Tallinn gone nuts: grandiose giants, «bare» breasts, free radios for (almost) all

Photo: Pm

Did you know why Savisaar will never be president of Gymnastics Federation? He cuts all ribbons. No problem for Mayor of Tallinn, however. Over these past weeks, the man has turned into a ribbon-cutting-machine, sprinting from ceremony to ceremony.

One moment, he opens a sauna, at Raua Street; the next, a dogs’ playground; thereafter a 100 metres of a street (thrice, in case some photographers missed the initial cut); he puts temporary ice on a construction site, for half an hour and tens of thousands of euros, to open skating season; he opens Ülemiste junction; some new buses, trash bins while on his way; ready to open Autumn, in Tallinn, if need be. 

Whence the energy? Yesterday being especially crazy, events and speaking engagements piling into an impressive heap. We’ve all heard the stories of infarcts and microinfarcts, nodding(s) off at meetings, injections, resuscitation machines in trunk of the black Mercedes. Even so, following Mr Savisaar to Centre Party events, listening, looking... one gets the impression he likes it.

Campaign guy

This is what turns Mr Savisaar on. That’s what gets him going – events, crowds, cameras, ribbons. The elderly, those who remember the People’s Front (Rahvarinne) days, say Mr Savisaar was a lousy politician already then – yet, a master of campaigns. That’s his element. With soc dems trying to shout him down, at the Ülemiste traffic junction opening yesterday, Mr Savisaar remained tranquil, merely quipping: oh shut up, why repeat what Kross [of IRL – edit] told you to ask?

Supporters of the said Kross were there, also. Flying a kite and driving around in a car. Then there came a moment, as the ceremony was over, Mr Savisaar with his entourage pacing along the brand new asphalt and coming across Mr Kross campaign car, speakers thereof sharing about Savisaar corruption.

For a split second, Edgar jerked and took a couple of steps towards the vehicle; anticipating juicy statements, cameras sprang into readiness. Then, Mr Savisaar reconsidered and headed on. Let Kross bark but Tallinn moves on...

Seventeen years ago, Enno Tammer wrote in Postimees how Savisaar again happened to head Centre Party – having withdrawn from politics, for a couple of months, due to secret recordings scandal. Attending the then Centre Party congress, Mr Tammer was searching for the average one, the party backbone, the one on whom the Savisaar power rests. Lo and behold, he found her – an elderly lady in pink. Mr Tammer wrote: «She listens. She nods. She claps. Delightedly, the dame in pink puts her hand together.»

Today, the dame in pink is no longer there. Today, other people escort Mr Savisaar. Upright in a black overcoat, the glassy eyes of Priit Kutser stare at the foam plastic stature, «five storeys» tall, drawn from the legend of the nearby lake – the ugliest/biggest puppet ever created by fresh Savisaar adviser Meelis Pai. The tanned Mr Pai is radiant. Priit Toobal follows Mr Savisaar like a shadow.

As Mr Savisaar takes a walk amongst the crowds, at Ülemiste, Mr Toobal trails him – not too close, keeping a ten metres’ distance. As Savisaar slows down, so does Toobal. When Savisaar accelerates, Toobal takes brisker steps as well – like a dog on a leash. Also surrounding Mr Savisaar – in a circle a few metres in radius, an observer will detect a coterie of sorts, men middle-aged and aged, looking almost identical. Black leather jackets, Lenin-type caps. Old militiamen, I’m whispered. And then there are the businessmen – no movers and shakers, rather the utilities-transport type, ones feeding at the municipal table... not overly dignified. Party cadres and political officialdom is present, naturally. And the curious. 

And then it rises. A giant robot tied to a crane rope, the proverbial Ülemiste Oldie [according to legend, in readiness to drown Tallinn in lake-water once the city is completed – edit]. The machine hoists the monster upright. Looks like the puppet is being hanged. Loudspeakers blast Also sprach Zarathustra, by Richard Strauss. Trumpets. Drums.

Ülemiste Oldie: Well, looks like Tallinn has completed the construction of the century. Meaning, the day I’ve been waiting for, for such a long time, has finally arrived. Tallinn has been completed and it is time to drown it.

Edgar Savisaar: Wait, wait, Ülemiste Oldie. You are verily welcome, but don’t be in a hurry. You are mistaken, you see: Tallinn is not ready yet. We have so many objects still unfinished. We want to get many great things done, yet.

