Names
Kastiku (Kastik)
Bunch grass of the Poaceae family, genus Calamagrostis, of which at least 5 varieties native to Estonia: jäneskastik, wood small-reed or bushgrass (lit. hare’s bunch grass), C. epigeios; metskastik (lit. woodland bunch grass), C. arundinacea; püstkastik, slim-stem reed grass (lit. upright bunch grass), C. stricta; roogkastik or verev kastik (lit. reed or red bunch grass), C. purpurea; and sookastik (lit. marsh bunch grass), C. canescens. Also means vaulting-box. See Kressi.
Katariina (Katariina)
Catherine. Various species: 1) Saint Catherine, the lady supposedly of 4th‑C Alexandria and martyred on the famous wheel for the benefit of fireworks’ manufacturers; while there is no evidence she even existed, her cult begun in the 9th C and was finally banned by the Holy See in 1969. She gives her name to Katariina Käik next to Katariina Kirik in the old town, voted most photogenic passage in Tallinn (you do know that the Soviets wanted to raze the old town to make way for brave new housing, don’t you?). 2) Catherine I of Russia (1684-1727), second wife of Peter the Great and Empress of Russia from 1725 for Katariina Trepp (steps) next to Peter the Great’s cottage, Peetri majake (maja = house, ‑ke = diminutive, hence cottage) aka Peetri I Maja, now a museum at No.2 Mäekalda (they seemed to like the simple life at times, living in a log cabin in St Petersburg while the city was being built), and probably Katariina Kai (see Pikakari). 3) Catherine the Great (1729-96), empress of Russia from 1762, who does not seem to be much represented in Tallinn (but see Le Coq A. and Mõigu). 4) See Kadri. There may once have been a Katariina tänav (Екатеринская ул.) in Kesklinn somewhere, but records are uncertain.
