For most of all, Tallinn, or Estonia in general, is a rather “exotic” destination and for many likely the reason why you chose for this trip. As we know, it is a Baltic country which is located next to Latvia and Lithuania, adjacent to Russia and close to Finland. From there, it seems subject to many cultural influences, especially since it is a considerably small nation. We, the Culture Club, made it our mission to dive into the culture of Estonia that is visible in Tallinn. Hence, we aim to get to know the Soviet influence in Tallinn nowadays, and how people live under it now. We want to know: how visible are Soviet influences? Which cultural influences prevail in Tallinn, the capital? How well are Russian subgroups integrated in society? Are rivalries between subgroups present? How does growing-up and/or studying look like in Tallinn for an individual with Russian roots? What are the (political) relations between Russia and Estonia like nowadays?

Our research plan mainly includes sightseeing, i.e. visiting symbolic and important places and monuments, musea, and cathedrals. However, an important part is the communication with locals. First of all, to kick off our stay, we all participate in the communist walking tour, together with the whole group. This will give us a good introduction and provide us with information about the city and lead us through the Old Town.

A firm part of our research is a visit to the “Naval Officers Club” or “Laevastiku Ohvitseride Klubi”. The building is constructed in an architectural style that was archetypical for the Stalin-era and has been used as a club for Soviet officers in the past. However, it is the Russian Cultural Center nowadays, in which we can obtain more general information to start our research off with.

Furthermore, we planned a visit to the KGB museum. This is a Soviet museum on the top floor of the Viru Hotel. It is a hotel that was built when Soviet authorities wanted to bring tourists to the USSR. Access to the museum is only available with a guided tour – we will use this opportunity to explore and question the history of Tallinn, as well as to connect the former privacy issues under the Soviet regime to the modern day, tech-savvy Tallinn.

An important stop will be the “Energia Café” in the heart of Tallinn. We chose to visit this café, as the chances are high to meet locals there who may share experiences about the Soviet cultural influences with us. Specifically, we hope to learn more about topics such as cultural integration, Russian subgroups nowadays, diversity of languages, as well as growing up as an Estonian with Russian roots. In addition, we aim to visit the university, in order to meet students who can tell us more about this.

Lastly, we will devote time to visit the “Bronze Soldier of Tallinn”, a Soviet WWII memorial that has been built at the site of several war graves, in memory of Red Army soldiers who fell during the war. While it was meant to be dedicated to brave Soviet soldiers, it has become a symbol of Soviet power in the country.