Võru

History

Võru was founded on 21 August 1784, at the request of the Empress Catherine II of Russia, by the order of Riga Governor general count George Browne, on the site of the former Võru estate as the center of the new county.

From 1797 until today, Võru has been the administrative center of the surrounding region. In the past, the county was larger than the current one and covered the entire area of Võrumaa.

In 1827, the Võru Town Hospital was opened and Friedrich Reinhold Kreutzwald, who lived and worked as a doctor in Võru from 1833 to 1877, also wrote the Estonian national epic Kalevipoeg in Võru.

The development of the town was facilitated by the Pskov-Riga railway completed in 1889, which enabled Võru to have a direct connection with Riga and St. Petersburg. As a result, trade was developed, a flour mill, a sawmill and a distillery were built. Võru became the center of the surrounding rural area.

Geography and climate

The town is situated on the shore of Lake Tamula, in the low and wide Võru-Hargla valley.

Võru has a humid continental climate (Dfb according to the Köppen climate classification) with warm summers and cold winters. Võru has one of the most continental climates in Estonia: both the temperatures of 35.6 °C (96.1 °F), the highest temperature ever recorded in the country, and −43.4 °C (−46.1 °F), 0.1 °C (0.2 °F) short of the coldest temperature ever recorded in the country (in Jõgeva), were recorded here. Precipitation is usually higher in early summer to late autumn, and lower in late winter to early spring.

Culture

The Võru Folklore Festival has been held annually in Võru in July since 1995.

Friedrich Reinhold Kreutzwald, the author of the Estonian national epic Kalevipoeg, lived in Võru from 1833 to 1877. The Kreutzwald Memorial Museum and the Võro Institute are also located in Võru.

Sports

Võru is home to Võru Stadium, the home ground of II liiga football team Võru JK.

Transport

European route E263 is the main connection with the rest of Estonia. Other roads connect Võru with Põlva, Räpina, Antsla and Valga. The Valga–Pechory railway, which passes through Võru, is currently inactive. The Võru train station is unused as of 2001.

Military

Võru is home to Taara Army Base, headquarters of the Kuperjanov Infantry Battalion.

Twin towns – sister cities

Võru is twinned with:

Notable people

Friedrich Reinhold Kreutzwald (1803–1882), Estonian writer and folklorist, the author of Estonian national epic Kalevipoeg, lived in Võru from 1833 to 1877.

Walter Beick (1883–1933), a Russian ornithologist of Baltic German descent

Priidu Puusepp (1887–1972), Estonian educator and linguist

Katrin Välbe (1904–1981), Estonian film, radio and TV actress

Moses Wolf Goldberg (1905–1964), Estonian-Jewish chemist, lived in Võru as a child.

Debora Vaarandi (1916–2007), Estonian writer and poet

Helmut Ajango (1931–2013), Estonian-American architect

Leon Sibul (1932–2007), American electrical engineer and professor of acoustics

Priit Aimla (born 1941) writer, poet, humorist and politician

Peeter Saan (born 1959), conductor, clarinet and saxophone player and military reserve officer

Marianne Mikko (born 1961), Estonian politician & MEP

Erki Pehk (born 1968), Estonian conductor and artistic director

Sulev Iva (born 1969), Võro identity advocate, founder of Võro Institute

Ain Mäeots (born 1971), Estonian actor and director

Hilje Murel (born 1975), Estonian stage, film and television actress

Sport

Erki Nool (born 1970), Estonian decathlete and politician, gold medallist at the 2000 Summer Olympics

Janno Prants (born 1973), Estonian biathlete

Priit Narusk (born 1977), Estonian cross-country skier

Meelis Kanep (born 1983), Estonian chess grandmaster

Anti Saarepuu (born 1983), Estonian cross-country skier

Kaija Udras (born 1986), Estonian cross-country skier