I need to finish the Baltics before I can get to the Finnish (sorry had to do it). 

On my final full day, I could either go to this really far out (as in groovy AND distant) place that used to have a KGB prison and neighboring quarry where they made the prisoners do hard labor … or the much closer park where Tsar Peter I built a palace and gardens for his beloved wife Catherine (later the Great). Btw it’s Murru prison and Rummu quarry. Honestly. I cannot make this shit up. Look it up — also because I did not go there so you’ll have to see the very cool photos of it from another source. Basically after they closed down the prison, they also shut down the quarry and it totally flooded (not sure if on purpose) … so it’s a great dive site but quite remote … the prison rises up out of a lagoon like …???  Idk. Seriously. Google it. 

The Norwegian woman I’d met on a tour had gone and showed me amazing photos but she’d rented a car for the trip, which still took 50 minutes each way (my bus ride would be 1.5H one way instead). And since we’re still a bit pre-season, though it’s “open” there’s no one and nothing there to show you, feed you, or help you in case of trouble. Of course I can bring my own snacks and such but somehow it sounded like too much effort. 

So instead I took a 15 minute tram ride to see Kadriorg (Kadri being Catherine in Estonian). They also have several art museums and extensive gardens/grounds (which were lovely although it was a tad early for anything to be blooming — good for allergies but not as pretty as Keukenhof!) and are on the sea. Meantime since I’m spoiled about art museums, I was more interested in the buildings they were housed in … including the old palace… than going in to see their exhibits.

I did go into the house Peter and Cathrine occasionally lived in … now a museum. It was not terribly impressive as this is where they lived while he was building the palace — which they never lived in because he was assassinated and she never returned on her own. It had been owned by an old German trader in this area outside Tallinn, where many well-to-do aristocrats had built summer homes. First German and later Russian. But apparently many Russians, generations later, liked to visit where he lived and destroyed/stole the original furnishings. 

In any case I decided to walk along the shoreline away from Tallinn just to see what was out there. Peter had chosen this site because he wanted to be able to see Tallinn and any possible invading ships well before they could reach him. 

Crazily, I saw this from afar and wanted to walk over to see what it was. 

It wasn’t at all marked on my tourist maps!? But Google told me … in English it’s the Victims of Communism memorial or Maarjamäe Kommunismiohvrite… it’s actually a large memorial area that I think is in two or really more parts.

It was impressively huge, reminded me of the Vietnam Memorial, and of course made me tear up a little as I read all of the plaques and statements regarding the dead and deported. And it’s apparently a work in progress because as they find more people who died as a result of deportations, they update the inscriptions.

Of course this little old man with a cane was in my way when I was trying to take the below picture and was REALLY slow. I don’t know if you can tell how large it is but one walks under that sculpture thing between the two closing walls. So I was annoyed. But then I saw him at the Victims of Communism memorial. I think he must’ve known people. He was moving so slowly. It made me sadder. 

I was very affected by the series of memorials and cannot believe no one mentioned it!? Or that it wasn’t on the map. 

Several people mentioned to me the Song Festival Grounds… which omg!! I was sure I took a photo of but apparently not. So google it. Honestly it’s just a stadium. It’s not so much what it looks like today but what happened there and what it stands for now.

Yes it’s where they hold big rock concerts and such (I’m sure if Tay-Tay goes to Estonia she’d perform there) … but it’s very meaningful to the Estonians because it was the start of their Singing Revolution. I can’t believe I’ve never heard of any of this but in 1988, to protest Soviet occupation without violence, tens of thousands of Estonians amassed in this area with Estonian flags (which I think were illegal) and sang patriotic songs. This was followed by the Baltic Way human chain that many of my guides and hosts talked about — and were a part of — in 1989. A coordinated human chain of people from Tallinn through Riga (and Cēsis and doubtless Tartu and Kaunas) to Vilnius. Estimates range from 1M-2M people (out of a total combined population of about 8M) and they literally held hands the entire way and sang protest and patriotic songs. Really incredible. 

It brought the three countries together. They all continued to practice other forms of non violent protests, which eventually led to their declarations of freedom from the Soviets by 1991. Soon after the Soviet troops pulled out of the Baltic states.

Anyway it’s amazing to consider. Today, every country/guide I heard talked about how terrible things were under Soviet rule — and every city or town I was in had some kind of KGB prison/museum showing the atrocities perpetrated. Yet while Lithuania has very few Russians (except perhaps dissidents fleeing today’s Russia), both Latvia and Estonia have large ethnically Russian populations (like around 30% in both) so they can’t be quite as vocal.

Both Latvians and Estonians also said that the groups are not mixing. Many Russians live in their own “little Moscow” neighborhoods, go to Orthodox churches, send their kids to Russian-language schools, don’t speak the local language, and don’t mix with the locals. And in fact wish for the “good old” pre-1991 days where they had more power. That said, they also said the newer, younger, post-1991 generation are trying to be sure their kids learn the local language and are not just in Russian environments. But so far the language issue is still separating them. Though one guide said the invasion of Ukraine has united them because no one thinks Putin is right. It’s interesting. 

Btw in language, even though Lithuanian and Latvian are related languages, they cannot understand each other and if they meet, will speak English to each other. And of course, Estonian is a really weird Finno-Ugric language — only Finns, Hungarians and Estonians speak. My Estonian guide said they can kind of understand Finnish but to my ear they sound totally different!? But she also said that because Tallinn was able to get Finnish TV stations, even under Soviet rule, they always felt more westernized/Nordic than the other Baltics. That said, they have a running joke that because the Estonian language (like Chinese!) has no difference between he/she and no gender usage, and no future tense (also same in Chinese), it’s no wonder they have no kids and a bleak future (NOT like the Chinese?!).

Other similarities? They are obsessed with the wooden houses. They’re protected in all countries. I stayed in one in Tallinn and it was indeed old and sorta rustic inside though some renovations had been done. 

They all had high speed internet everywhere, have high voting percentages (80%ish?) and my Tallinn guide, who’s like 30, said she’s only voted online (wish we could do that in the US!)!? Also, all three currently have female prime ministers (although Estonia’s is having a scandal and may need to resign soon).

Differences? Latvia and Estonia were taken over by the Germans and were converted to Lutheranism (despite its plethora of orthodox churches) but both identify mostly as atheists. They’re also both friendlier to Russian foods and culture. Lithuania on the other hand was strongly aligned with the Polish and are much more Catholic. And their food is the heavy potato-based foods. Btw, funnily they all claim to be the last to be converted from nature-worshipping pagans to Christianity — though books support Lithuania’s claim. 

They do seem to like to compete/compare themselves to the others. so there’s that!!

But crazily I’m writing this from a 18-hour ferry ride from Helsinki to Stockholm… having just watched the Eurovision 2024 semi finals on the top deck! (WiFi doesn’t work as well in the cabins as in the common areas.)

I have plenty more to say and post but I think this is enough of the Baltics!! I’m very glad I went.