Moora (Moor)

On its own, this means Moor, but with reservations: the only references found to moora are in compound words such as Mooramaa, Mooramees or Mooramaalane (Ethiopian, Blackamoor or Negro), which might have applied during pre‑CPPC (communist party politically correct) days to welcome the African communists invited to study in Soviet universities. Moor:Moori, on the other hand, is a Swedish loan word (from mother, see Vaari, meaning old woman or hag). But the plot thickens: Strangely, Kivi suggested a põiktänav and umbtänav named after a celebrated archaeologist, Harri Moora (1900-1968), on 1968-05-16 where KNAB gives 1958-05-16. Since Estonia does not (today) name streets after living persons (which explains the sorry absence of Hamiltoni puiestee in the city center), his candidacy seems unlikely whichever the date. It’s probably fair to say that he assumed the naming of a new street to be in honor of a recently-deceased (14 days earlier) but remarkable Estonian scientist by mistake. However, the dates and genitive do match Felix Moor (1903-1955), Estonia’s legendary first radio broadcaster and radio-drama producer, nicknamed Raadioonu, Uncle Radio (curiously, his nickname in the Estonian Biographical Database [Eesti biograafiline andmebaas] is Onu X, and X-rays are a form of radiography). Further corroboration comes with the street’s abutting onto Tähetorni and its proximity to the actual tower (<800 m) which may once have served as radio transmitter, and to Vääna (±2.5 km). It would be nice to think that the Soviet authorities believed there were getting a “Merited Scientist of the Estonian SSR” while actually commemorating a popular ‘local hero’ resonating more for his promoting Estonian theater, language, children’s entertainment and radio broadcasting. All three streets built and named by the Soviets 3 years after Felix’s death, Moora põik was renamed as Nõva in 1958, of the other two one is a tänav (street), the other the only umbtänav (cul-de-sac) in Tallinn, even though both are cul-de-sacs (while the tänav might vaguely wander off into a woodland track...). A sculptured plaque in his honor has now been put up in the entrance to the ERR building (see Kreutzwaldi F.R.).