Paldiski
Paldiski, historically Rogervik ( swedish Rågervik ) and Baltischport (Russian Балтийский Порт / Baltijski port) is a port city in north- western Estonia in Harju County. It is located approximately 50 km west of Tallinn.
- 3.1 Structures
- 3.2 Natural Monuments
Geography
Paldiski is on the Pakri peninsula. The city precedes the Pakri Islands.
History
Paldiski was founded as a Swedish fishing village Rågervik. After Russia had the Great conquered under Tsar Peter the Baltic States, was established in 1718 in the Pakribucht the foundation for a naval base, whose construction lasted until 1770. 1761, the place of Empress Catherine II in Baltischport (Russian Валтийский Порт / Baltijski port) has been renamed, which later became the Estonian name Paldiski was, in 1933, was officially. 1783 was granted town rights of the place. Baltijski port was as ice-free port for a long time " home port " of Reval (now Tallinn ) and Saint Petersburg, especially in winter. Therefore, here also the oldest railway line in Estonia was conducted, as the Baltic Railway ( Балтийская железная дорога ) was opened in 1870 and Baltijski port connected via Reval and Narva with St. Petersburg.
In the port city Baltischport ( Paldiski ) on the Gulf of Finland, the German Emperor Wilhelm II and Czar Nicholas II of Russia met for talks on July 4, 1912.
During the first Estonian independence was Paldiski 1922-1939 free port and a popular holiday resort for many artists.
1939 forced the Soviet Union to set up a military base in Paldiski. 1941 to 1944 was followed by the German occupation. Then Paldiski was until 1989 nuclear-powered along with the Pakri Islands an important military base and submarine port of the Soviet armed forces and since the 1960s the training center for the crews submarines. The entire military system covered an area of 65 km ².
Estonia was due to its economic situation and lack of know -how at first unable to solve the urgent tasks alone. On the initiative of the Swedish Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Swedish Radiation Protection Institute, SSI, therefore, in 1994 the Paldiski International Expert Reference Group ( PIERG ) was established to provide the necessary assistance for the removal of environmental damage on an international basis.
Exercise - reactor nuclear power plant
1968 70 MW training reactor was put into operation on which the operation of a submarine reactor is built. 1982 followed by a second 90 -MW reactor. The city was virtually cut off as so-called " closed city " of the civilian outside world, and the people needed special permits to leave. To outsiders, it was virtually impossible to get inside.
Both training reactors were shut down permanently in 1989. The removal of the spent fuel was completed in 1994. The nuclear- fuel-free reactors were included in each of a " sarcophagus ". Following an agreement between Estonia and Russia, the responsibility for the site, including their remaining radioactive waste and contaminated equipment was handed over to Estonia on 30 September 1995. For this, the company was founded ALARA.
Population Development
In Soviet times, lived in Paldiski around 16,000 members of the Soviet army. After the withdrawal of the soldiers in the early 1990s, the population dropped to around 4,000 today. Yet still make Russians the majority of the population.
Culture and sights
Structures
In the near Paldiski is the former stronghold Rogervik in which the convicted person of the Russian peasant rebellions were imprisoned from 1755-1756 and 1773-1775. Among the most well-known former inmates include Yemelyan Ivanovich Pugachev and Salavat Yulaev.
From the time of the Soviet occupation between 1941 and 1944 and 1991, a significant number of unused military buildings today that are distributed in and around Paldiski.
The Orthodox St.Georgskirche was built from 1784 to 1787. Due to the large number of Orthodox believers in Paldiski the construction of a new and larger church is planned.
Natural Monuments
See Pakri Peninsula.
Economy and infrastructure
Today Paldiski is a stronghold of the Estonian Navy, but in addition also a major export port that remains ice-free even in winter. The Paldiski South Harbour is since 1993 part of the Tallinn port complex. Conversely Hitting be especially ro-ro cargo, timber, fertilizers, scrap metal and peat. There is a regular cargo transportation by sea to Britain, Germany, Poland, Sweden and Finland and by land ( road and rail) to Russia and other CIS countries. " Paldiski North Port " is, according to HSH Nordbank " the largest private infrastructure project in the Baltic States ".
Paldiski is connected to the Estonian railway network and is served by the Tallinn S-Bahn. There are coaches, among others, to Tallinn. The Estonian shipping company Tallink operates a ferry service between Paldiski and Kapellskar in Sweden.
Currently at Paldiski create a part by the emissions trading under the Kyoto Protocol financed wind farm. The energy output of the plant will be 56,000 MWh, which covers about one percent of the Estonian electricity consumption.
Personalities
- Amandus Adamson, sculptor ( born November 12, 1855 in Uuga Rätsepa near Paldiski, † June 26, 1929 in Paldiski )