~{Forgotten Tallinn Series, Ep.3}~ Kopli Lines, Abandoned Ghost Town
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Derelict; dangerous; destroyed; destitute. Kopli Lines has been one of the most problematic areas of Tallinn for decades. Vacant shells of former homes sporadically occupied by squatters and always in the news for the wrong reasons;
many locals fear this area and no tourists ever visit.
So, what’s the story?
How does a community surrounded by natural beauty and tranquility on the Baltic coast become, for want of a better word, a slum?
While you’re looking at these photos, if this looks like a place you would like to explore in more detail, you can join me for a Kopli Walking Tour
Notice the street names: ‘Line 1’, ‘Line 2′, Line 3’, ‘Line 4’ and ‘Line 5’. Now you get the name; Kopli Lines. Imaginative, huh?
What’s the story?
Birth of “The Lines”
Firstly, what are the Kopli Lines? What are we actually talking about here?
A good question: this area is a tiny network of cobbled streets and simple barrack-style wooden structures built to house the workers of the Russo-Baltic Shipyard. Essentially, a miniature village for employees and their families.
The architects behind the complex envisioned an idyllic working class community, complete with all the essential institutions that a growing family would need. “The Lines” formed the central hub of the new working class community.
Almost overnight, the Kopli Peninsula turned from an uninhabited forest into a small town complete with a schoolhouse, canteen, sewage system, medical facilities, tramlines and even a sauna (all the essentials).
1920s-1930s
After World War One the city no longer required such a sizeable shipbuilding enterprise and the Russo-Baltic factory went bankrupt, passing into government hands. Investment continued however and by the 1930s Kopli Lines was one of the most valued and sought-after working class communities in the city.
The location was peaceful with direct access to the sea, housing was fully functional and there was a schoolhouse, medical centre and grocery store.
In theory, residents would never need to leave the area in order to meet their daily needs.
The Decline of Kopli Lines
In the early 1990s, TWO major changes occurred;
1) Social changes
Series of fire and structural problems left “the Lines” incomplete and in need of attention
Funding had gone elsewhere, towards more profitable house-building projects
Influx of migrants from Soviet territories changed the identity of “the Lines”. New residents struggled to adapt to life in this new district and social problems began to spiral
Neglect became the default policy; an approach that has not changed
2) Economic changes
The local government did not allow locals to privatise their houses. All but the most basic maintenance funding was scrapped.
Social Cleansing: Wooden houses in Kopli used as part of a relocation program to force poorer families out of the evermore desirable Kalamaja district
The introduction of Tallinn’s poorer residents saw the reputation of Kopli Lines fall even lower
What’s the situation in Kopli Lines today?
Original text: 2017 (updates below)
“The Kopli Lines are in the mental picture of other townspeople a gathering place for bums with squalid houses on the verge of collapse where a “normal person” cannot live.”
Katrin Paadam – “The Kopli Lines – Is the Path of Decline Our Own or Foreign?”
This is the overwhelming reputation.
The remaining ‘residents’ of Kopli Lines are termed the ‘new poor’. Unemployed, homeless, drug addicts and alcoholics squat in the abandoned wooden houses as the area becomes increasingly uninhabitable.
Regular fires claim the lives of several squatters each year.
While long term residents do exist they are located the other side of the tramlines in the adjacent ‘Professor’s Village’, an area of wooden houses that have survived the decline of Kopli.
NOTE: There is definitely an aura of fear hanging over Kopli Lines.
A study in the year 2000 uncovered that Kopli Lines was one of the most dreaded areas of the city. The overwhelming majority of those asked had never stepped foot there.
Although the reputation is justified, one can’t help but wonder if this climate of dread has played a part in the long term decline of this community. Who is to blame for the fait of “the Lines”: the residents, or subsequent governments? Could the Lines have been saved decades ago if this cloud of fear had never been allowed to form?
Food for thought.
UPDATE: Summer 2019
Construction work has begun in Kopli Lines. Several buildings have already been demolished but some remain standing.
Go now to get your final glimpse of these fascinating wooden houses before they disappear forever.
UPDATE: Spring 2025
Much has changed in Kopli Lines over the past few years. Deals were made, contracts were signed, builders arrived and today most of this ghost town has been rebuilt into a brand new neighbourhood. Some abandoned buildings do remain though; dormant reminders of a dark recent past.
Beauty in Decay
For the adventurer, photographer, urban explorer or historian, the Kopli Lines are undoubtedly a beautiful preserved window into the past.
The layout of the streets is still discernible and the derelict wooden houses are in tact enough to allow the imagination to travel back to a time when this was a functioning working class community.
Painted wooden panels, old wooden doors and even curtains survive, proving that there is a tangible story behind this dereliction.
The Lines were not always like this and on a quiet afternoon, standing in and amongst this ghost town, this is easy to appreciate.
The stories are not lost
A new chapter in the story of “the Lines” has started. A new community has arrived and a fresh set of stories is being written.
Never fear, however! The stories (and some of the abandoned buildings) still exist for those who seek them out.
I have been collecting and sharing stories from Kopli Lines for the last decade. If you’d like to hear those stories and explore this fascinating neighbourhood, you can book me for a private Kopli Walking Tour!
Well, there you have it: the story of Kopli Lines. I think this tale of decline offers up some interesting questions…
Could this neighbourhood have been saved? Why are travellers drawn to explore dangerous places? What do you think of the new developments in Kopli Lines?
If you have any thoughts on these topics or if you have been to “the Lines” yourself, please comment below with any updates or interesting stories you may have.
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