Aegviidu Charlottenhof | |
---|---|
Nickname: The Hiking Capital [1] | |
Coordinates: 59°17′11″N25°36′36″E / 59.28639°N 25.61000°E | |
Country | Estonia |
County | Harju County |
Municipality | Anija Parish |
First historical record | 1522 |
Borough rights | 1945 |
Area | |
• Total | 11.97 km2 (4.62 sq mi) |
Highest elevation | 84.5 m (277.2 ft) |
Lowest elevation | 64.0 m (210.0 ft) |
Population (22.11.2022) [2] | |
• Total | 695 |
• Density | 58/km2 (150/sq mi) |
Ethnicity (2021) | |
• estonians | 89.7% |
• other | 10.3% |
Postal Codes | 74501, 74594 [4] |
Aegviidu is a borough in Anija Parish, Harju County, Estonia, most known for its picturesque surroundings and hiking trails.
The borough is situated along the Tallinn-Narva railway and Piibe road , housing both the Aegviidu TV Mast (107m) and the terminus of the Tallinn-Aegviidu railway line.
As of November 22, 2022, the borough had a population of 695. [2]
Aegviidu was first mentioned in the will of Baron Johan von Bremen of Lehtse in 1522 as Agevidt farm. [5] Before 1796, the area had also been referred to as Aykeuyte, Aykwit, Aigkewit, Aigwido, and Aegwiid. [6] In 1796, Count Ludwig August Mellin referred to the settlement as Aegwiid on his topographic map of the Tallinn Kreis, as part of The Livonian Atlas . [7]
On the 1805 topographic map of the Governorate of Estonia, the settlement was referred to as Charlottenhof ( Russian : Шарлоттенгофъ), [8] on the 1840 topographic map of the Gulf of Finland as both Aigvitu ( Russian : Аигвиту) and Charlotenhof ( Russian : Шарлотенгофъ), [9] and on the 1844 topographic map of the Governorate of Estonia as Charlottenberg. [10] The prefix of Charlotte- is likely a reference to Charlotte Dorothea von Friesell, wife of Lord Alexander Georg von Hoyningen-Huene of Lehtse. [11] The new name stuck around until Estonia first became independent and place names were estonianized.
Some sources claim that the name Aegviidu first appeared in the 18th century, when the Piibe road was being built through the local bogs, or in the 19th century, when the Tallinn-Narva railway was being built, which took lots of time (Aeg (English: time ) + viidu (English: spend )). These theories are disproven by the fact that the first written record of the name being used is from the 16th century. [6]
Another theory claims that the name Aegviidu comes from the name of Saint Aegidius, which seems unlikely, as there are no surviving records of him being worshipped in Estonia. [6]
It is speculated that during the antiquity a winter road passed through the area of Aegviidu that connected Kehra and Jäneda. [12] The ancient Jäneda hillfort is located just a few kilometers southeast of current Aegviidu, on the coast of Kalijärv. The hillfort was likely in use between the 11th and 13th centuries. [13]
Kosenõmme (Cosgenomne), which is located in the northern part of modern Aegviidu, was given to Lehtse manor in 1379. In 1467, the Kosenõmme mill had been referred to as Kossgen-Nomme. By 1510, the mill had seemingly disappeared, when Kossenem only referred to a regular farm. In 1511, the farm had been referred to as Kaszenum. [14]
Aegviidu was first mentioned in the will of Baron Johan von Bremen of Lehtse in 1522 as Agevidt farm. [5] The section of Piibe road, that passes through current Aegviidu was likely first built sometime during the 17th century. [15] At the beginning of the 18th century there are reports of an inn operating in the vicinity of Aegviidu. In 1714, there are records of Aigwido Mart from Koseneme, while in 1755 there are records of Aegwidi Jaan from Aegwiid, suggesting that what would eventually become Aegviidu was initially part of Kosenõmme. [6] In 1796, Count Ludwig August Mellin referred to Aegviidu as Aegwiid on his topographic map of the Tallinn Kreis, as part of The Livonian Atlas . [7]
On the 1805 topographic map of the Governorate of Estonia, the settlement was referred to as Charlottenhof, [8] likely a reference to Charlotte Dorothea von Friesell, wife of the then Lord of Lehtse. [11] In 1820, there are records of a coaching inn and a hunting lodge in the settlement. At approximately the same time, Chartlottenhof cattle manor (German : Hoflage, Estonian : Karjamõis) is also mentioned, being located near the current Piibe road railway crossing point and belonging to the Lehtse manor. [6] By the beginning of the 20th century, a post office, a pharmacy, and a general store had been built in the settlement. In 1917, the Lord of Lehtse gifted the Aegviidu hunting lodge to a local educational society and a school started operating there. Since the hunting lodge was not fit to be a schoolhouse, the educational society acquired the coaching inn from the Lord in 1919, and the school has operated there ever since. [16] The hunting lodge is currently used as a community center. [17]
