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!

Home

Uus-Kalamaja

Uus-Kalamaja (Uus-Kalamaja)

New Fisherman’s hut. At the end of this road was once a cemetery for Non-Germans’ (Undeutsch [Ger.] or mittesaksa [Est.]: a contemporary term of contempt for Estonians). In the late 18th C, to maintain the road, Tallinn council put a tax on corpses using it: 10 kopeks an adult and 5 per child. Group rates may have been available. See Kalamaja.

Kesk-Kalamaja

Kesk-Kalamaja (Kesk-Kalamaja)

Central Kalamaja. Not that central at all, but I suppose South-Eastern Kalamaja is a bit of a mouthful, as is Kagu-Kalamaja too.

Kalamäe soo

Kalamäe soo (Kalamägi)

Fish hill/mountain marsh. Not listed in KNAB, but indicated on Johann Friedrich Eurich’s survey map of Tallinn (1880-1882) (top). Since a hill is more or less the opposite of a marsh, and since it was actually located immediately NW of today’s Kalamaja Sub-district, uncertainties as to whether the name was Kalamäe Soo (Eurich) or Kalamaja Soo (Kivi). Sometimes written Kallamäe. (Eurich, again, apparently, bottom map)

TLA 149 5 1415 Folio 7 Stadt Weide. Hofchen Schwarzenbeck Seewald Lichtfabrik Grabbysch Ziegelei 1880 1882 autor Friedrich Eurich

Old map of Tallinn, date and author uncertain. Possibly Friedrich Eurich, to be confirmed.

Kassitatra

Kassitatra (Kassitatar)

Possibly dialectal version of harilik kassitapp, the field or common bindweed, aka withy wind, small-flowered morning glory, creeping Jenny, possession vine, etc., Convolvulus arvenvis, sole variety of Estonia. At first/last: Kivi seems to have made a mistake: street not in Tallinn but nearby Muuga, then again, perhaps Muuga was part of Tallinn in the eventies?...

Page 362 of 470

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.

Sponsorship logo top bare

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.