Culture Wolf

At the edge of Viru Square in Tallinn and in front of the Nordic Hotel Forum stands a 2.4m high statue of a wolf, “Culture Wolf”.

The wolf is the mascot of the Dark Nights Film Festival and has also been selected as Estonia’s national animal. The display of the wolf’s image also represents the interest in culture shared by the Nordic Hotel Forum and the real estate company, Kapitel – expressed in many different cultural projects, including their long-term support for DNFF. The sculpture’s creator is Simson von Seakyll. Simson’s image of a lone mother wolf howling at a full moon is synonymous with the individualism of the local people, although, the wolf is a pack animal. After all, nothing can be accomplished without teamwork.

The wolf is an important figure in Estonia’s mythology, fairy tales, stories, legends, and songs. Unlike in many other countries in Europe where the wolf has been destroyed, there are plenty still living in Estonia’s forests.