Polli Talu (literally, “Polly’s Farm”) is a traditional Estonian farm complex situated near the Baltic Sea, 150 km southwest of the capital city Tallinn, not far from the port town of Virtsu. It consists of five log buildings with thatched roofs made from locally-harvested reeds. The structures date back to the beginning of the 20th century.

Marika Blossfeldt, an Estonian who had left her native country as a very young child to live in Germany and, later, New York City, welcomed the opportunity to purchase Polli’s Farm in 1995. Her vision was to transform the complex into an international arts center. The opportunity to purchase the property and realize her vision arose only after the collapse of the Soviet Union in 1991.

In 1998 Polli Talu Arts Center was registered as a non-profit organization in Estonia. 1999 marked the first season of artistic and educational activities at Polli Talu Arts Center.

Historical Context

Estonians look back at 5,000 years of prehistory and history, from the earliest nomadic tribes settling the land, whose ancestors originated from lands as distant as the Yenisei River in Mongolia, to becoming the object of desire for numerous European invaders, conquerors and rulers. Only once prior to its newly regained independence, did Estonia enjoy a 20-year period of independence and peace between the two World Wars.

Despite an impressive list of foreign occupation of Estonia, it can be safely said, that the recent fifty years of communist control mark the most devastating period in Estonian history — one that nearly destroyed environmental, economical and cultural life.

The dissolution of the Soviet Union in 1991 opened doors to cultural development, economic recovery and growth, environmental awareness and restoration, and personal freedom. Estonia is once again a member of a world community of free and democratic countries.

It is in this context that Polli Talu Arts Center can make a valuable contribution towards the integration and exchange of ideas, nationally and globally, enriching the current developments with a holistic point of view.

Directions

By plane

To Tallinn airport, via Helsinki, Stockholm, Copenhagen, Hamburg, Frankfurt, Amsterdam, Vienna, Warsaw, Moscow, Riga, or Vilnius. Then by taxi to the bus station and by bus to Virtsu, where guests will be picked up. For a fee, guests can be picked up at Tallinn airport and brought to the farm directly.

By ship

To Tallinn harbor, via Helsinki, Stockholm, or Kiel. Then by taxi to the bus station and by bus to Virtsu, where guests will be picked up. For a fee, guests can be picked up at Tallinn harbor terminal and brought to the farm directly.

By bus

To Tallinn or Pärnu bus station, via Riga, Kaunas, Kaliningrad, Berlin, or St. Petersburg. Then by local bus to Virtsu, where guests will be picked up. For a fee, guests can be picked up at Tallinn or Pärnu bus station and brought to the farm directly.

By car

Drive in the direction of Virtsu (port town on the west coast of Estonia). After passing the sign for Komsi (about 10 km before Virtsu), start looking for the sign Pivarootsi. Turn to the left in the direction of Pivarootsi. After 1 km, turn left again in the direction of Pivarootsi (sign). You are on a gravel road now. Drive 5.5 km until the sign POLLI TALU Loominguline Keskus (meaning Arts Center in Estonian) and turn left again. The first farm on the left side is the Arts Center. Parking is provided beyond the central courtyard.

Restoration Process

1995 — Analysis and Planning

Original functions of the buildings

• The Main House, built partly of wood and partly of stone, combined living quarters, hayloft and threshing den under one roof.
• The Storehouse had four individual chambers for storing textiles, salted meat and fish, grains and flour, and tools.
• The Hay Barn served exclusively as hay storage.
• The Stable housed cattle and other farm animals and served also as hay storage.
• The Shed was used to brew and store homemade beer.
• The Root Cellar was used to store farmed crops.

When Polli Talu was purchased in 1995, all buildings were in need of restoration and the thatched roofs in need of replacement.

Planned transformation of the buildings

• Restoration of the Main House to provide office space, staff bedrooms, a commercial kitchen, a dining room, and two bathrooms.
• Restoration of the Storehouse to house the Guest Quarters with rooms to accommodate 1, 2, 4, and 5 beds, respectively.
• Demolition of the Hay Barn to make room for the construction of a brand-new Dance Studio to be constructed with local materials and, to the extent practicable, traditional Estonian building techniques.
• Restoration of the Stable to be transformed into an Art Studio providing a well-lighted open workspace, a workshop, sleeping loft, kitchen, and bathroom facilities.
• Restoration of the Shed to store all farming tools and curiosities found during the restoration process.
• Restoration of the Root Cellar to allow storage of farmed crops.

