Growing smaller? Lessons from Ida-Virumaa

In Ida-Virumaa, a region that once was a home to numerous vibrant settlements sustained by the oil shale mining industry which brought many people to the area, significant signs of shrinkage have emerged following the industry’s decline.

Today, a significant number of  people are relocating, often leaving behind only the memory of a home. As part of our research on the urban landscape of Ida-Virumaa, we spent a day exploring some abandoned properties in Kiviõli, Kohtla-Järve and Jõhvi. Many of these homes continue to contain an abundance of personal items and unspoken stories that reveal not only the past, but also the potential future of the region. Our exhibition will guide  you through the series of seven exhibits all over EKA, each offering a unique perspective on the transitioning identity of Ida-Virumaa.

From installations and maps to TikTok, our projects explore diverse ways of showcasing the everyday of shrinking communities and their ongoing transformation. Through stories of dachas, renovation efforts and the everyday struggles of youth and seniors, we confront the challenges of decline. This includes the sense of entrapment experiences by individuals and their mental health challenges that often stem from systemic failure. At the same time, we search for the possibility of sparks and moments of light in these shrinking places. Our work aims to give insight on both the challenges and the resilience found in these spaces, where accessibility, support and opportunity remain crucial for people of all ages.

SAVE THE DATE!
2nd of May, 15:00 in the open area of A-400.

Projects:

Does the JTF really LNOB?

Annabel Pops, Paula Fischer

The Just Transition Fund is the latest effort under the European Green Deal to ease the burden of the transition from oil shale mining on the workers and regions. Ida-Virumaa is the region in Estonia to receive funding, and one that finds itself between a negative view on the mining industry’s past and a somewhat overly optimistic vision of the future. By questioning the justness of the transition, we are mapping out the new narratives positioned upon the region and ask critically, if the forthcoming change will really LNOB (leave no one behind).

#IdaIsHome

Anna Dzebliuk, Melissa Lee

After visiting Ida-Virumaa, we noticed a deep sense of care among its residents even though this place may often be labelled as “shrinking”. This research explores how perceptions of “home” and ground-up initiatives can support local resilience. TikTok became a tool to test how digital storytelling and informal media can spark dialogue around identity, belonging and the everyday realities of so-called “shrinking” cities. By tapping into a space where many young people already express themselves, we asked: can social media help reimagine these places not as abandoned, but as alive with care, creativity and potential?

Dachniki for Future

Yiğithan Akçay, Sarah John von Zydowitz

Dachas, the iconic countryside retreats of the former Soviet Union, have a rich and complex history serving as both leisure spaces and essential sources of food production. Today dachas function not only as places of leisure but also as social and ecological safety nets. They provide a contrast to urban community gardens, offering more autonomy and stronger intergenerational connections. We visited three Dacha allotment garden cooperatives to get into contact with Dachnikis through letters, asking about their commoning and community practices.

Shifting the Narrative: “Chronic” Struggles of Renovation

Ləman Məmmədli, Viktorija Kolomažņikova

Declining towns have become a reality in regions of eastern Estonia. They have been mostly dependent on heavy industries such as oil shale mining to support their economies. In pursuit of reducing climate damages, such areas that produce fossil fuels have been left in a tricky situation. This industry is planned to be phased out completely soon and replaced with more environmentally sustainable options. In order to make the transition smoother, different grants and funds have been allocated to these areas. These allocations were supposed to create more job opportunities, develop the urban fabric and infrastructure, and improve the living conditions of the citizens. However, through a deeper dive struggles of a senior demographic, especially with the housing renovations, become apparent. This research aims to identify, analyze, and possibly open up a larger discussion on the issues faced by elderly communities when it comes to the topic of renovating their homes and improving their quality of life in shrinking cities.

Decades of Slow Retreat:short leap to social realities and mental health condition

Adeolu Afolabi, Zoë Lipp

Mental health is often the silent echo of long-term neglect. In shrinking regions like Ida-Virumaa—where buildings stand half-empty, the population ages, and public spaces quietly disappear—the impact isn’t just demographic; it’s emotional. Missing park benches, broken stairwells, and fading services aren’t just details—they shape how people live, connect, and endure. This game transforms these everyday realities into tangible experiences. Through each event card, we open a window into the lives of those navigating the in-betweens: between generations, between collapsing systems, between floors in buildings without elevators. Most residents don’t break—they adapt. But the strain leaves its mark, even when no one talks about it. By playing, reflecting, and stepping into these roles, we’re reminded that mental health is not just personal—it’s spatial, social, and political. And sometimes, a warm bowl of soup, a fixed light bulb, or simply an unlocked door is enough to hold a community together.

Trapped at one’s own home

Anna Böhmová, Hanna Steckl

By visiting an old man’s home in Kivioli, Ida-Virumaa, we delved into the topics and problems faced by the elderly in this region. By exploring the health care and financial situation, we came to the issue of the accessibility of Soviet-era apartment blocks. Most of the elderly in this area live in these houses, which are up to five floors high and have no elevators. For many of these people, it is not possible to move anywhere else, and therefore, they end up trapped in their homes. They have nowhere to go, but their current home doesn’t allow them to engage with daily needs and activities. We explore this topic by discussing different possible solutions- some are physical, and some are more on an imaginative level…

Yes / No / Other

Lukas Laubre, Katrīna Stīna Jesikena

With the changing of the guard over thirty years ago, some have found themselves in the middle of a major international dispute forced to choose sides between two or more parents bickering for their loyalty, allegiance. “Yes / No / Other” explores the tough questions these people are forced to answer every day. Questions that, for the sake of supposed national security (of the right side), reach deep into the most private of spheres: identity, domestic life, ideology. In reality, most would rather be left alone and are at best indifferent to these issues. But the questions keep coming, relentlessly and one-sidedly, as if loyalty were a simple box to check and a lifetime of complexity could be conveniently filed away — while others, with the right passports or the right surnames, live freely without ever being harassed.

Urban Studies Urban Models course, tutored by Keiti Kljavin & Johanna Holvandus