Tallinn Culture

Tallinn, Estonia, is one of northern Europe's oldest towns, dating to 800 AD.   Tallinn is a city of culture with a very rich historical legacy. In December 1997, UNESCO inscribed the Old Town of Tallinn into the list of World Heritage List.Many traditional events have found their place in the cultural life of Tallinn.In every five years the Estonian Song and Dance Festival takes place in Tallinn, which begins with a festive parade of the performers to the Tallinn Song Festival Grounds. The song festival tradition has been followed for more than a hundred years and helped the Estonians to preserve their identity during the years under Soviet rule.

The population of Tallinn has been characterised by growth throughout its history, but since the beginning of the 1990s the population has started to decrease, mostly because of negative natural growth and emigration (the latter mainly due to the emigration of citizens of the former Soviet Union).

Tallinn is a lively capital city with Estonia's government, embassies, culture, entertainment, commerce and industry all headquarter here. The city has a population of 495 000. In few places in Europe does the aura of the 14th and 15th centuries survive intact as it does in Tallinn’s medieval walls and turrets, needling spires and winding, cobbled hills? Tallinn’s Old Town is judiciously restored, fascinating to explore. The site of Tallinn fronts a bay of the Gulf of Finland and its thought to have been settled by Finno-Ugric people about 2500 years BC. In the medieval years Tallinn joined the German-dominated Hanseatic League as a channel for trade between Novgorod, Pskov and the west. At the city's heart, just south of the bay, is the Old Town (Vanalinn), which divides fairly neatly into two parts, Toompea - the hill that dominates

Tallinn - and the Lower Town spreading out from Toompea's eastern side.   The Days of the Old Town which have been the key annual event in the life of Tallinn during the last seventeen years begin on the first weekend of June and include five days full of performances, concerts and exhibitions. The event attracts performers and audiences from other parts of Estonia and from abroad.

Tallinn is well known for its high standard of choral music, demonstrated by local choirs such as the National Male Choir, the Philharmonic Chamber Choir, the Tallinn Boys Choir, the children’s choir Ellerhein, and others.Well-known and famous cultural events include the international festival of choir singing, the organ festival (which will take place for the twelfth time this summer), the jazz music festivals Tudengijazz and Jazzkaar, the folklore festival Baltica, the festival of modern music NYYD, festivals of oriental music, and many others.

The eight districts of Tallinn also have their traditional events such as Nimme Spring, Lasnam Days, the Sea Days, Kadriorg Days, days for the young in North Tallinn, and the Festival of Sculpture. All these events include numerous concerts, open air performances, and art events.The directing bodies of all churches in Estonia and the residences of the heads of these churches are located in Tallinn. Lutherans are the most numerous denomination and they have assembled into the Tallinn Deanery, which joins 9 congregations. The Orthodox Church has 7 congregations in Tallinn. The total number of congregations in Tallinn exceeds 30.