Sculpture Bronze Pig

One of the most original and at the same time famous monuments in Tartu is the bronze sculpture of a pig, situated in front of the main entrance to the city market. This attraction appeared here in 2008, yet it has blended so seamlessly into the general landscape that today, it’s quite hard to imagine the market square without it. The locals call the bronze pig Roosi.

What does the monument symbolize?

The pig statue in Tartu is placed on a metal barrel, which rests on a granite slab. Engraved on the slab are the inscriptions: “January 17th – Tõnis’s Day” and “The day of winter’s break according to the folk calendar.” In the ancient Estonian celebrations dedicated to this event, the pig held a key position.

If you take a closer look at the pig monument, you can notice that the animal’s body is divided by conditional lines into numbered fragments. Beneath the statue, on the barrel pedestal, there’s a detailed explanation of these numbers. It turns out, that this is a way of presenting information on which parts of the pig we get loin, fillet, ham, and carbonade from.

The creator of the bronze pig in Tartu is sculptor Mati Karmin. It’s also worth noting that on one side of the pedestal, a poem by the Estonian poet Indrek Hirv is quoted, in which he contrasts a man to a pig, acknowledging that the pig is far more honest, as it always remains a pig, whereas people can hide behind various facades.

Location

Other Points of Interest

• The most famous monument in Tartu is the Kissing Students fountain, located in the Town Hall Square.
• The monument to Kalevipoeg, the hero of the National epic, holds historical and symbolic significance. It was erected in memory of the events of the War of Independence.
• Men are recommended to visit the A.Le.Coq Beer World. This is a museum located on the premises of Estonia’s largest brewery.