1996 — Restoration of Existing Buildings

Main House

• Demolition of existing pantry
• New addition built to house bathroom
• Restoration of vestibule
• New thatched roof
• Insulation of roof and exterior walls
• New electrical wiring and indoor plumbing
• Sleeping loft above kitchen
• Replacing clay floor with wooden floor in kitchen
• Restoration of wood-burning stove and oven
• New windows for kitchen

1997 — Restoration of Existing Buildings

Main House

• New well and running water in kitchen
• Bathroom and flush toilet (Polli Talu’s first!)
• Ecological sewage system
• Replacing clay floor with wooden floor in dining room and staff bedrooms

Guest Quarters

• Former storehouse receives new thatched roof
• New entrances to individual chambers

Shed

• New thatched roof

1998 — Restoration and New Construction

Main House

• Limestone casing for chimney
• Three new staff bedrooms and new windows

Dance Studio

• Demolition of hay barn
• New log structure built to house dance studio
• Chimney
• 8m × 12m sprung wooden dance floor
• Electrical wiring for stage lighting system
• New thatched roof, insulated, with wooden finish on underside
• New windows and doors installed

Courtyard

• Underground electrical wiring to service entire building complex

1999 — Restoration and New Construction

Guest Quarters

• Wooden floors restored and/or replaced
• 10 wooden beds

Dance Studio

• Floors and interior walls sanded and sealed

Art Studio

• Demolition of log structure and roof of stable
• Pouring of new concrete footings
• Reinforcing existing stone walls
• New log structure built on reinforced stone walls
• Chimney and new thatched roof

2000 — Restoration and New Construction

Main House

• Second bathroom
• Boiler room/pantry

Dance Studio

• Installation of 12-dimmer stage lighting system

Art Studio

• New interior walls and lofts
• Insulation of roof, wooden finish applied to underside
• Electrical work in workshop, studio, kitchen, and bathroom
• Floor and ceiling beams installed and insulated
• Indoor plumbing and stucco applied to exterior walls
• Doors installed

2001 — Restoration and New Construction

Art Studio

• Windows and wooden floors
• Sanding and sealing of floors and interior walls
• Interior stairs
• Connecting kitchen and bathroom to water supply and sewage system
• Tiling the bathroom and kitchen
• Fixtures, appliances and furnishings in kitchen and bathroom
• Basic furniture and lighting fixtures for studio
• Painting exterior stucco wall

Grounds

• Cutting undergrowth in Park

2002 — New Construction

Sauna / Writer’s Studio

• Foundation poured
• Limestone footing built
• Log structure built
• Rafters built

Grounds

• Clearing undergrowth in paths

Press

Blossfeldt brings the World to Polli’s

Article in Estonian by Tiit Tuumalu, Postimees (national daily) September 28, 2001

Blossfeldt toob maailma Pollile

Reede 28.09.2001

Selle taustal, mis sünnib Läänemaal Rame külas, tunduvad poliitikute sõnavõtud regionaalpoliitikast õõnsad. Kuue aastaga on Marika Blossfeldt Virtsu külje all paiknevas viie suitsuga külakeses üles ehitanud Polli talu loomingulise keskuse, kus võib tunda maailmakultuuri hõngu.

Mõned kilomeetrid enne Virtsut näitab teeviit Pivarootsi peale. Rame küla ei jää siit kaugele. Kunagi läks siit lähedalt läbi Virtsu-Rapla kitsarööpmeline raudtee, mida praegu tähistab võssakasvanud teesiht. Automüra siia ei kosta, meri ja Laelatu puisniit on ukse all, sügisel lendavad üle pea aga Matsalust lõunasse siirduvad sookured.

Polli talule lähenedes ei oska arvatagi, et vana küüni vundamendile rajatud rookatusega palkelamu võiks varjata üht kvaliteetsema põrandaga tantsusaali Eestis, endises laudas tegutseb korralikult sisustatud kunstistuudio, vanasse aita on aga ehitatud külalistetoad.

1995. aastal ostetud laokil talust on Blossfeldt kujundanud keskuse, mis on võrreldav Saksamaal ja Ameerikas levinud «kunstnike kolooniatega» (artist colonies), kuhu on võimalik mõneks nädalaks ilmakära eest varjuda ja ainult loominguga tegelda.

Eestiski on Pollil omad analoogid: Kütiorus tegutsevas Avatud Ateljées askeldavad kunstnikud ja literaadid, vast-asutatud Saueaugu teatritalugi, mis asub linnulennult kõigest mõnikümmend kilomeetrit Pollist põhja pool, teisel pool Matsalu lahte, kaalub võimalust teadvustada end ka teatriõpikodade läbiviimise kohana.

