Majakovski V.

(Vladimir Mayakovsky, 1893-1930)

Georgian-born Russian poet, playwright and agitpropagandist, committed suicide in 1930. Soviet occupation renaming of Kari (1953-1995) and Sitsi (1953-1990) and Madala until 1963. They seem to have liked him.

Male (male)

Chess. Street name replacing Lootuse põik (2017). Appropriately perpendicular to Kerese P.

Maleva (Malev)

Force, troop, archaic term for army, or military levy (13^th C). Military unit of the Kaitseliit, or Estonian Defense League, originally an underground movement created during the German occupation in WWI, and acting as national guard in the War of Independence (1918-20), replacing the Omakaitse, or Citizens’ Defense Organization set up in 1917 to try and counter the effects of the Russian Revolution.

Malmi (Malm)

Cast iron, after local iron foundry. First known in Rus. as Чугунная (1900), then Malmi (1908) and last Ger. Gußeisenstraße (1913). Scrap iron is malmimurd (see Väomurru). The word also designates a sort of loamy earth especially good for brick-making. Prolonged by Valgevase. Home also to the Havanna Tobacco company (±1930s), your Cuba in Tallinn manufacturer of the fine brand of “Merci” papirosa ‘cigarettes’ guaranteed to burn your tongue and rot your lungs. Thank you too!

Mändmetsa J. (Jakob Mändmets, 1871-1930)

Writer. Author of short stories about village life. Contributor to the Tartu Postimees (newspaper founded as Perno Postimees in 1857, moving name and offices to Tartu in 1886, today’s non-regional Postimees is Estonia’s biggest-selling newspaper) and Tallinn’s Uus Aeg (a short-lived [1899-1905] liberal-democratic weekly). Editor (1906-1910) of Päevaleht (newspaper of chequered history and fortunes [1905-1940]). Died on Christmas Day, acquiring a past for a present.