We are MTÜ Kohila Paberivabrik ("NGO Kohila Paper Mill"), a small group of enthusiasts with a bold vision to revive a century-old industrial facility that once was the heart of the Kohila community and the best-known source of paper in Estonia, and turn it into an attractive multifunctional creative space!
Many generations of the same family used to work in this mill, making white drawing paper, wrapping paper, wallpaper, exercise books, etc. For the last 20 years the mill that was built when the Russian Tsar still ruled the lands has been abandoned, its walls slowly crumbling towards oblivion. It has a magnificent location - on the bank of a dammed lake created by the Keila river, opposite the historic Kohila Manor and its historic ensemble of buildings. Estonia may have had the first paperless government and spurred a host of digital startups, but on the flipside spelled an end to local paper-making. However, the buildings that supported this industry have remained...
One Spring day we embarked on an excursion into the depths of this brick-beast - what we witnessed inside was nothing short of the sensory equivalent of the nectar of Gods with a side-taste of dust and crumbles. We found a magnificent cathedral-like concert hall, a divinely smelling bakery shop, an arched-ceiling exhibition hall, a tall-windowed conference hall, a ceramics gallery fitted with floor-to-ceiling racks, third-floor atelier rooms with amazing ambience, guest apartments with views overlooking the lake, a roof terrace with naturally-growing trees, a sunset-lit café built out of dismantled chimney stones and so on - all in our dreams, of course.
But beyond dreams, we saw the potential to actually restore and use some of these rooms. So we rang up curators in our networks and offered to use the mill as a venue for their activities - just to try it out. Let our track record be the judge of our success - last year the Paper Mill hosted both the Kohila International Wood Fired Ceramics Symposium and the TAKKK Environmental Art Symposium, as well as a Fathers' Day fair and a recent Christmas fair where we counted 500 visitors.
During COVID times we have seen a surge of interest for new, undiscovered destinations that can offer unique experiences outside the cities. Our towns can just no longer keep up with the yearning for new discoveries and places. Kohila Paper Mill fits this demand perfectly - with its grand industrial dimensions set in a historic milieu and just 30 km from the capital Tallinn, well-connected by train and bus, the mill is poised to become a community and cultural space where hosting theatre plays, exhibitions, cinema, cafés, seminars, workshops, etc. would draw visitors far and wide on a regular basis.
All dreams start off small - the first space in this complex that we have opened to the public is the so-called pulp & fibre hall. We've already brought in electricity lines, laid a new floor made from repurposed chimney bricks, installed new windows and a door. This bare minimum allows us to host simple events like fairs. To make the room usable as an event or art space and to host more people, there is a dire need for ventilation and removal of loose debris on the walls and ceilings, as well as anti-corrosion maintenance of the iron pillars and beams supporting this lovely arched room. As all previous events have been organised through volunteering efforts, we are running short of funds to continue the restoration of this first leg of our ambitious project. This is why we have turned to Hooandja - to ask for your faith in our project so we could boost the range of activities that we can host in this room!
We have split this fundraiser in two:
- the first stage is to raise funds for purchasing ventilation equipment - the most critical requirement for a healthy, safe interior environment
- the second stage is to raise funds for removal of small loose debris on the walls, ceiling, and anti-corrosion works on the iron pillars and beams
If successful, we plan to complete the above activities by mid-April, just in time to kick off the summer season.
All our supporters will receive their thank-you awards within two weeks from the end of the fundraiser, i.e. in the first two weeks of March. Invitations to "action days" (talgud) will be sent via e-mail when we know when and what is needed to act upon during these days. Once we have a programme of events, we will e-mail the free admission tickets to the respective supporters. Thank you so much!
