NIPERNAADI, the eternal wanderer and dreamer, greets visitors and boldly raises his hat in the Säde park. Look at the sole of his raised travelling boot and you'll see adventurous roads awaiting for you. If you manage to polish even the smallest part of it you will always have good luck accompanying your travels. Look into his eyes and you'll start dreaming, too. If you happen to meet his eyes for a bit longer your longing will be filled with something beautiful and unusual. Wave him as you leave and adventures will follow.NIPERNAADI, a vigorous bronze sculpture inspired by the protagonist of the novel "Toomas Nipernaadi" by August Gailit is anxious to meet you.
A sculpture created in Tartu's Old Town in 1999 depicts a fun speculation about the history of literature. Sitting on a bench are contemporaries and namesakes, or the two Wildes: Irish-born writer Oscar Wilde (1854-1900) and Estonian writer Eduard Vilde (1865-1933). Sculptor Tiiu Kirsipuu, who modeled the figures of the writers based on photographs, has noted that when creating the twin figures, she had in mind the year 1890, when the two Wildes could have really met each other and had a few witty words. The sculpture symbolizes friendship and intercultural dialogue. The sculpture of the two writers is located in front of the former Mattiesen printing house, one of Tartu's architectural monuments, which now houses the wine and art restaurant Vilde ja Vine. The statue is a beloved landmark among both locals and visitors. Sitting on the bench next to the writers allows you to take nice pictures as a souvenir of your visit to Tartu. In 2004, a copy of the sculpture was also donated to the city of Galway in Ireland, where the paternal family of literary classic Oscar Wilde came from.
This memorial, which is dedicated to the freedom fighters of southern Estonia, represents the figure of an unknown soldier, his sword sheathed, with a flag held aloft in one hand and the other outstretched. The first memorial was unveiled here on 11 October 1925, dedicated to Lieutenant Julius Kuperjanov, but it was destroyed by Soviet forces on the night of 21 September 1940. The new memorial was inaugurated on 16 August 2013 in the original location on Kuperjanov Street. The design and mould of the memorial were made in 1925 by Amandus Adamson, who was also involved in the production of the bronze figure in Italy. This figure was restored to its original size by sculptor Jaak Soans. Restoration of the memorial was led by Major Meelis Kivi.
The emotional and powerful memorial (2016) was erected to honour the harsh fate of the people deported from Võru and Võru County from 1941 to 1952. The sculptor is Jaak Soans.The memorial depicts two rows of bronze animal wagons placed on a concrete block 1.6 metres high, with human figures visible between them. A ramp made of original railway sleepers and dolomite gravel, which is 4 metres wide and 16 metres long, takes to the memorial. The total length of the memorial complex is almost 24 meters.
The sculpture "Father and Son" is a symbol of the relationship between different generations, where children are increasingly growing apart from their parents. The bronze work by sculptor Ülo Õun (1944-1988) was unveiled on Children's Day, June 1, 2004, on Küüni Street. The work represents the sculptor himself and his son Kristjan when the son was one and a half years old.
Standing in the landcaped area opposite the former main entrance of the Räpina Paper Factory is the Tree Garden Warrior, a monument to the historical Tree Garden War designed by Riho Kuld in 1984. The locals refer to the warrior as the Iron Man.In 1784 a peasant uprising took place in Räpina following the levying of a bounty tax. In the tree garden of the local manor a battle erupted between the soldiers and the local farmhands, who were armed with poles - ending in the deaths of five local men.
The monument consists of the number 100,000 carved of granite with the bronze sculpture of a child sitting on number 1. The monument celebrating the birth of the 100,000th Tartu resident was initially located in the green area between the former Restaurant Kaunas and the Võidu Bridge. The monument was moved onto the banks of the Emajõgi River between Atlantis and Kaarsild.
The sculpture was created by Mati Karmin and unveiled in front of the Tartu Market on 17 January 2008.The steel barrel rests on a granite base and the numbers and letters cut into the base inform the viewer that the date when the sculpture was opened, 17 January, is St Anthony’s Day when old Estonians used to turn their attention to the pig.