn, my interest in Estonia then and now has only grown stronger. Without a doubt, Soviet Estonian tourist information has become one of my prime niches and biggest passions.
Now back in Stockholm and completing a bachelor’s degree in tourism studies, I still continue to actively collect Tallinn tourist guides from the Soviet era. At their core, these guides manage to capture the exciting essence of tourist information from that time. It is captivating material with a lot of value, both aesthetically and educationally, and that is why I am eager to share it with you.
My aim is to create a virtual museum where you can read, discover, learn or just enjoy this exciting and historical material. My mission is to bring you back to the beautiful, fun, and nostalgic Tallinn that was hidden behind the many years of Soviet power and occupation. Through text and image, I want to show you how tourists and visitors were guided and informed during their visit to Soviet Estonia!
All of the images seen on this blog are used only as reference material and belong to their owners. These images are taken from different tourist guide books published in Tallinn between 1950 and 1991. None of the images or quotes have been modified or edited in any way. In addition, in each post the quotes and texts belong to the accompanying picture.
More info: thetallinncollector.com
