Photo exhibition celebrating Olaf Sööt’s 95th birthday opening at Tallinn Botanic Garden

On his 95th birthday on 2 June, mountaineer Olaf Sööt is opening a new exhibition “On Mountain Trails from Alaska to Tierra del Fuego“ at the Tallinn Botanic Garden’s Palm House, inviting everyone to experience a part of his travels.

The precision of an engineer, the spirit of a traveller and the keen eye of a nature photographer – over the decades, these three traits have carried Olaf Sööt across mountains and great distances, taking him from Alaska to Patagonia, from the Arctic to Antarctica.

Endless expanses and intimate moments, the pristine beauty of nature and man’s seeking spirit come together in the exhibition’s photographs. These are stories of light and shadow, of tall peaks and deep valleys, of the silence of mountains and the drama of stormy skies. Olaf’s decades-long journey across mountains, seas and corners of the world are captured in images that tell stories of the grandeur of nature, the courage of dreams and the warmth of friendship.

On his journeys, Olaf has been accompanied by his dear wife Gitta, as well as good friends Jüri Tint and Rein Grabbi. Together, they have travelled to places where few go – where the winds sing and the mountains speak the language of ancient times. Every photograph in this exhibition carries with it memory, gratitude, patience and a genuine joy in discovering, noticing and recording.

The opening of the exhibition will also include a screening of Olaf’s poetic multimedia presentation “McKinley and Furthest Alaska” – a panoramic film of mountain splendour, solitude and light.

The opening of the exhibition will be on 2 June 2025 at 14:00 in the Palm House of Tallinn Botanic Garden (Kloostrimetsa tee 52).
The exhibition will remain open until 31 July.

The Tallinn Botanic Garden’s Palm House is open every day at 11:00-19:00.