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 1681 of the 1884 articles (A to S included) entered so far, so some 20% 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

Toompea

Toompea (Toompea) Symbol designating a Tallinn "Allasum", or Ward.

‘On the cathedral’. Toom, from Ger. Dom, from Old Fr. dôme, borrowed from Ital. duomo from Lat. domus, metonym for ‘God’s house’ and thence, due to association with the church’s structure, for the dome itself. A wooden fortress known in Russian as Вышгородъ (Vyshgorod, or upper city) is said to have existed there as far back as the 10th C, so the name has been used as much for the castle – castrum (fortress, 1319) and, four centuries later, Ordensschloß or das schloß (Order’s castle, or just plain castle), in Est. as linnapä (top of or above the fortress / citadel) – and the locality: Вышгородъ (Vyshgorod) again or der Dohm (Ger.) or toompä (Old Est.), even getting a mention in Võru as Tuuḿpää. One of Vanalinn’s 4 main Wards (see also All-Linn). Legend has it as Kalev’s final resting-place (see Kalevipoja); archaeologists are still digging… See Toompea tänav.

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.