Hearing the phrase “Wilde Tartus”, tourists ask in bewilderment: how is this possible? Then they wonder how the statue of Oscar Wilde ended up in such a good location in the center of Tartu. It is indeed an exciting story.
It is true that there is not the slightest sign that Oscar Wilde ever visited Tartu. But that’s not the point.
Oscar Wilde had no connection with Tartu during his lifetime, but now the name Wilde has a strong connection with the city. This connection started a few years ago when an energetic Irish entrepreneur (and current owner of Wilde Apartments) came up with the idea of opening a restaurant called “Wilde Irish Pub”.
Why Wilde? It was a brilliant flash of thought. Estonians are rightly proud of Oscar Wilde’s contemporary, the Estonian writer Eduard Vilde. The use of Wilde’s name was a witty play on words so that Estonian visitors would also feel at home in the new, international meeting place with a special Irish touch. And besides, who wouldn’t want to party in a “wild” pub? For various reasons, including the name, the pub became one of Tartu’s favorite places. Wilde’s time in Tartu began.
The people quickly got used to the idea that Wilde and Tartu are related. It is interesting to note that this attachment in turn began to strengthen. Wilde in Tartu didn’t just mean drinking a pint of beer in a pub. It began to celebrate the improvement of life and new hopes for the future, which led to the idea of giving the connection between Oscar Wilde, Eduard Vilde and Tartu an artistic form of expression. The project quickly took shape and found strong support from Tartu City Government as well as local residents, both Estonians and foreigners living here. The names of all supporters can currently be found on the wall board next to the entrance to the Vilde venue.
Because of that, so many exciting things have happened in Tartu, and stories about Wilde in Tartu could be told again and again. One cannot fail to note that the Wilde pub is still in its place (and Eduard Vilde’s part in the story of the two Wildes is now more emphasized), the sculpture is also in its place (being one of the most photographed places in Tartu), and the Wilde Apartments community can rightly be proud of this story .
