Foreword

When we’re away from home, we can see and assess how things are going for others without having to feel any responsibility. At home and in our home town, we are jointly responsible for the environment that we have created or that our predecessors left to us to keep, preserve, and further develop.

The most valuable part of Tallinn is the Old Town. It is apparently the only neighbourhood that all our guests visit and which every Tallinner visits time and again – some more frequently and some less so. Perhaps we can get a better idea of the importance of the Old Town, if we try to imagine Tallinn without it. A pretty scary thought!

The desire to present everything in the best light comes naturally to us. At our latitude, this is sometimes difficult. It is simply too dark, cold, and wet and we try to escape it by hiding between the protective walls of our homes. We can fight the cold and wet weather by dressing accordingly. But the darkness is more complicated. In our homes, we can regulate it easily. In the urban space it is more costly, time-consuming, and requires joint action.

With the lighting project for the Old Town walls and towers, we have tried to contribute to highlighting the best part of Tallinn. We hope that we have made walking in the Old Town even more memorable for the visitors. The new lighting silently creates a mood that stays with people even when they have left the Old Town. Good lighting helps us notice the Old Town in all its grandeur as it quietly whispers it stories. Less is sometimes more.

When we have an opportunity to make something better, we must give into the temptation and do it.

Toomas Annus

Chairman of the Supervisory Board,
AS Kapitel and AS Merko Ehitus