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

Tuleraua (Tuleraud):

Fire steel / firesteel, fire iron / striker. The piece of metal used to strike sparks from flint for fire-making. Part of a fire, fire-making and fireplace group, see Tuluste.

Tuletorni (Tuletorn)

Lighthouse. Apparently a renaming of Päe põik, road leading up to Tallinna Ülemine Tuletorn (Tallinn upper lighthouse' located at ///campers.ramp.alarm, sometimes known as Katharinenthal Rear Light, but correctly as Tallinn leading-line rear lighthouse, visible at 12.6 nautical miles. Top one third an optimistically-named black and bottom two thirds white. For lighthouses, see also Valge.

Tulika (Tulikas)

Buttercup, Ranunculus spp. Also name of Tallinn’s largest and oldest taxi company. One of the Lilleküla flower street-name group. See Ülase.

Tulimulla (Tulimuld)

Scorched earth. More in the slash-and-burn than military sense, so soil made fertile from the ash washed into the earth. Part of a land-clearing group of streets, see also Tuki. Tulimuld was also the name of an expat (exile?) Estonian media/culture magazine from 1950-1991. I’m sure there a symbolism in Estonia’s penchant for scorched earth references somewhere. See, e.g., Aedvere.

Tuluste (Tulused [pl.])

Flint and steel (pl., sing = tulus). Part of a fire, fire-making and fireplace group, see Lee.

Tulva (Tulv)

Overflow, overspill, flood. More or less opposite Ojaveere. Road scheduled (2018), but still not yet built (2024Q4).

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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.

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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.