The unusual mosaic sidewalk was located in the Kassisaba urban region in the City Center district, in front of the building at Loode 2. However, as this is a narrow street lined mostly with two-story residential houses, the mosaic was not widely known.

Now, the local landmark has disappeared, and the section of the street that once stood out with its vibrant colors against the otherwise gray pavement has been covered with asphalt.

Architectural and urban photographer Risto Vähi told ERR that, to his knowledge, there have been local initiatives to protect the sidewalk section since the early 2000s.

"The problem is that it has never gained public attention; it has remained the domain of local residents and urban space enthusiasts," he explained.

There is also limited information about the origins of the mosaic, but Vähi has spoken with a descendant of the person who built the sidewalk. According to this source, the widely held belief that it dates back to the 1950s is incorrect. Instead, the sidewalk was commissioned in the 1920s by the then-owner of Loode 2, match factory owner Julius Trumm.

The craftsman behind the mosaic was a family acquaintance named Dürr, and the materials likely came from a ceramics workshop that once operated at the corner of Loode and Paldiski maantee. Production scraps, including shards of ceramic tiles and clay pottery, were used to construct the path.

According to Tallinn's operational information, the project was classified as sidewalk maintenance, ordered by the city's Urban Environmental and Public Works Department.

Tallinn Deputy Mayor Pärtel-Peeter Pere (Reform) issued an apology on behalf of the city for the decision to pave over the rare sidewalk, dating back to the Päts era.

However, Elari Udam, deputy director of the Urban Environmental and Public Works Department, stated that the sidewalk was asphalted at the request of local residents.

"Unfortunately, there wasn't much left of the Loode tänav mosaic that could be restored, which is why the sidewalk was paved over. Whether or not this charming section of sidewalk was excluded from heritage protection or neglected over time, it is still regrettable that we were unable to restore it. Local residents complained about the poor condition of the sidewalk and came to the city government demanding it be asphalted. Ultimately, the department agreed, as the mosaic was in poor condition. We deeply regret that restoring the mosaic was not possible," Udam explained.

He added that the department renewed its road restoration contract this year, allowing for more roads to be repaired by early October than during the entire previous year.

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