On December 6, 1896, the Alexandra chapel of Aegviidu [18] was solemnly consecrated, being later renamed to Alexander chapel of Aegviidu. The current tower of the chapel was built in 1940. The chapel was badly damaged in the March bombings of 1944. The insides of the chapel were thoroughly renovated in the 1970s. [19] Lehtse manor, along its subsidiaries, was nationalized in 1919. [18]
In 1870, the St. Petersburg-Tallinn-Paldiski railway commenced operations, with Aegviidu serving as a class III station. [20] The station's two-story historistic wooden building features an asymmetric facade and a low, multisectional gable roof, similar to buildings in Keila and Paldiski. The railway, along with the construction of a water tower and a locomotive depot, [21] greatly accelerated the growth of Aegviidu, which was previously sparsely populated. [22] [23]
Just before the Estonian War of Independence, Konstantin Päts assigned Eduard Piibemann to organize the Aegviidu self-defense force. On the night of February 24, 1918, the force detained a Russian detachment near the railroad in Aegviidu and confiscated their weapons. [24] Although the Soviets briefly captured Aegviidu on January 1, 1919, the Estonians recaptured it by railway on January 5, 1919, a day after the decisive Battle of Kehra.
The Tallinn-Aegviidu railway line saw further development, with the first electrified train between Kehra and Aegviidu running on August 3, 1978, and the second pair of rails from Aegviidu to Kehra and Lehtse laid in 1987 and 1991, respectively. [25] The electrified part of the Tallinn-Tapa railway terminates roughly halfway between Aegviidu and Nelijärve railway stations. The new Stadler FLIRT trains began servicing the Tallinn-Aegviidu line on July 1, 2013. [26]
The Nelijärve railway station was opened in the early 1940s to provide convenient access to the Nelijärve recreation center, which was built in 1938 on the shore of Purgatsi lake. The development of Aegviidu slowed down after the second world war.
Aegviidu gained the rights of a summering borough in 1926 and the rights of a borough in 1945. Aegviidu has been a part of Tapa , Paide , and Harju regions since 1950, 1962, and 1962, respectively. The borough became self-governing on June 20, 1991, and became a borough-parish on August 25, 1993. [17] Aegviidu became a part of Anija parish on October 21, 2017. [27]
The nature of Aegviidu is characterized by its many hills, lakes, bogs, and huge forests. The area offers a range of hiking trails and well-developed infrastructure, including well-built roads, easy access, and gear rental points. [28]
The Aegviidu area is traversed by two rivers, Mustjõgi and Jänijõgi, which both eventually flow into the Jägala River. Mustjõgi meanders north of the Nelijärve train station and through the Kosenõmme district, while Jänijõgi flows south of the Nelijärve lakes. The two rivers are separated by just one kilometer at their narrowest point, which is occupied by the Nelijärve lakes, the Piibe road, and the Tallinn-Narva railway. [29]
The Nelijärve (English: four lakes) area in southeastern Aegviidu is named after the four lakes visible from the Nelijärvemägi hill (89.2m): Purgatsi, Urbukse, Ahvenajärv, and Sisalikujärv. The fifth lake, Linajärv, is located just south of the four lakes, but is not visible from the hill. The lakes are separated by interconnected ridges, ranging from Aegviidu to Jäneda. Additionally, lakes Nikerjärv and Vahejärv are located right beside the Piibe road, a few hundred meters northwest of the other lakes, towards the center of Aegviidu. In total, there are seven lakes in the Nelijärve area. [30]
The Aegviidu Blue Springs, located in a bog around two kilometers southeast of Nelijärve in Jäneda village, feature approximately 20 springs, characterized by their distinct greenish-blue tint. [31]
Aegviidu is located in the northern part of the Kõrvemaa region, which is a sparsely populated area predominantly covered by wetlands and forests. The areas south of both Piibe road and Tallinn-Narva railway are a part of Kõrvemaa Landscape Conservation Area. The Põhja-Kõrvemaa Nature Reserve is located a few kilometers north of Aegviidu and is accessible by a light traffic road. Additionally, the smaller Niinsoni and Maapaju nature conservation sites are located between Aegviidu and Kehra. [32] [33] Aegviidu is the center of the Aegviidu recreation area. There are many hiking trails in the area, with the president's trail (Estonian : presidendirada), going from Aegviidu to Jäneda, being the most well known. In addition, there are several camping grounds nearby. [28]
