Haven’t you ever been tempted by taking the trains you see every day when passing through a station? Sometimes, one can make great discoveries without travelling very far. We took the train and for a few estonian kroons, went to the very end of the line. It wasn’t really the countryside but there was a definite feeling of nature close at hand, the breeze was blowing from the sea and this would be our only sunny day of the week.
Across the bay, we could distinguish the Pakri islands. The pictures on the guide showed white cliffs and an old rusted lighthouse. The maire has been fighting really hard to change the image of Paldiski. We must say that for someone who only just arrives there, it might be possible to believe one instant that indeed Paldiski is in fact “a green city”.
A few steps away from the train station, a graffiti on a rusted door welcomes the visitor (”Welcome to Paldiski”) translated in russian below. The history books describe it as the major nuclear submarine base under the Soviet occupation. Along with other military bases, this city was off the maps for many years.
“Are you happy to live in Paldiski?” I asked a man called Olav which we met in the street. He had helped us find our way and had some time ahead of him and insisted on showing us some parts of town. “I was born in Paldiski. For 80 years it was very bad here, but now it is not so bad.” He smiled, revealing a mouth with only two teeth. We felt how proud the people in Paldiski are : working today in a very prosperous trading port, when just a decade or two ago this was one of the most dreaded place in Estonia.
The museum still reminds of the old soviet times to the courageous visitor who manages to find it. The food is ok in the tavern, and Olav assured us that “there are no criminals there”. Peter the Great’s fortress still looks like abandonned ruins but Paldiski is changing fast, for the better… and maybe a little for the worst. No one but the tourist seem to like the nostalgic atmosphere that can still be found there.
