Tallinn the truth: Medieval, modern blend in the Baltics
The twisting streets of Tallinn, Estonia, snake back to the Middle Ages. Every cobblestone, back alley and turret has been restored with a precision that would make Prague proud. Yet in, and around, the storybook structures of this old city lies more electronic savvy and digital innovation than nearly any city in the world.
Those new to this tiny Baltic country may view it as a place where thick-ankled women in babushkas slurp borscht.
But those in the know have come to recognize it as a nation-sized, Eastern answer to Silicon Valley.
It’s this country that brainstormed Skype, as well as the successful TransferWise money transfer service. Spurred by such scores, Estonia has become a breeding ground for as many startups as around San Francisco.
Small wonder the place has convincingly rebranded itself “E-Stonia.”
In this northernmost Baltic country — on the west border of Russia, and a twohour ferry ride from Finland — 99% of the population’s bank transfers are performed electronically, 98% of medicines are prescribed that way, while 95% of tax returns are filed via the e-Tax Board.
Virtually every citizen votes online, thought to eliminate the possibility of fraud. Estonia’s introduction of mandatory citizen ID cards — used for every legally binding interaction — has made signing by hand as vestigial as using a public pay phone.
“I don’t even know what my handwriting looks like anymore,” says Karli Suvisild, who teaches tourists about the country’s advancements at an e-Showroom facility in Tallinn, Estonia’s capital. “We all do digital signatures.”
But it’s the balance between the drive for progression and the needs of preservation that has made Estonia a beautiful experience for travelers. The wealth the country has generated since breaking free of Soviet rule just over two decades ago has helped Estonians keep their old town center stunning. At the same time, their
Continued on next page.