Vikipeedia:GLAM/Kynnap/en/2

Chapter 1

Chapter 2

Chapter 3

Chapter 4

1988 political summer in Tallinn[muuda lähteteksti]

The rapid changes that took place in Estonian society in 1988 received a wide resonance in all areas of life. In April, the blue-black-white national flag was presented to the general public at the Tartu Heritage Days, and the triumph of Alo Mattiisen's five patriotic songs began at the music days organized at the end of May. During the music days, the Tallinn Town Hall Square was filled with of blue-black-white flags. The use of national flags at the Tallinn Old Town Days in June, which grew into a unique night song festival and what was attended by a total of about 100,000 mainly young people, gained so even more momentum. The climax was reached in September 1988, when as many as 300,000 people took part in the major event "Estonian Song" at the Tallinn Song Festival Grounds.

Political changes were also noticeable. In the summer of 1988, almost the entire senior leadership of the Estonian SSR was replaced, including the Secretary General of the Communist Party and the Chairman of the Council of Ministers. At the same time, the positions of both the Popular Front of Estonia and the first Estonian political party, the Estonian National Independence Party established in August, strengthened in society. Among other dissident Enn Tarto, who was serving his prison sentence in the Russian SSR under the leadership of new nationalist and widely supported political forces, was released and he returned to Estonia on October 17, 1988.

The following pictures demonstrate several events in 1988 through Künnap's camera lens. Among others Vaino Väljas, Enn Tarto's return moods, and the first blue-black-and-white filled Town Hall Square can be seen. At the same time there were still few photographers and since even the largest cameras were mainly used by press photographers, the ownership of camera often gave easy access almost everywhere.