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, a couple of entries still pending, no photos with the streets yet, layout not finalized...

This started with a book (last few pages under review) and so far 1889 of the 1891 articles entered, 1 or 2 links may 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

Põdra (Põder)

Moose, elk, Alces alces, native to Estonia. One of Pääskula’s woodland mammal group. See Rebase.

Põdrakanepi (Põdrakanep)

Willowherb (lit. elk’s hemp), Epilobium. Some species, such as the small-flowered willowherb, E. parviflorum, is said to improve erectile dysfunction, although what improving a dysfunction means is not quite clear.

Põdrasambla (Põdrasammal)

Elk moss, better known as Icelandic moss, Cetraria islandica, and not a moss but a lichen. Common in Estonia, but not in Tallinn – streetname dropped due to planning changes. See Käokõrva.

Põhja (Põhja)

North, northern, northerly. Also noord or nord among sailors. See Kirde. Formerly known as Troonipärija (or ‘heir apparent’, given the corresponding street-naming change around 1906, presumably the hemophiliac Tsarevich Alexei Nikolaevich, born 1904). The ‘Ilmarine’ machine works was at no. 21. See also Põhjakaare.

Linnaosa vapp Põhja-Tallinn / coat of arms of the Põhja-Tallinn district, TallinnPõhja-Tallinn (0) Symbol designating a Tallinn "Linnaosa", or District.

North-Tallinn. Known mainly for its legacy fishing and ship-building industries, and proportionally high Russian population (almost 40%), its 11 ports pepper 20 km of coastline. First mentioned 1374. District (Linnaosa) with 8 Sub-districts (Asumid): Kalamaja, Karjamaa, Kelmiküla, Kopli, Merimetsa, Paljassaare, Pelgulinn, Pelguranna and Sitsi. See Haabersti.

Põhjakaare (Põhjakaar)

North, northern quarter on the horizon (see Loode). Previously Kepleri until 1922 then Põhja until 1958, with an obligatory 1940-1941 interlude as Korvi (basket, wicker), but where TT also lists Monopoli until 1958, KNAB records it as a separate street. See also Lõuna.

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Wanted!

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