Dubbed "Vaata, ma kahandasin kolhoosi" (Literally: "Look, I Shrunk the Collective Farm,") the exhibit is, as its name suggests, a model of what, in another sense, were model farms during the Soviet occupation of Estonia.

Speaking to "Prillitoos," Taavi Leola, a lecturer in occupational safety at the Tartu-based University of Life Sciences (Eesti Maaülikool), said every detail of the miniature collective farm (Estonian: Kolhoos) world, created during long evenings, tells its own story. He said the hobby began with researching his family farm's history and an interest in farm machinery.

Everything in the miniaturized area is 1/35 scale and is now on display for all to see at the Estonian Agricultural Museum (Eesti Põllumajandusmuuseum), also in Tartu.

"My interest in collective farms began when I started researching the history of my family farm. Since there were very few photographs, at some point I felt the desire to somehow recreate these things myself and imagine what life was like back then," Leola explained.

"I still try to make sure that every machine I build has some kind of story behind it—I don't just pick something at random. First I try to find a photo, study historical materials, and based on that I recreate the machines," he went on.

According to Leola, the display includes, for example, a model truck that was once used to help remove a bogged-down tank in Võru, together with a similar trailer. The miniature world also features interesting Soviet-era vehicles such as a bus and even a Tallinn department store car.

One of the first models Leola made was a motor scooter, based on his grandfather's life-size original. "The scooter was called 'Sipelgas' (English: 'Ant'). It took me two to three months to make it; but today I could finish it in a couple of days," Leola said with a smile.

Leola said he himself was born a bit too late in the Soviet era to have spent much time on the collective farm. "There was still a collective farm during my childhood, but my parents' farm was located a bit away from the collective farm center. My father worked at the agricultural academy, and my first climbing was on top of combines and other machinery. At some point my work also led me down this path. I have visited old collective farm complexes to measure and photograph them. That's where the love comes from," he went on.

There are certainly more machines and buildings which could be added to expand the miniature world, but according to Leola, at some point you have to draw a reasonable line. "You also have to deal with other things. There isn't that much space at home to fit this whole world in. A collective farm workshop, gas stations—there's still a lot that could be made," he added.

The exhibition "Vaata, ma kahandasin kolhoosi" will stay open at the Estonian Agricultural Museum for nearly a year, until February 14, 2027.

The original "Prillitoos" segment featuring Leola's collection can be viewed by clicking on the video player below.

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