Sportive Old Man of the Lake

“Sportive Old Man of the Lake” is a wall visual created by graphic design students of the Estonian Entrepreneurship University of Applied Sciences Mainor. It brings one of the best-known figures from Estonian folk belief into the urban space of Ülemiste City — the old man said to live in Lake Ülemiste. In the legend, the Old Man of Ülemiste threatens to flood Tallinn if the city is ever completed. In this contemporary interpretation, however, he has become an alert and athletic character who does not bring destruction, but instead encourages people on the campus to move more and make healthy choices in their everyday lives.

The original concept for the work was developed collaboratively by three students and included not only a visual solution, but also a web component and a playful element. The visuals created by Kaidi Orel were selected for use in the stairwell of Valukoja 10 and applied to the walls as stickers. In this way, the stairwell becomes more than simply a route for movement: it turns into a narrative space where a mythological figure accompanies people on their daily journey.

Ülemiste City’s sporty Old Man of the Lake connects a local legend, student creativity and an urban environment that supports health and wellbeing. In the images, the old man and his small companion move together, highlighting the importance of friendship, joy and movement. In this way, an old cautionary tale is transformed into a humorous and encouraging message: a city is not made complete by stone and glass, but by active people who bring it to life every day.