Tallinn is a small town next to Pelgulinna, the current residents of Pelgulinna jokingly say. As a suburb, the development of Pelgulinna has been directly influenced by the turns and developments in the history of Tallinn. The exhibition invites you to travel through time, which reveals the stories of Pelgulinn over the past 160 years, since the arrival of the railway and the beginning of the development of buildings.

Nowadays, in Pelgulinna you can find old suburban houses with large gardens, as well as areas of prefabricated houses. A community lives here that values ​​its home region and its heritage.

The purpose of the exhibition is not to give a complete overview of the history of Pelgulinna, but rather to awaken memories in the visitors. In order for the time traveler to orient himself better, we have divided the story of Pelgulinna into a period of months. Enlargements from old photos and city maps help to revive the past. At the heart of the exhibition hall are models of Pelgulinn buildings from different eras with exciting house stories, which present the development of the old suburb and the life of the people here from their own angle.

Curator: Jaak Juske

Designer and producer: Jaanika Jüris

Graphic designer and producer: Merike Tamm

Building master: Mihkel Niinemets

Language editor: Klaire Kolmann

Translation: Luisa Translation Office

Team: Pille-Maris Arro, Maibel Napa, Tuuli Silber, Kristi Paatsi, Liis Kibuspuu, Lauri Frei, Eve Veigel, Kristjan Arunurm, Liis Mehine, Karoli Loo, Kristiina Hiiesalu, Merilin Lilienthal, Andres Lall, Raul Ollo

Special thanks to: Tõnu Vennikas, Toivo Jürgenson, Ardo Ingar, Enn Nõu, Veigo Kukkur, Piret Randveer, Jaan Künnap, Taimi Nooni, Flo Kasearu, Pelgulinna Society and all those Pelgulinna residents and friends who have contributed to the birth of this exhibition.

Open from 21.08.2026, the exhibition will remain open until autumn 2028.

Photo: Jaan Künnap. National Archives, ERA.5542.0.504652.

Children on Roo Street in 1987.

The exhibition was created in cooperation with local residents and the Pelgulinn society.