In the elegant Town Hall Square in the old town of Tartu, Estonia’s second biggest city and site of the country’s oldest, most important university, stands a statue in the middle of a fountain.
The Kissing Students portrays a young man and woman in a passionate, eternal lip-on-lip embrace, sheltered under an umbrella. On a date to be decided – Valentine’s Day would seem appropriate – the statue will be the focus of what will probably be one of the most publicised events in the 2024 European Capital of Culture programme when Tartu takes on the role.
