Lasnamäe Tallinn – Soviet heritage in modern Estonia

Lasnamäe is the biggest and most populated district of Tallinn, situated in the eastern part of town. The majority of population is Russian-speaking and the district was fully built during Soviet Union times, mainly in the 1970-90s.

I personally live in Lasnamäe, so I basically know every corner of it. If you asked me what the least touristy spot in the city is, my answer would be the whole of Lasnamäe. The district itself is a so-called bedroom community, so not many things happen here.

However, in my opinion it is a great example of Soviet heritage and a great opportunity to see the way people live in such districts. I bet not many visitors, especially from the "Western World", have seen anything like it.

The atmosphere in Lasnamäe is really different compared to other parts of the city, especially during the warm summer days, when people prefer to spend their time outside. It can't really be described in words; you have to come and see it and feel it yourself. You can feel how the past crosses the present and the future, how different cultures live together, and of course you get to see the way Soviet town planners did their job with house and road planning.

Nowadays, Lasnamäe is developing very fast. A lot of things get built here every year, but the Soviet feel will in my opinion never leave the district, and is its main point of attraction.