Ülemiste Oldie (sounding hoarse, rugged): Oh, I seeeeee.

Thereafter, the victory lap. The interviews. The music, the coffee, the buns, the fireworks, the vintage cars. Hereby, Ülemiste junction is opened. Mr Savisaar placed on back seat of Mercedes, he rides on.

Entr’acte petite

While photographers stick in new cards and reporters grab a quick cup of coffee, a bunch of young ladies prepare for their stint, at the other side of town. At 3 am, they are expected to Flash, in front of City Government – ladies baring their breasts. For what, for whom, against whom? Nobody knows.

Media is more abundant than at the Ülemiste show. Then they come, in mantles. Line up. Notice given, the mantles flash open. Oh well... Something is wrong – the breasts are not bare after all. Rather, the body parts are covered by T-shirts advertising Valdo Randpere (Reform Party) for Mayor. The man steps into limelight, answers questions, explains the situation. Six minutes later, the 30 or so cameramen are gone. Anticlimax, in a way. Yet, as some note, for the first time during his campaign, Mr Randpere caused a stir.

The Nut Day of Tallinn takes another twist, a couple of hours later, in Toompea. This time, the clock is turned back a couple of decades, to the People’s Front era. The Centre Party having organised Siege of Tallinn (Ringkaitsering), human chain around Toompea. Lots of people a couple of thousand. The chain comes with holes in it, not all participants know what to do, where to head.

Organisers issue commands in Estonian and Russian, the latter being more actual: at times, the organisers find themselves in a bind: «Who can speak Russian? People need instructions...» A paradox, really: the last time, Mr Savisaar held hands in human chain and called on people to protect Toompea. Now, he holds hand with those who opposed, then. In this chain, the Russian language dominates.

To specify: Mr Savisaar, in person, is not present at Toompea. However, his disciples are, from Priit Toobal to Yana Toom to Night Watch (Nochnoi Dozor) activists. The latter are bashful, at times, turning aside detecting cameras. But they are here, they are helping organise. While, at first glance, all «human chainers» look over 40, we later detect younger folks as well. At the Patkuli Stairs, quite a bunch looks like children, rather. They all speak Russian.

In front of the Toompea palace, a little war of words bursts out. An elderly man demanding from babushkas with posters if they know what stands written on these (the posters say, in Estonian: «Vote for Anvelt, get D-terminal» [Anvelt being soc dems candidate – edit]). The babushkas mumble that they don’t know. Despite warnings, yesterday, by Eerik-Niiles Kross, that Savisaar’s Toompea-event may pose threat of provocations, revolution is not in the air. The feeling is lacking, no Gavroche in sight. Rather, people advanced in years, a bit wobbly in their walk.

Basically, they are brisk. Free radios promised by Centre Party are hungrily grabbed. Of course, the radios were craftily promised after the event, so as to not have folks disperse to early. Still, the radios – not enough for all! – cause unrest. Disappointed, the Russian-speakers air their upset. For comfort, singles by Mr Savisaar (as soloist) are distributed; these are also in great demand. Still, some look downcast – the song is in Estonian, only...

Do those present realise, fully, why they are there? What is happening? For what cause? Some things they get, no doubt – the megaphones chanting: «Ansip, step down! Ansip, go away!» (in both languages). Comes across as strange, a bit surreal. Pedagogically highly useful, however: this is part of Estonia.

The day comes to its culmination on Freedom Square. This is the Tallinn Autumn Party. As proclaimed by City Council chairman Toomas Vitsut, in his opening speech: light overcomes darkness; and, in the politically loaded atmosphere, everybody gets it: the man means not the soon-to-begin laser show (quite fun, honestly), but October 20^th, rather. Or, as merrily heralded by Viktor Vassiljev, an hour ago at Siege of Toompea (in Russian, of course): this is mere dress rehearsal.  In the end, to wind up the long and tiresomely crazy day, Mr Savisaar emerges in the smoke and the green laser beams. The man is singing.

* As an intellectual nuance, may we add that the motif by Strauss, the said Also sprach Zara­thustra, made famous by a Kubrick movie and now used to conjure up Ülemiste Oldie, was originally meant to create a new and a better world. Now, however, Mr Savisaar sent it back to Lake Ülemiste. Meaning: in Tallinn, the old order marches on.