«Maailmas on sellised keskused väga populaarsed, sest seal pole segavaid faktoreid; neisse minnakse selleks, et kontsentreeruda ja hommikust õhtuni intensiivselt ühe asjaga tegelda,» ütleb Blossfeldt.

Aastate jooksul on ta Pollile matnud hunnikute kaupa isiklikke sääste. Ainuüksi tantsusaali põrand maksab terve varanduse. Et oleks, mida kulutada, jagab Blossfeldt end Polli ja New Yorgi vahel. Talvel elab New Yorgis ja teenib raha, kevadest sügiseni kulutab seda Pollil.

«Ameerikaga seob mind tegelikult veel ainult teenistus,» ütleb Blossfeldt, kes on New Yorgis väiksemate pausidega elanud alates 1980. aastast. «Kui seda ei oleks, jääks Polli pooleli.»

New Yorgis on Blossfeldti leivaisaks üks maailma mõjukamaid underground-heliloojaid, ka minimalismi vanaisaks nimetatud La Monte Young, keda eestlanna assisteerib. Vähemal määral toidab teda jooga, mida Blossfeldt 1990ndate teisest poolest on õpetanud ja mille tunde annab ta ka Pollil.

Erinevalt Leigo talust, mille peremees Tõnu Tamm äsja aasta kultuurisõbraks valiti, pole Blossfeldt kunagi seadnud eesmärki, et Pollile sõidaks kontserti kuulama tuhandeid inimesi kogu Eestist.

«Kõigepealt on Polli kunstnike asundus, alles seejärel etenduste andmise koht. Kui kunstnikud tahavad Pollil valminud loomingut rahvale näidata, on neil selleks alati võimalus olemas,» selgitab Blossfeldt.

Seitsme maa ja mere taga asuva Tallinnani Pollil sünniv sageli ei jõuagi, sest reklaamipind on kallis ja vaba raha Blossfeldtil lihtsalt ei ole. Aga lõppude lõpuks pole Tallinn üldse tähtis, sest Polli tähendus on hoopis muus — see seisneb eelkõige regionaalse kultuuri väärtustamises, selles, et ka ümberkaudsetel elanikel oleks võimalus tunda end osakesena globaliseeruvast maailmast ja maailmakultuurist.

«Ma ei taha, et kõik ainult Tallinna koonduks,» räägib Blossfeldt ja loodab, et Polli talu suudab kohalike elanike jaoks väärtustada nende kodukohta.

Kui äsja Pollil lõppenud Ida-Euroopa noorte koreograafide workshop’i lõpuetendustel astusid korraga lavale läti neiu ja mongoli noormees, keda olid Pollil koolitanud ameerika õppejõud, avanes Hanila valla rahva silme ees pilt piirideta maailmast, mille keskpunkt on Rame küla.

Tõepoolest, 21. sajandil pole mingit vahet — elad sa Rame külas või New Yorgis.

Pollil esineb 90-aastane laulumemm

Äsja 90-aastaseks saanud rahvalaulik Salme Valdmets, kes elab Polli naabertalus, on markantseim esineja täna kell 17.30 algaval Polli sügisesel muusikafestivalil, mis lõpetab Polli loomingulise keskuse suvehooaja.

Valdmetsa kohtas Marika Blossfeldt memme sünnipäeval, kus too ühe laulu teise järel üles võttis ja sellega unustamatu mulje jättis. Valdmets, keda Hanila kandis elavaks ajalooks nimetatakse, on suurepärane kohaliku laulutraditsiooni tundja, kelle ammendamatust repertuaarist on osa saanud samuti Pollil üles astuv Virtsu põhikooli folkloorirühm Kullerkupud. Neile sekundeerivad festivalil Äila küla mees Vello Tüür, kes mängib akordionit, ning Viljandi Kultuurikolledzhis õppivad Tiina Reeder ja Heleriin Elmend.

Keskõõni vältava festivali teine pool, mis algab kell 20, toob Pollile aga kõrgkultuuri hõngu. Koos New Yorgi muusikute Lisa Karreri ja David Simonsiga esinevad «Lasteekraani» muusikastuudio Aarne Saluveeri juhtimisel, Setu koor Helmekaala ja ansambel Tunnetusüksus, seinale projitseeruvad kütiorglase Peeter Lauritsa pildid.

Kontserdil kõlavad katkendid 1997. aastal Niguliste kirikus ettekandele tulnud multimeediaetendusest «Pühamu». Lisaks jõuavad maailma esiettekandeni Lisa Karreri ja David Simonsi uued teosed.