Toompea Castle and Tallinn Fortifications

Toompea Castle is the seat of the Parliament of the Republic of Estonia (the Riigikogu) . Immediately to the south and adjacent toToompea Castle is the Kuberneriaed (Governor’s Garden). Toompea Castle includes both older and newer construction. The older structure on the west side was part of the medieval fortress of the Order of the Brothers of the Sword and includes the Tall Hermann Tower (Pikka Hermanni Torn). The Estonian flag flies above the Tall Hermann Tower, with blue for the sky, black for the soil, and white for hard work and a bright future. Newer additions to Toompea Castle include the east wing which was built on order of Russian Empress Catherine the Great and completed in 1773 .  The south wing was completed in 1935. Other fortifications, 60% of them original, can also be seen in Tallinn.

The South Wing of Toompea Castle and the Tall Hermann Tower

The South Wing of Toompea Castle and the Tall Hermann Tower

SOURCE: The South Wing of Toompea Castle and the Tall Hermann Tower (Tallinn, Estonia). Photographed by Stephen J. Danko on 30 Jul 2010.

The East Wing of Toompea Castle

The East Wing of Toompea Castle

SOURCE: The East Wing of Toompea Castle (Tallinn, Estonia). Photographed by Stephen J. Danko on 30 Jul 2010.

Tallinn Fortifications

Tallinn Fortifications

SOURCE: Tallinn Fortifications (Tallinn, Estonia). Photographed by Stephen J. Danko on 30 Jul 2010.

Tower in Tallinn

Kiek in de Koek

SOURCE: Kiek in de Koek (Tallinn, Estonia). Photographed by Stephen J. Danko on 30 Jul 2010.

Copyright © 2010 by Stephen J. Danko

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Monuments and Public Art in Tallinn

Like any reasonably large city, Tallinn, Estonia has a wealth of monuments and public art. Among the most beloved figures is Gustav Ernesaks, one of the founders of the Singing Revolution and the Tallinn Music Festival. Voldemar Panso was the first leader of the drama school of the Estonian Academy of Music and Theater. The Rusalka monument commemorates the sinking of a Russian battleship of the same name in 1893. Finally, some Estonian graffiti: art in art itself, professing “Retro-Futurism“.

Gustav Ernesaks

Gustav Ernesaks

SOURCE: Gustav Ernesaks (Tallinn, Estonia). Photographed by Stephen J. Danko on 30 Jul 2010.

Voldemar Panso

Voldemar Panso

SOURCE: Voldemar Panso (Tallinn, Estonia). Photographed by Stephen J. Danko on 30 Jul 2010.

Rusalka

Rusalka

SOURCE: Rusalka (Tallinn, Estonia). Photographed by Stephen J. Danko on 30 Jul 2010.

Retro-Futurism

Retro-Futurism

SOURCE: Retro-Futurism (Tallinn, Estonia). Photographed by Stephen J. Danko on 30 Jul 2010.

Copyright © 2010 by Stephen J. Danko

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The Churches of Old Tallinn

When approaching Tallinn, Estonia, one cannot help but be awed by the sight of this old fortified city, with church steeples towering overhead. The Alexander Nevsky Cathedral is Tallinn’s Russian Orthodox Cathedral. St. Nicholas’s Church was built by merchants from the island of Gotland in the 13th century and is used today as a museum and concert hall. St. Olav’s Church was, from 1549 to 1625, the tallest building in the world and is currently used as a Baptist church.

Approaching Tallinn

Approaching Tallinn

SOURCE: Approaching Tallinn (Tallinn, Estonia). Photographed by Stephen J. Danko on 30 Jul 2010.

Alexander Nevsky Cathedral

Alexander Nevsky Cathedral

SOURCE: Alexander Nevsky Cathedral (Tallinn, Estonia). Photographed by Stephen J. Danko on 30 Jul 2010.

St. Nicholas' Church

St. Nicholas’s Church

SOURCE: St. Nicholas’s Church (Tallinn, Estonia). Photographed by Stephen J. Danko on 30 Jul 2010.

St. Olav's Church

St. Olav’s Church

SOURCE: St . Olav’s Church (Tallinn, Estonia). Photographed by Stephen J. Danko on 30 Jul 2010.

Copyright © 2010 by Stephen J. Danko

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The Nimb Complex – Day and Night

The Nimb Complex at Tivoli in Copenhagen is an impressive Moorish structure housing a number of restaurants and a hotel. It has been described as a cross between a Moorish Taj Mahal and a Christmas tree. In front of the structure is an unusual fountain. Instead of spraying jets of water skyward, these fountains sendbubbles upward through translucent tubes. Seeing the sights at Tivoli during the day is not enough. At night, the lights and music transform the park into a different world.

