Our volunteer Anne-Mari Orgla works in marketing, event management, and digital solution development. In her free time, she enjoys baking sourdough bread, knitting, sewing, and hiking. At Open House Tallinn 2025, Anne-Mari volunteered as a team leader and guide assistant at the Pirita TOP building. Read about her experience here.
This year was my very first time volunteering at Open House Tallinn — and right away, in a team leader role. The whole adventure began on September 28 at the volunteer info day, when I first met some of my team members and started creating a system that would make the entire weekend smooth and enjoyable for everyone.
I set up our Messenger group so that information could move quickly and easily. Right after the info day, I shared a detailed overview: when and where the building training would take place, how the tours were scheduled, where to get materials, and which nearby sites were part of the festival. I even added a Google Maps link with all the OHT locations. I wanted everyone to feel prepared and confident.
Soon, the first challenge appeared — we didn’t have a guide who felt comfortable leading a tour in Russian. A few days later, we got great news: a new guide with excellent Russian skills joined our team. It was a small but meaningful victory that confirmed we had a motivated and supportive group.
On October 1, we had our building training, where we listened to stories from the building manager, the curator, and even artist Aleksandr, who had designed an Olympic regatta installation. Those stories truly brought the Pirita TOP to life for me. Since not everyone could attend that day, the curator arranged a second session — a perfect example of the collaborative Open House spirit.
On October 2, I finalized our tour schedule, taking into account that one of the guides had to help at Nõmme Elevator on Sunday morning with an English-language tour. Everything seemed to be in place… until the weekend arrived.
Saturday, October 11
At 9:00 AM, I headed to the Estonian Centre for Architecture to pick up our materials. I had already written to my team early that morning: “It’s very windy today — make sure to wear a hat or headband!”
By 9:30, I was there, grabbing not only my own supplies but also my teammates’ — three bags, a pile of photos, one display cube, and posters.
At 9:50, we set off toward Pirita TOP.
When we arrived, the wind was so strong it nearly blew our hats off. To secure the display cube, we got creative — a couple of ratchet straps from my car turned out to be the heroes of the weekend.
By 10:30, the first visitors had already arrived. Despite the cold wind, the atmosphere was warm and cheerful. We let people stay in the sheltered area while we did the final checks.
Then came the first hiccup: two doors we needed later for the tour were still locked because staff hadn’t arrived. A quick call to the curator confirmed that we’d just need to start the first tours along a slightly different route.
At 11:00, the English-language tour began with 12 participants. Then came another surprise — the exterior door that the group needed suddenly locked itself! Luckily, a security guard came to our rescue, and we were able to continue.
At 12:00, the Russian-language tour started, attracting 30 curious visitors. Within minutes, it became clear that fitting all the stories and details into 60 minutes was nearly impossible — Pirita TOP simply has too much history!
By 13:20, I finally had a moment to sit in the car, warm up, and grab a bite to eat — pure luxury in such a packed day.
At 17:25, we wrapped up the first day — 165 people had learned about the past, present, and future of Pirita TOP.
That evening at 19:17, I got a message: one of our Sunday guides couldn’t come — they were needed at another site. This meant we only had one Russian-speaking guide, one Estonian-English guide, and three assistants left. Luckily, one of our assistants — a fifth-year architecture student — volunteered to try the guide role.
At 22:20, she confirmed she was ready, saying preparation would be tight but she was up for the challenge. I replied during halftime of the Estonia–Italy football match: “Come in a bit later tomorrow morning so you can prepare.”
Sunday, October 12
At 9:50, I was already at Pirita TOP and sent the team our updated schedule.
By 10:20, we had set up the display cube, feedback QR codes, and made sure all the doors would stay unlocked this time.
The wind was even colder than the day before, so we decided to hold the tours in sheltered spots whenever possible.
At 11:00, the English tour began, followed by the Russian one shortly after.
At 12:00, lunch arrived — a delicious RABA! bowl, which was a much-needed energy boost.
Later, I offered to lead the next two tours myself so others could rest and listen in. One of those tours had as many as 38 participants!
At 13:20, our third assistant arrived by bike — she was scheduled to debut as a guide that day. I let her warm up and have lunch in the car before stepping into the spotlight.
At 14:00, I finished my previous tour at the Olympic Flame Square and picked up a few lost visitors on my way back. Once we reached the starting point, I joined the new guide’s talk, adding my own stories — and suddenly, we were co-hosting effortlessly.
It was the perfect moment of synergy — when two people complete each other’s thoughts mid-sentence, and the audience listens in awe. For me, it was the highlight of the entire weekend.
At 16:00, the final tour of the day began — a small but enthusiastic group with whom we had a wonderful connection.
By 17:00, we wrapped up, gathered all the materials, and even loaded the guide’s bike into my car — I just couldn’t let her cycle home in that wind.
At 17:50, we were already at the volunteer thank-you event — a warm room, good food, and great company felt like the perfect ending to a stormy but joyful weekend.
Even though the weekend brought unexpected challenges — locked doors, strong winds, last-minute changes, and plenty of ratchet straps — the strongest feeling that stayed with me was team spirit and collaboration.
I’m already looking forward to the next Open House Tallinn — maybe next time, I’ll even try being a guide myself.
