Elva, Estonia

Elva is a small town in the Estonian Tartu county.

Landscape

In Elva there are forest-like parks and nature reserves (40 % of the urban area ), two lakes and a river, the Elva River (est. Elva Jõgi ).

History

In 1889 a railway station was built on the railway line Tartu - Valga, which was named after the Elva River. Until then there was in the place a few farms and a post office. At the train station was built in the decades to a settlement.

On June 1, 1923 Elva received the town rights, whose administration was planning many tourist facilities. 1934 Elva was a health resort. As early as 1938 got the municipal rights.

1940, the first Soviet occupation.

During the German occupation of Estonia in 1941 was born in Elva an interim power vacuum; Estonian militiamen, known as Forest Brothers, Elva liberated by the Soviet occupation. On July 10, 1941, the postmaster began to stamp the existing Soviet stamps and postcard forms with a hand stamp EESTI POST. This was done with the approval of the local militia, and should emphasize the Estonian independence. The sale was but then set by order of the German occupying forces already on 12 August 1941 as a continuation of the Estonian independence was not provided.

From 1950 to 1962 Elva was the center of a district of the Estonian SSR.

1 As of January 1; Source: Official website Elva

Sports

As part of the Worldloppet will find the ski Tartu Maraton 63 kilometers from Otepaeae - Elva instead.

Twinning

Elva is twinned to Perniö and Kempele in Finland, as well as Kristinehamn in Sweden.

Daughters and sons

• Kerli (* 1987), Estonian singer
• Ago Markvardt (born 1969 ), former Soviet / Estonian skiers (Nordic Combined)