Lake Ülemiste
Encyclopedia
Lake Ülemiste is the largest of the lakes surrounding Tallinn
, Estonia
. Ülemiste is where most of the city gets its drinking water from. The lake is fed mostly by Kurna stream and Pirita River
(through Vaskjala-Ülemiste canal).
Lennart Meri Tallinn Airport is located on the eastern shore
of the lake and aircraft
regularly take off and land over the lake. The airport maintains the necessary equipment ready to tow out in a short time any aircraft that crashes into the lake, as required by ICAO
regulations.
The Tallinn Water Company, AS Tallinna Vesi, has a treatment plant on the North shore of the lake which supplies 90% of the water to the city. The remaining 10% comes from ground water wells which, whilst are not necessary as the lake can supply the entire city, are nevertheless maintained as a backup in case the lake ever became contaminated. Such a risk is not trivial considering the proximity of Tallinn Airport to the lake.
On 18 March 2010 a DHL
Antonov
An-26 aircraft made an emergency landing on the ice of Lake Ülemiste and 1,5 tons of fuel leaked into the water. Fortunately all of the pollution was eventually removed, and none of the 6 crew members were injured.
, it is believed to be one of the boulders Linda
was supposed to carry to Kalev
's grave at Toompea
, but which fell off her apron. She sat on the boulder and cried, thus creating the lake.
The legendary-mythological "Ülemiste Elder" is believed to live in the lake. If anyone should meet him, then he is believed to ask: "Is Tallinn ready yet?". If then the other person answered "yes", then he would flood the city. Thus, the correct answer would be: "No, there is much to be done yet".
This tale is sometimes viewed as an explanation why Tallinn is building/growing all the time. Because otherwise the city will get flooded. It is said that the top of the SEB Pank building in the city appears as it does in honour of this legend, so that when the Ülemiste Elder looks at Tallinn from the lake, he will believe that the city is still under construction.
Tallinn
Tallinn is the capital and largest city of Estonia. It occupies an area of with a population of 414,940. It is situated on the northern coast of the country, on the banks of the Gulf of Finland, south of Helsinki, east of Stockholm and west of Saint Petersburg. Tallinn's Old Town is in the list...
, Estonia
Estonia
Estonia , officially the Republic of Estonia , is a state in the Baltic region of Northern Europe. It is bordered to the north by the Gulf of Finland, to the west by the Baltic Sea, to the south by Latvia , and to the east by Lake Peipsi and the Russian Federation . Across the Baltic Sea lies...
. Ülemiste is where most of the city gets its drinking water from. The lake is fed mostly by Kurna stream and Pirita River
Pirita River
The Pirita River is a long river in northern Estonia that drains into the Gulf of Finland in Pirita, Tallinn. The basin area of Pirita is 799 km²....
(through Vaskjala-Ülemiste canal).
Lennart Meri Tallinn Airport is located on the eastern shore
Shore
A shore or shoreline is the fringe of land at the edge of a large body of water, such as an ocean, sea, or lake. In Physical Oceanography a shore is the wider fringe that is geologically modified by the action of the body of water past and present, while the beach is at the edge of the shore,...
of the lake and aircraft
Aircraft
An aircraft is a vehicle that is able to fly by gaining support from the air, or, in general, the atmosphere of a planet. An aircraft counters the force of gravity by using either static lift or by using the dynamic lift of an airfoil, or in a few cases the downward thrust from jet engines.Although...
regularly take off and land over the lake. The airport maintains the necessary equipment ready to tow out in a short time any aircraft that crashes into the lake, as required by ICAO
International Civil Aviation Organization
The International Civil Aviation Organization , pronounced , , is a specialized agency of the United Nations. It codifies the principles and techniques of international air navigation and fosters the planning and development of international air transport to ensure safe and orderly growth...
regulations.
The Tallinn Water Company, AS Tallinna Vesi, has a treatment plant on the North shore of the lake which supplies 90% of the water to the city. The remaining 10% comes from ground water wells which, whilst are not necessary as the lake can supply the entire city, are nevertheless maintained as a backup in case the lake ever became contaminated. Such a risk is not trivial considering the proximity of Tallinn Airport to the lake.
On 18 March 2010 a DHL
DHL
DHL Express is a division of the German logistics company Deutsche Post providing international express mail services. DHL is a world market leader in sea and air mail....
Antonov
Antonov
Antonov, or Antonov Aeronautical Scientist/Technical Complex , formerly the Antonov Design Bureau, is a Ukrainian aircraft manufacturing and services company with particular expertise in the field of very large aircraft construction. Antonov ASTC is a state-owned commercial company...
An-26 aircraft made an emergency landing on the ice of Lake Ülemiste and 1,5 tons of fuel leaked into the water. Fortunately all of the pollution was eventually removed, and none of the 6 crew members were injured.
Mythology and fiction
In the lake there is boulder called Lindakivi ("Linda's rock"). In Estonian mythologyEstonian mythology
Estonian mythology is a complex of myths belonging the Estonian folk heritage and literary mythology.Information about the pre-Christian and medieval Estonian mythology is scattered in historical chronicles, travellers' accounts and in ecclesiastical registers...
, it is believed to be one of the boulders Linda
Linda (Estonian mythology)
In the Estonian mythology and Kreutzwald's epic "Kalevipoeg", Linda was the mother of Kalevipoeg and the wife of Kalev.She has given the name to several Estonian locations, including the Lindakivi in Lake Ülemiste...
was supposed to carry to Kalev
Kalev (mythology)
In Estonian mythology and Kreutzwald's epic poem "Kalevipoeg", King Kalev was the father of King Kalevipoeg and the husband of Linda.Toompea, a hill in the centre of Tallinn, was said to be the tumulus over his grave, erected by Linda in memory of him. It is now Estonia's centre of government.In an...
's grave at Toompea
Toompea
Toompea is a limestone hill in the central part of the city of Tallinn, the capital of Estonia. The hill is an oblong tableland, which measures about 400 by 250 metres, has an area of and is about 20–30 metres higher than the surrounding areas...
, but which fell off her apron. She sat on the boulder and cried, thus creating the lake.
The legendary-mythological "Ülemiste Elder" is believed to live in the lake. If anyone should meet him, then he is believed to ask: "Is Tallinn ready yet?". If then the other person answered "yes", then he would flood the city. Thus, the correct answer would be: "No, there is much to be done yet".
This tale is sometimes viewed as an explanation why Tallinn is building/growing all the time. Because otherwise the city will get flooded. It is said that the top of the SEB Pank building in the city appears as it does in honour of this legend, so that when the Ülemiste Elder looks at Tallinn from the lake, he will believe that the city is still under construction.