ETV investigative show “Pealtnägija” looked deeper into what the phenomenon actually is.
The letters “CTAH” have recently appeared all over Tallinn, often spray-painted in black on a white or silver background, and usually in very large type.
This has led to considerable confusion — is it art, or just vandalism, or something more sinister?
Even the letters can be looked at in two different ways; in the Roman alphabet, “CTAH” is not a familiar abbreviation or initialization.
However, in the Cyrillic alphabet, which would be read as “Stan,” it makes more sense – the STAN art collective has been active in Ukraine for more than a quarter of a century now.
“Pealtnägija” tracked down one of Tallinn’s most prolific graffiti artists, a modern-day Peter Parker of sorts, who, like Spiderman, has their fair share of both critics and fans.
Almost unnoticed, the graffiti, surrounded by secrecy and mystique, has appeared on the walls of the capital’s residential districts; on seemingly inaccessible rooftops and chimneys.
One thing which is for certain is that the artist clearly puts effort into retaining a Banksy-like level of anonymity.
Another source of confusion is the four-letter combination “CTAH” itself. If in Cyrillic, what is “Stan,” a person, an abbreviation of Stanislav, just as in English it would be short for Stanley?
Some time ago, many began suspecting that Stanislav Huttunen, a lecturer at Tallinna polütehnikum and editor at ERR, was behind the works.
While he is not, the association led him to take a closer interest in the pieces and to start documenting them.
Huttunen explained more.
“Many people call me Stan, so many of my acquaintances who have seen the ‘CTAH’ graffiti have asked me if I created them. At first, I hoped it had been an enthusiastic fan, but at some point, I started noticing that these graffiti works were just everywhere, spreading across the city like a spider’s web. So I started collecting them. I ended up with 50–60 photos.”
Reportedly, the highest concentration of CTAH graffiti is in the Põhja-Tallinn (North Tallinn) district of town. “I am certain that this person lives in Põhja-Tallinn. I could be wrong, but there is so much of their work in Põhja-Tallinn that my logic leads me to this conclusion,” Huttunen induced.
Not only has Huttunen been asking who is behind the graffiti, but the topic has repeatedly resurfaced on social media recently, sparking debates: Is it “CTAH” in Estonian (i.e., the Roman alphabet) or in Russian (i.e., the Cyrillic alphabet)? And if the latter, can it be read backwards?
Since this rendition, “NATS,” means “Nazi,” the incidents could be taken as provocation.
A third theory also circulates, suggesting that the graffiti is linked to the Ukrainian art group of the same name noted above — Ukrainian uses a slightly different Cyrillic alphabet from the Russian one, but these four letters would be the same.
In an effort to clarify the matter, “Pealtnägija” consulted several experts in the field.
Lecturer and co-founder of the street art project Sodacats, Andrei Kedrin, is one of those who believes that CTAH is likely the artist or artists’ name — what is known in street art as “tagging.”
Kedrin said: “In Estonia, this would be hard to keep secret — someone certainly knows who they are, and I am quite sure they are basking in our attention. That would be very important to them. /…/ We have straight graffiti, street art, and public art. The difference being that graffiti’s primary goal is just writing one’s name — as a tag.”
This would explain the large-sized letters and prominent locations, often in hard-to-reach places.
“If it is a very popular and highly visible location, that is a big plus as they don’t do it just anywhere. Exposure is a crucial aspect —this is their illegal ‘exhibition’ and source of pride, that they were able to do it there,” Kedrin added.
According to street artist Sirla, however, the “CTAH” tags do not particularly stand out among other graffiti.
She said: “It’s a matter of taste—what appeals to who—but in my opinion, it doesn’t really stand out much. /…/ Graffiti and tagging are like a game in urban space. Those who don’t take part in this game will find it harder to understand, and it isn’t really meant for an outside audience to engage with.”
“The goal is to get one’s name out there, and in that sense, the rules are simple — the name that appears most in the city is the one which belongs to its ‘king’ or ‘winner.’ That’s the goal,” Sirla added.
Punishable creativity
“Pealtnägija” reported it is important to note that this is not merely artistic creation but a punishable offense.
In 2024, the police initiated 51 proceedings, while this year, 16 have already been opened, including one related to a “CTAH” tag on an information board at the Tallinn city boundary on its southern approaches, next to Pärnu maantee.
Additionally, the city of Tallinn alone spends nearly €30,000 annually on removing tags.
However, this does little to deter the graffiti artists. For example, “CTAH’s” trademark has even appeared on the Linnahall, a paint job which likely took several days to complete, and at least in one location in the UNESCO-protected Old Town.
Tallinn’s municipal police (MuPo) are kept extremely busy with graffiti notifications as it is.
Chief inspector of MuPo city center district Jaanus Kivi and his colleagues have apprehended and held several aerosol artists accountable, but in the grand scheme of things, this is tilting at windmills somewhat.
MuPo does not have as extensive powers as the national Police and Border Guard Board (PPA), for one thing.
Kivi said: “Graffiti artists are not foolish — they work at night in the dark, in locations out of the reach of cameras. I know they even have their own lookout to monitor the surroundings and ensure no one approaches.”
Kivi said he has worked for MuPo for 15 years and witnessed multiple generations of street artists come and go during that time
“I recall that about four to five years ago, there were figures like ‘Grek’ and ‘DJ Tiine Rott’,” he said.
Readers in Tallinn may have noticed the “Tiine Rott” (literally “pregnant rat”) tag themselves.
“After an article in Eesti Ekspress, they disappeared — I haven’t seen their tags in the city since. But now ‘Kid 1’ and a few others have emerged: Nature abhors a vacuum after all,” Kivi added.
The “DJ Tiine Rott” tag frequently comes up in discussions with experts and insiders, as this operator seems to share similarities with “CTAH.”
The creator’s simple graffiti tags covered everything from Tallinn’s older wooden houses to walls as far afield as Rakvere.
Until Eesti Ekspress tracked down the culprits and revealed that the work was being carried out not by one, but by two youths — one genuinely a DJ and the other his underage friend helping to promote his budding music career on city walls.
Since avoiding detection is the name of the game, much of the work gets done at under cover of darkness, which in turn takes its toll.
Sirla took up the story.
“Graffiti needs a lot of dedication. You have to spend many sleepless nights on the streets, not just painting but also planning things. Your mind is constantly ticking over — where can I paint next? It’s more of a lifestyle than simply a hobby.”
The elusive ‘CTAH’
For weeks, “Pealtnägija” tried to track down “CTAH” but hit a wall. However, something of a portrait of “CTAH” pieced together from the fragments of information obtained, would look like this:
He or she is Russian-speaking, young enough to scale chimneys and billboards, but likely not a teenager. Some sources suggest they might even come from a wealthy family, allowing for the time and resources for their work. Despite that, they reside in North Tallinn, despite gentrification still not the most salubrious area of town.
The artist’s identity might be one thing. But what matters to Stanislav, who collects the photos of the artist’s creation, is understanding the message the artist intends to convey.
“Yes, to me, it does seem like firing aimlessly into the air. Why make such an effort if there is no deeper meaning?” Huttunen inquired.
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