Women of the Old Town

Tallinn is considered a virgin city precisely because of its incredible vitality and fate. No foreign conqueror has ever managed to take it by storm. Unlike many other European capitals that have repeatedly been bombed flat or destroyed, Tallinn’s medieval Old Town has miraculously remained untouched by major destruction; the city has changed hands over the centuries, but mostly as a result of peaceful agreements and diplomacy. Such wisdom has spared our home town from the worst.

History has traditionally been written through the eyes of men, yet the role of women has often been far greater and deeper than it appears at first glance. Just think of Toompea, which towers above us today thanks to Linda’s love and grief as she carried stones to her husband’s grave. Or of the fact that we live in Maarjamaa — the Land of Mary, a country entrusted to the Virgin Mary, to whom Tallinn’s Cathedral of Saint Mary the Virgin is dedicated. Even the city’s most striking seat of power, the pink Toompea castle, owes its beauty to Empress Catherine II’s determination to create something greater than Peter the Great had managed. The lasting influence and dignity of women is reflected too in the queens who have visited us: Elizabeth II, who became a symbol of her era, and Queen Margrethe II of Denmark, closely tied to our history.

Tour starts: in front of the 20 August stone.

Tour ends: Town Hall Square.