Kreutzwaldi F.R.

(Friedrich Reinhold Kreutzwald, 1803-1882)

Original Estonian name, apparently Vindri Roin Ristmets. Later pseudonyms: K. Friedhold, Lauluisa (song father), Viru Laulik (see Lauliku). The son of a cobbler serf, and one of the first Estonian intellectuals, doctor (author of the once very important manual Kodutohter [Home Doctor] in 1878), writer (his drippingly sentimental 1842 translation of a rewrite of a rewrite of the medieval legend of Genevieve of Brabant, Wagga Jenowewa ajalik elloaeg [The life of poor Genevieve], was perhaps the best-selling Estonian book of the 19^th century) but best remembered as national poet and compiler of the Kalevipoeg, Estonia’s epic poem about the Son of Kalev, giant hero of the past, and vehicle for National Awakening after “the seven hundred years of serfdom”. Street once known as Romanov Prospect. The offices of Eesti Rahvusringhääling (ERR, Estonian public broadcasting) are at No.14. Longest Tallinn streetname. See Kalevipoja.

Kriibi (?)

Former farm name. Meaning very uncertain: verb kriipima means to scratch, graze or scar, but not sure where that leads (see Hallivanamehe). Possibly a variant of a Russian loan word, гривы (grivy) meaning ‘long, low, gently sloping hills’ (possible, given the street’s surrounding topography), ‘peasant settlements on wasteland or floodplain’ hence ‘Soviet resettlement’, ‘river meanders’ or ‘oxbows’ or from грива ‘old river, river mouth’, akin to Latvian grīva ‘river mouth’. Nothing certain here. And street doesn’t seem to be built yet… See Pauna.

Kriidi (Kriit)

Chalk, not just the stuff of schools, but also soft, fine-grained limestone. Name chosen, for want of anything better, from a list of building materials including Krohvi (krohv: plaster, rendering, or thick layer of make-up) and Mördi (mört: mortar). Word derived, ultimately, from Lat. creta, ‘Cretan earth’, the white clay abundant on the island of Crete (thus known since ±1500 BCE, making it unlikely to be of Celtic origin, as sometimes suggested), and also gives the name Cretaceous which, to round things up, is called Kriit in everyday Estonian.

Kristeni (?)

Most likely from Cristen / Kristjan < Christian). Name of a former local farm/farming-family. Farm group. See also Kurmu.

Kristiina

(Kristina Augusta, 1626-1689)

One time Queen, or ‘Girl King’ of Sweden, Duchess of Estonia, etc., whose possible thoughtlessness may have precipitated Descartes’ terminal inability to think. Multiple former names of miscellaneous orthography but limited interest other than, maybe, Christinentalerstraße (1913) indicating a valley, sensu Estonia, equivalent elsewhere in the world to a modest puddle. Built on former Kristiina heinamaa, or Kristiina meadow. See also Kristiine.