Streetsign reading "Tallinn Streets dot com" Header

Work in progress

A pile of ro ad signs half-trashed and piled up on a building-site, to indicate the site is in construction.

Website under construction, many entries missing, no photos with the streets yet, layout not finalized...

This started with a book (last few pages under review) and so far 1814 of the 1884 articles (A to Z, with 50-odd Ts remaining) entered so far, so some 5% of the links go nowhere.

Logo of the Tallinn Children's Hospital Foundation

The Book

All author earnings of A Rambling Dictionary of Tallinn Street Names to be donated to the foundation or donate here.

If anyone could help or advise as to the legal mechanism, it would be appreciated, thanks!

The Website

Not intended at the beginning, the present website is taking on a life of its own, with plans for relevant discussion forums, picture galleries and, over time, more non-streetname entries.

In theory, it will be funded by advertising relevant to people in Tallinn, to be determined.

A percentage of profits (also to be determined) to be donated to the foundation. 

Contact

Photograph of Simon Hamilton in Pikk street, Tallinn.

Apparently, a company that uses its owner's name is considered more trustworthy because they put themselves on the line.

This is me, in Tallinn this spring (2025), on a 3-month spree to check details, take photos (about 12K), explore (ave. 15K/day), and so on. I think I covered every street in Kesklinn (apart from Mõigu), most of Põhja-Tallinn and some Kristiine.

For information, please contact Simon at this address dot com, thanks!

Names

Uku

Uku (Uku)

Character of mythology or folklore: harvest / house fairy to some, or weather and lightning sprite, upgraded(?) by Kreutzwaldi F.R. to sky or thunder god, or alternative perception of the supreme god Taara, possibly related to Thor. Tallinn’s only ‘true’ (i.e. both nominative and genitive) palindromic street name (cf. Aia, WW doesn’t really count). Part of a small Estonian mythology street-name group. See Vanemuise.

Ülase

Ülase (Ülane)

Anemone or windflower, Anemone spp. The name, from the Greek ἀνεμώνη for ‘daughter of the wind’, is due to popular belief that the flower flowers (or the flowers flower) because of the wind. One of the Lilleküla flower street-name group. See Kannikese.

Ülemiste

Ülemiste (Ülemiste)

Lake, now reservoir, in Tallinn, and mythological character: the little old man of Ülemiste, Ülemiste Vanake. Legend has it that he checks the city out every year and, if told it’s now complete, will flood it. Why? If you know of any god that ever made a rational decision, you tell me. For reasons of ecology, airplanes are reportedly not allowed to fly over the lake. For other reasons, they do.

  1. Ülemistejärve
  2. Üliõpilaste
  3. Umboja
  4. Ümera

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Advertise...

Your business, store or consultancy next to your street address and a percentage of your fee (to be determined) goes the the Children's Hospital fund.

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Post your favorite local photo and sponsor the foundation. Your entire sponsorship goes go the the Children's Hospital fund

Wanted!

Beautiful photos of your street or Tallinn! Send them in! No remuneration planned for now, but will be attributed according to your preferences.