New walking tour uncovers Tallinn’s untold stories of equality and inequality

The Office of the Gender Equality and Equal Treatment Commissioner has published a free self-guided walking tour that invites visitors to explore Tallinn’s Old Town through the history of equality and inequality. Familiar places are brought to life through stories of women’s suffrage, ethnic and religious diversity, racism, the rights of persons with disabilities, and the LGBT+ community.

Who was one of the first known black public figures in Estonia? How is Komandandi Street connected to Estonia’s LGBT+ history? How did Estonian women gain the right to vote? The new walking tour offers a completely new perspective on Tallinn’s Old Town, highlighting both the challenges and the achievements on the journey towards a more equal society.

“Every place has a story. We often remember historical events but forget the places where they happened. Tallinn’s Old Town has witnessed both profound injustice and landmark developments on the path towards the rights and freedoms that many of us now take for granted. This walking tour reconnects those events and social changes with the places we know so well, allowing people to discover Tallinn from an entirely new perspective,” said Christian Veske, Gender Equality and Equal Treatment Commissioner.

The tour is based on the grounds on which discrimination is prohibited under Estonia’s Gender Equality Act and Equal Treatment Act. It also explores issues of economic and social inequality as well as accessibility. The route begins on Toompea Hill, passes through the Old Town and ends at the Mere Cultural Centre, comprising ten stops in total.

The material was primarily developed for tour guides, but the Commissioner’s Office is making it freely available to everyone. It is designed as a flexible resource, allowing guides to select the stops and stories that best suit their own tours.

The walking tour is available in both Estonian and English and can be used on a computer or smartphone. The mobile version enables users to follow the route and explore the stories while walking through the city.

“Anyone can pick up their phone today, open the walking tour and discover Tallinn through a completely new lens. We hope that tourist guides will also make use of it and incorporate these stories into their own tours, helping more people recognise how questions of equality have shaped Estonia’s history,” Veske added.

The walking tour was composed by Piret Karro-Arrak and Airi Triisberg.

The tour is available here.