25
years passed from re-establishing ferry connection between Estonia and Sweden
Juhan Tere, BC,
Tallinn, 29.06.2015.
Tallinn-Stockholm
shipping line had an anniversary on June 17th 2015 – on the same date 25 years
ago in 1990 with the first trip of the ferry Nord Estonia the regular ferry
connection between Estonia and Sweden was re-established after a pause of 50
years, reported BC the port’s press service.
„The re-establishment of the Tallinn-Stockholm
line 25 years ago was of significant importance for both, Estonians and Swedes,
“ described Hans Laidwa, the initiator of the shipping line and a man, who had
to leave Estonia as a refugee when he was one year old. „Despite all the
difficulties that were connected to the bureaucracy of the time and rules
regulating the communication with the outside world, we together with Estonian
partners were able to establish a new shipping line within 1.5 years”.
According to
Port of Tallinn’s Chairman of the Management Board Ain Kaljurand the ferry
connection with Stockholm has been a priority of Port of Tallinn’s passenger
traffic, also a factor that has influenced port developments during all those
years and also nowadays.
“The establishment
of the Stockholm line carries on a story of Estonian seamen’s and maritime
people’s entrepreneurial mind and their perseverance of finding possibilities
despite the difficulties,” said Kaljurand. “Connecting Estonia and Sweden 25
years ago was during that time of change a step of great importance for both
countries, and it serves as a particularly good example of the skill of finding
from historical opportunities those possibilities that bring benefits in the
future and seem almost self-evident when looking back.”
Hans Laidwa,
who during that time worked as a director of the sub company of the Nordström
& Thulin shipping line, started to look for possibilities of establishing
the line in January 1989, whereas he got help with the contacts from the leader
of the Swedish Moderate Party Carl Bildt, who became the Prime Minister of
Sweden in 1991. In spring the same year, the public was also informed about the
wish to establish the shipping line.
“With many
things we had to start from zero – build terminals to Tallinn and Stockholm,
get the ship and negotiate with the Soviet officials until they agreed to allow
Swedes to visit Tallinn visa-free, which during that time seemed almost as an
unbelievable breakthrough,” Laidwa recalled.
The new
shipping line was named EstLine and the ship sailing the line was named Nord
Estonia. The vessel left Stockholm first time in June 17th, 1990.
“The ship’s
arrival to Tallinn was really festive. We were welcomed by folk musicians and
people wearing Estonian national clothes gave passengers Estonian national
flowers – cornflowers as a welcoming present,” said Laidwa. “The symbolic
opening event of the shipping line was held in the evening of June 17th on
board of Nord Estonia, during which the Speaker of the Swedish Parliament of the
time, Thage G. Peterson, and his Estonian colleague Ülo Nugis platted together
the ribbon that had colours of both countries’ national flags represented.”
By today, a
total of 13 million people have travelled on the line between Stockholm and
Tallinn. The line that originally started out with one ferry has now two
Tallink ferries sailing every day, with daily departures from both capitals.
During the
shipping line’s 25th anniversary celebration the Swedish Ambassador Anders
Ljunggren, the initiator of the line Hans Laidwa, Port of Tallinn’s Chairman of
the Management Board Ain Kaljurand, the Captain of the ferry Victoria I Meelis
Puura and Port of Tallinn’s Harbour Master Ülo Kikas welcomed the passengers of
Victoria I, the ship that arrived to Tallinn on Wednesday, June 17th, 2015.