The Nimb Complex in Daylight

The Nimb Complex in Daylight

SOURCE: The Nimb Complex in Daylight (Tivoli, Copenhagen, Denmark). Photographed by Stephen J. Danko on 28 Jul 2010.

The Nimb Complex at Night

The Nimb Complex at Night

SOURCE: The Nimb Complex at Night (Tivoli, Copenhagen, Denmark). Photographed by Stephen J. Danko on 28 Jul 2010.

Copyright © 2010 by Stephen J. Danko

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At Tivoli Gardens

One of the most popular tourist attractions in Copenhagen is Tivoli, the second oldest amusement park in Europe. Tivoli (or Tivoli Gardens) is much more than an amusement park, however. There are gardens, concerts, and restaurants; there are wonderful sights to see and sounds to hear. Before going to Tivoli I was told that daytime in Tivoli is for children. Nighttime is for adults.

Himmelskibet (Sky Ship) and Japanese Pagoda

Himmelskibet (Sky Ship) and Japanese Pagoda

SOURCE: Himmelskibet (Sky Ship) and Japanese Pagoda (Tivoli, Copenhagen, Denmark). Photographed by Stephen J. Danko on 28 Jul 2010.

Fountains and Gardens

Tivoli Fountains and Gardens

SOURCE: Tivoli Fountains and Gardens (Tivoli, Copenhagen, Denmark). Photographed by Stephen J. Danko on 28 Jul 2010.

The Evening Lights of Tivoli

The Evening Lights of Tivoli

SOURCE: The Evening Lights of Tivoli (Tivoli, Copenhagen, Denmark). Photographed by Stephen J. Danko on 28 Jul 2010.

Copyright © 2010 by Stephen J. Danko

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The Little Mermaid in Tivoli

While in Copenhagen I wanted to see the sculpture of The Little Mermaid, based on Hans Christian Andersen’s famous character . Â The sculpture was created by Edvard Eriksen (who used his wife Elaine as a model) and placed in the harbor at Copenhagen. However, the original sculpture has been removed from the harbor and is currently in China for World Expo 2010. Edvard Eriksen’s family, however, possesses a second copy of the sculpture and has loaned the copy to Tivoli Gardens, where I was able to see it. Notice that this representation of the Little Mermaid has both legs and fins, a bit of poetic license on the part of the sculptor.

The Little Mermaid - Side View

The Little Mermaid – Side View

SOURCE: The Little Mermaid – Side View (Tivoli, Copenhagen, Denmark). Photographed by Stephen J. Danko on 28 Jul 2010.

The Little Mermaid - Front View

The Little Mermaid – Front View

SOURCE: The Little Mermaid – Front View (Tivoli, Copenhagen, Denmark). Photographed by Stephen J. Danko on 28 Jul 2010.

The Little Mermaid - Plaque

The Little Mermaid – Plaque

SOURCE: The Little Mermaid – Plaque (Tivoli, Copenhagen, Denmark). Photographed by Stephen J. Danko on 28 Jul 2010

Copyright © 2010 by Stephen J. Danko

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More Sights in Copenhagen

More sights in Copenhagen include the Round Tower at Kirche and the exterior of Tivoli Gardens.

The Round Tower at Trinitatis Kirche

The Round Tower at Trinitatis Kirche

SOURCE: The Round Tower at Trinitatis Kirche (Copenhagen, Denmark). Photographed by Stephen J. Danko on 27 Jul 2010.

The Exterior of Tivoli Gardens

The Exterior of Tivoli Gardens

SOURCE: The Exterior of Tivoli Gardens (Copenhagen, Denmark). Photographed by Stephen J. Danko on 27 Jul 2010.

Copyright © 2010 by Stephen J. Danko

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Copenhagen City Hall

I arrived in Copenhagen on Tuesday, July 27 and took a brief stroll through the area around my hotel in the early evening.

Copenhagen City Hall

Copenhagen City Hall

SOURCE: Copenhagen City Hall (Copenhagen, Denmark). Photographed by Stephen J. Danko on 27 Jul 2010.

Trumpeters on Obelisk near Copenhagen City Hall

Trumpeters on Obelisk near Copenhagen City Hall

SOURCE: Trumpeters 0n Obelisk near Copenhagen City Hall (Copenhagen, Denmark). Photographed by Stephen J. Danko on 27 Jul 2010.

