Different cultures, similar people "Unity in Diversity". Estonian cultural places and our painters.

In Estonia building of the castles began approximately in the XIII century. Defences in the Romanesque and Gothic style appeared in Estonia after it had been conquered by the Crusaders. In 14-17 centuries there were 114 castles in Estonia but now there are only 35 of them. Do you want to feel the touch of royal luxury? Do you like to study Hanseatic architecture and history? Would you like to spend some time with the Estonian ghosts face to face? You can enjoy all these in the medieval castles of Estonia.

Rakvere castle is one of the most famous fortresses.

In the middle of the XIII century the Danes built a stone fortification on the place of the settlements of the Estonians. Later the Germans, the Russians and the Swedes turned it into a powerful fortress. This castle had

many names, for example: Wesenberg or Rakovor. The castle belonged to the type of castella with a courtyard surrounded by the galleries. Despite the numerous wars and battles for more than a millennium of its existence, the northern part remained its original height, 24 meters. On the south side of castella there was built a spacious forburga with a gate in the northeast corner, protected by a semicircular gun tower. During the Livonian War in the 16th century Rakvere castle passed from hand to hand and was destroyed. In the ensuing war between Sweden and the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth, Rakvere castle was turned into ruins by the artillery fire. But in the 20th century the castle was converted into a museum, where you can see underground passages, a workshop for the manufacture of gunpowder and a medieval forge. At the end of the 10th and the beginning of the 11th centuries the Danes built a city, which present name is Tallinn.

Tallinn was mentioned for the first time in a written source in 1154, on the world map of an Arabian geographer Abu Abdullah Mohammed al-Idrisi. UNESCO declared Old Town of Tallinn as the best-preserved medieval city in Europe. The original structure of the city, with the location of streets (from the 13th to the 15th centuries), have been preserved as well as the size and the shape of the most buildings, built in the 14th and 15th centuries.

Estonian painters

Malle Leis.
She is a contemporary oil-painter and a graphic artist of Estonia. She was born on the 9th of July 1940 in Viljandi. She got artistic education at Tartu School of Art and became a stage designer. Malle Leis has mastered classical styles, such as: still life, landscape and portraits, the presentation of which was novel and, therefore, unique. She has produced a lot of oil and water- colour paintings. `Life is like a flower`- she says. Her paintings are based on bright colours.

"Red Horses frozen in a rainbow.

Navitrolla

Heiki Trolla is his formal name. He was born on August 10th, 1970 in the village called Navi, hence his artist name is Navitrolla. He learned drawing and painting at a local graphic studio and began to work as a professional artist in 1993. He gained popularity fast due to his naivistic style. During 1997- 2001 he was actively involved with galleries. His current gallery is in Old Town of Tallinn. He has held tens of exhibitions both in Estonia and in Europe. His pictures have been bought by private collectors from all over the world. Navitrolla also works as a designer. Reproductions of his paintings decorate the branded T-shirts, postcards and even the ice cream packaging. His pictures have bright and funny landscapes and they are inhabited by different animals. Have a look at some works of Navitrolla.

Navitrolla`s Trees

Hidden, 2008

Taming the Naughty One 2006

I was still the first

Peace Garden

Presented by Kohtla-Jrve hisgmnaasium Estonia, October 2011