Ruhnu

Ruhnu (Swedish and German Runö ) is a small island of the Moon Sound Islands in the Baltic Sea, located in the Gulf of Riga, the politically belongs to Estonia and forms a separate municipality.

Ruhnu is located approximately 40 km east of the Latvian Cape Kolka. There are 96 kilometers to Pärnu, Estonia. The island is only 11.9 km ². There is a small village whose church was built in 1644.

Until the Second World War, the island was inhabited by Sweden. It was first mentioned in a decree of the Bishop of Courland in 1341, the assumed its inhabitants of the Swedish courts. Also known as Runö fell to the Russian Empire, the farmers were able to rely on this letter. Thus serfdom on the island was not possible. The island has its own dialect of Swedish, the Runsk developed.

After the end of the tsarist empire, the inhabitants of the island wrote a letter to the Swedish king and requested him to take Runö in the Swedish state. However, this declined and left the residents the choice to join either Estonia or Latvia. It was decided to Estonia, there was a Swedish minority there. The traditional life of the inhabitants an impressive document of 1931 turned, 18 -minute documentary Ruhnu Saar of the Estonian filmmaker Theodor Luts.

On 4 August 1944, almost the entire population fled from the Red Army to Sweden. This marked the end of more than 700 years of Swedish culture on the island.

Today live on Ruhnu about 60 Estonians. Only this, and there -working people on the island may be motorized go. Tourists, however, move on foot, by bike or be transported between ferry and village with a minibus. This is on the island mostly natural sounds heard. In summer there is a regular passenger ferry service to Kuressaare and Pärnu.

Moreover, Ruhnu has a small airfield. The airline Air Livonia flew weekly to Pärnu and Kuressaare from there until 30 April 2006, had the connection set but after the aircraft Antonov An-28 in Estonia, the flight privileges have been removed. Since November 2006, the North German air carriers air traffic Friesland Harle the routes flying to Kuressaare and Pärnu with a twin-engine Britten- Norman BN -2 Islander. Since 2009, a new contract is valid with a year-round supply of the island.