Copyright © 2010 by Stephen J. Danko

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The Death and Burial of Wojciech Chodkowski – 1845

Wojciech Chodkowski, son of Aleksander Chodkowski and Katarzyna Mossakowska, died on 18 February 1845 in Mosaki-Rukle, Ciechanów Powiat, Płock Gubernia, Congress Kingdom of Poland. He was buried at the parish church in Krasne, Ciechanów Powiat, Płock Gubernia, Congress Kingdom of Poland on 19 February 1845.

The Death and Burial Record of Wojciech Chodkowski - 1845

The Death and Burial Record of Wojciech Chodkowski – 1845

SOURCE: Parafia pw. św. Jana Chrzciciela (Krasne, Ciechanów Powiat, Płock Gubernia, Congress Kingdom of Poland), “Akta urodzeń, małżeństw, zgonów 1841-1851 [Records of Births, Marriages, and Deaths 1841-1851],” folio 47 recto, entry 15, Wojciech Chodkowski, 19 Feb 1845; filmed as Kopie księg metrykalnych, 1808-1892; FHL INTL microfilm 0,702,794.

Click on the image above to view a higher resolution image. Click on the link for a PDF copy of the Death and Burial Record of Wojciech Chodkowski. Translated from the Polish, the record reads:

15  [Mosaki]-Rukle .  This happened in the village of Krasne on the seventh / nineteenth day of February in the year one-thousand eight-hundred forty-five at the hour of two in the afternoon. There appeared Jan Chodkowski, sixty years of age, and Błażej Chodkowski, thirty-three years of age, both farmers residing in the village of [Mosaki]-Rukle, and they stated that yesterday at the hour of four in the morning, Wojciech Chodkowski died in [Mosaki]-Rukle, residing with his parents, nine Sundays [weeks] old, son of the married couple Aleksander and Katarzyna Chodkowski. After visual confirmation of the death of Chodkowski, this document was read to the declarants who do not know how to write.
     [signed] Reverend Piotr Bączkowski, Vicar of Krasne

Wojciech Chodkowski was my 2nd cousin 4X removed.

Copyright © 2010 by Stephen J. Danko

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The Birth and Baptism of Wojciech Chodkowski – 1844

Wojciech Chodkowski, son of Aleksander Chodkowski and Katarzyna Mossakowska, was born on 05 December 1844 in (Mosaki-Rukle, Ciechanów Powiat, Płock Gubernia, Congress Kingdom of Poland. He was baptized in the parish church in (Krasne, Ciechanów Powiat, Płock Gubernia, Congress Kingdom of Poland on 08 December 1844.

The Birth and Baptismal Record of Wojciech Chodkowski - 1844

The Birth and Baptismal Record of Wojciech Chodkowski – 1844

SOURCE: Parafia pw. św. Jana Chrzciciela (Krasne, Ciechanów Powiat, Płock Gubernia, Congress Kingdom of Poland), “Akta urodzeń, małżeństw, zgonów 1841-1851. [Records of Births, Marriages, Deaths 1841-1851.],” folio 22 verso and folio 23 recto, entry 85, Wojciech Chodkowski, 08 Dec 1844; filmed as Kopie księg metrykalnych, 1808-1892; FHL INTL microfilm 0,702,794.

Click on the image above to view a higher resolution image. Click on the link for a PDF copy of the Birth and Baptismal Record of Wojciech Chodkowski. Translated from the Latin, the record reads:

85 .  [Mosaki]-Rukle .  This happened in the village of Krasne on the twenty-sixth day of November / eighth day of December in the year one-thousand eight-hundred forty-four at the hour of four in the afternoon. There appeared Aleksander Chodkowski, owner of the noble part [of the village], twenty-two years of age and residing in the village of [Mosaki]-Rukle, in the presence of Paweł Chodkowski, fifty years of age, together with Marcin Mieszkowski, forty-two years of age, both owners of a part [of the village] and residing in [Mosaki]-Rukle, and he showed Us a child of the male sex born on the twenty-third day of November / fifth day of December in this same year at the hour of four in the afternoon of his wife Katarzyna née Mossakowska, twenty-five years of age. To this child at Holy Baptism performed today was given the name Wojciech and his Godparents were Jan Mossakowski and Zuzanna Mieszkowska. This document was read aloud to the declarant and the witnesses who do not know how to write.
          [signed] The Reverend Piotr Bączkowski, Vicar of Krasne

Wojciech Chodkowski was my 2nd cousin 4X removed.

Copyright © 2010 by Stephen J. Danko

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