Today marks 60 years since the reopening of the regular passenger ferry service between Tallinn and Helsinki – a significant and symbolic milestone in Estonian-Finnish relations. The Port of Tallinn is marking the anniversary with several events, highlighting the important role of the ferry service in promoting cooperation between the two countries.
The history of the Tallinn–Helsinki ferry service dates back to the 19th century, but political circumstances interrupted its continuity during World War II. Regular passenger ferry service between the two cities was reopened in the summer of 1965 – the moment when people, ideas and goods began to move along the sea route again. It was the only legal and permanent window to the West for the then Soviet Estonia.
One of the leaders of the reopening of the ferry service can be considered Finnish President Urho Kaleva Kekkonen, who, while visiting Estonia in 1964, expressed explicit support for the restoration of the ferry connection between Tallinn and Helsinki in an interview given to Estonian Television. This came to pass on 7 July 1965, when the Bulgarian-built motor ship Vanemuine set off on its maiden voyage from Tallinn’s Commercial Port to Helsinki. The next day, the first 100 Finnish passengers arrived in Estonia, including several top Finnish politicians of the time. The ferry service remained open until the end of September, and in its first season, over 10,000 people travelled on the route, using Vanemuine and the Finnish ship Wellamo, which joined the line on 9 July.
Valdo Kalm, Chairman of the Board of the Port of Tallinn, notes: “Today, the Tallinn-Helsinki shipping route is one of the busiest international sea routes in Europe, used by millions of passengers every year. The shipping route plays an important role in economic cooperation between Estonia and Finland, labor mobility, the development of the tourism sector and maintaining cultural ties. This route does not just connect two capitals – it connects people, families and companies. It is also an important part of the regional logistics network, which helps Estonia and Finland stay connected to the whole world.”
The Tallinn–Helsinki route is served by three shipping companies – Tallink, Viking Line and Eckerö Line, whose five ships – MyStar, MegaStar, Victoria I, Viking XPRS and Finlandia – are alternately supplemented by Cinderella and Gabriella during the summer high season. During the peak season, 14 trips depart from Tallinn to Helsinki and vice versa per day, and in July alone the number of passengers exceeds one million. Last year, 7.23 million passengers travelled on the route, and in 2019, before the crisis, 8.8 million. Nearly half of the passengers on the Tallinn–Helsinki route are Finnish citizens and a quarter are Estonian citizens.
Cooperation between the ports of Tallinn and Helsinki, the two neighboring cities and shipping companies is increasingly close. As part of the Estonian-Finnish Green Corridor project, which began in October 2023, 19 joint projects have been mapped out to make the customer journey between Tallinn and Helsinki even more attractive and more environmentally friendly and to contribute to the recovery of the number of passengers and the growth of trade. Among the projects are, for example, preparations for introducing a fully electric ship to the line, the introduction of zero-emission service vehicles in ports, improving waste management, as well as improving light traffic routes and developing bicycle tourism.
The Port of Tallinn is celebrating the landmark anniversary of the shipping line on Monday, July 7, with several events:
- At 15:00, Opening of benches dedicated to captains by the Admiralty pool – a tribute to legendary Estonian captains. Among others, Captain Ülo Kollo will be immortalized, who was the senior mate of Vanemuine in 1965 and later the long-term captain of the legendary Georg Ots.
- At 18:00, Estonia’s largest open-air memory game – a memory game open to all interested parties will take place next to the A-terminal of the Old City Harbour, conducted by TV legend and memory game enthusiast Tarmo Tiisler. The questions have been prepared by Kristjan Jääts (Sprodipilet), Timo Tarve and Enn Eesmaa and focus on the history, culture and maritime connections. The awards are presented by Prisma, Viking Line, Eckerö Line and Tallink.
- At 21:00, the Musical Stand-up by Sten Erik Allikas will continue.
- At 21:30, Pop-up open-air cinema – the evening culminates with a shared film experience: a screening of the humorous Finnish feature film “100 liters of home beer” (100 liters of sahtia), presented by Tallink Grupp and organized by Elektriteater.
All events are free of charge. See also: https://www.vanasadam.ee/tallinn-helsingi-60/
(Source: https://www.ts.ee/tallinn-helsingi-laevaliin-tahistab-taasavamise-60-aastapaeva/)
