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Vana Lugu

"Give me place & Aerosol spray, and I shall move the world" How Edward von Lõnguse changed Street Art of Estonia


April of 2014. Toomemägi Park. On the wall of the Faculty of Social Sciences of the University of Tartu (former Tartu maternity hospital) appears simple graffiti that will make it's author famous and spark a huge discussion across the whole Estonia. A policeman who is arresting old gradpa 👴

"Cannabeard and the Witch Hunter". Photo: Kristjan Teedema

No worries. Estonian State didn't start war on old people. In graffiti, it's not really a police man, it's Nõia Kütt (Witch hunter), puts handcuffs on not really grandfather, but Sammalhabe (Moss Beard) famous character from Eno Raua's children's book "Naksitralli". Please pay attention to his beard, yes, yes, it is 🌿 . That's why he transformed from Moss Beard to Canna beard.


In books, Mossbeard is the most balanced and peaceful. He feels strongly connected to nature, for example, when he spends the night in the forest, he never sleeps anywhere other than right on the ground next to the campfire. He knows natural remedies well and can interact with animals 🐗



Eno Raud, ERM HM Fk 186, Eesti Rahva Muuseum


But it's not only the graffiti itself. The wall where it's depicted is across the entrance to the Supreme Court of Estonia. Undoubtedly uncomfortable in the eyes of some judges working there, the Author, Edward von Longus, received the Tartu City Culture Award in 2014. By taking something as innocent as a children’s cartoon and injecting it with a powerful statement on the war on drugs. Most likely this old forest spirit is a metaphor for Estonian teenagers or youth who got problems with police for weed consumption.


Raising, buying, selling, trading and consuming is forbidden. Possessing a small amount (defined as 7.5 grams by the law) is a misdemeanor and you'll get fined. Anything above is a crime, and you can look at jail time max 5 years.

In Estonia, cannabis legalisation has become the subject of wider public discussion too in the last few years . According to the media-monitoring company Baltic Media Monitoring Group (BMMG), regulation of cannabis was high on the media agenda in Estonia in 2015. We found some holywars in the Facebook comments section from 2015 if you're interested.


Everything that happens after to the work becomes part of it. On the November 5th of 2015 Graffiti starte to live it's own life. The first text appears:


Foto: Kristjan Teedema
Iga narkodiiler on meie ühiskonnale ja noortele surmav... Ka selline piilupardinokaline habemik! +++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ Kiidusõnad meie valvsale politseile!

Approximate translation: "Every drug dealer is deadly to our society and young people... Even a beard with a peeping toe! Words of praise to our vigilant police!"

Foto: Sille Annuk

The addition at that time was covered with paint quite quickly. In the summer of 2017, an image of a can of condensed milk appeared from a paper sticker. It has a Russian word written ("Сгущенка-Запрещенка") on its label that denotes an officially banned literary or artistic work.


By 2024, banned condenced milk can is gone. The thing left is text:


Ja mida ma ei viitsi ara anda on vaikselt mu pauna mahtunund.

But we will keep it to you to translate ;)




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