Avinurme

58.98527826.8625Koordinaten: 58 ° 59 'N, 26 ° 52 ' E

The village Avinurme ( Avinurme alevik ) is located in Ida -Viru county (East Wierland ) in northeastern Estonia. Avinurme is the capital of the homonymous country church Avinurme ( Avinurme vald ).

Description and History

The village has 847 inhabitants ( as of 2010). It lies on the River Avijõgi. Comes from the river, the name of the place. The historic German -language name Avinurmes is Awwinorm.

Avinurme was first mentioned in 1599 as Avinorma documented. The place is considered the Estonians as mythological home of the Estonian legendary hero Kalevipoeg.

From 1916 to 1972 drove a narrow- gauge railway, which maintained its position in Avinurme between Sonda and Mustvee. Parts of the trail at Avinurme is traversed with a museum train since 1991.

The town has now a library, a small museum and a gymnasium.

Good Avinurme

1666 the manor house was built by Avinurme. On the estate in the 18th century Baltic German publicist and later Pastor Johann Georg iron ( 1717-1779 ) was employed as a private tutor. He was one of the most vocal opponents of serfdom in the Russian Empire.

The Russian Tsar Paul I (1754-1801) gave the manor later, dating from Bautzen Karl Heinrich Kuchelbecker.

The most famous son of the town is Charles Küchelbeckers son, the poet William Kuchelbecker ( 1797-1846 ). He spent 1797 to 1808 his childhood in Avinurme. The later Decembrist tried in December 1825 to shoot the Grand Duke Michael ( 1798-1849 ), the brother of the Tsar. The death penalty for the 28-year Kuchelbecker was converted in prison and 1835 in exile. He eventually died from tuberculosis and blind beggars in Siberia. Especially his narrative Ado includes many Estonian substances and a wistful recollection of his home.

At Kuchelbecker a memorial stone in the park of the former estate. At Tsarskoe Selo Lyceum his name is on the marble plaque next to his friend and classmate Alexander Pushkin ( 1799-1837 ).

Church

The Evangelical Lutheran Church of the parish of Avinurme was built in 1906 in the style of historicism and consecrated in November 1908. It was built according to the plans of the architect of Riga Wilhelm von Stryk ( 1864-1928 ). The church has a seating capacity for 700 worshipers.

In the church since 2006 sounds a native of Germany organ. 2009, three new church bells were installed, which come from Germany also.

Battle of Avinurme

On 19th/20th. September 1944 there was a heavy battle between German and Soviet soldiers at the church., Where many Estonians fought on both sides of the front. A massacre took place at wounded Estonian soldiers who had taken refuge in the house of God. In the autumn of 1964 a monument was erected in front of the church, which is reminiscent of her fate.