Aegviidu, Estonia(1991-2023) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Climate chart (explanation) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
Aegviidu is in the transition zone between maritime and continental climates. On average, the annual temperature is 5.0 °C, the annual rainfall is 700mm, and wind mostly blows from west and south-west. There are about 1750 hours of sunshine per year. [34]
According to MSN weather, the highest known temperature was recorded in August, 2010, being 34 °C, and the lowest known temperature was recorded in December, 1996, being -35 °C. [35]
According to maps of Estonian geology, released by the Estonian Land Board, in the Aegviidu area, the basement is located approximately 200 meters below the sea level and the upper layer consists primarily of biotite gneiss, [36] while the bedrock layer is approximately 35-65 meters above the sea level, of which the upper layer consists primarily of clayey limestone. There is a fault in the bedrock beneath the Nelijärve lakes, called the Jäneda fault, and a buried valley follows approximately the same line. [37] On average, the regolith layer is 10-20 meters thick, reaching almost 50 meters on the ridges of Nelijärve. The layer beneath soil consists primarily either of sand or peat. Rehessaare bog borders Aegviidu in the southwest. [38]
Year | Pop. | ±% p.a. |
---|---|---|
1934 | 666 | — |
1950* | 889 | +1.82% |
1959 | 1,051 | +1.88% |
1970 | 1,250 | +1.59% |
1979 | 1,311 | +0.53% |
1989 | 1,097 | −1.77% |
2000 | 952 [39] | −1.28% |
2011 | 761 [39] | −2.02% |
2021 | 674 [39] | −1.21% |
*not based on census Source: entsyklopeedia.ee |
Historically, the area had been sparsely populated up until the 19th century, when a cattle manor and the railway were built there. [23] When the settlement was given the rights of a summering borough in 1926, it started growing even more rapidly. The population growth lasted approximately until the 1970s, when it started declining at the same rate as it had grown. [17] Kosenõmme village became a part of Aegviidu on 27 December 1976. [40] Previously, the village was part of the Anija Rural Council and had a population of 55. [41] On 21 October 2022, Aegviidu lost approximately 36 inhabitants due to some of the borough's areas being transferred to neighboring Pillapalu and Mustjõe villages. [42] [43] As of 2021, Estonians make up approximately 90% of the population. [39]
A municipality is the smallest administrative subdivision of Estonia. Each municipality is a unit of self-government with its representative and executive bodies. The municipalities in Estonia cover the entire territory of the country.
Harju County, is one of the fifteen counties of Estonia. It is situated in northern Estonia, on the southern coast of the Gulf of Finland, and borders Lääne-Viru County to the east, Järva County to the southeast, Rapla County to the south, and Lääne County to the southwest. The capital and largest city of Estonia, Tallinn, is situated in Harju County. Harju is the largest county in Estonia in terms of population, as almost half (45%) of Estonia's population lives in Harju County.
Tapa is a town in Tapa Parish, Lääne-Viru County, Estonia, located at the junction of the country's Tallinn–Narva (west–east) and Tallinn–Tartu–Valga (north–south) railway lines. Tapa has the Estonian Defense Forces nearby Keskpolügoon. The Valgejõgi River passes Tapa on its northeastern side. Tapa has been known as both a railway and a military town throughout its history.
Paldiski is a town and Baltic Sea port located on the Pakri Peninsula in northwestern Estonia. Originally established as a small Swedish port known as Rågervik, it evolved into an important ice-free port upon being incorporated into the Russian Empire in the 18th century.
Anija Parish is a rural municipality in the eastern part of Harju County, Estonia.
Raasiku Parish in Harju County is located in the south-eastern direction from the city of Tallinn. The main road leading through the parish is Jüri - Aruküla - Raasiku - Jägala road. The Tallinn - Tapa Railway goes through the northern border of the parish.
Alavere is a village in Anija Parish, Harju County in northern Estonia. The population was 345 in 2019.
Kaunissaare is a village in Anija Parish, Harju County, Estonia, south and south-east of the town of Kehra, situated around the Kaunissaare reservoir, on the banks of the Jägala river.
Kehra is a town in Anija Parish, Harju County, Estonia, best known for its pulp and paper mill. The town stands on the banks of the Jägala River, and it has a station on the Tallinn–Narva railway. As of January 1, 2023, the town had a population of 2,694.
Tapa Parish is a rural municipality in Lääne-Viru County in northern Estonia.
Kehra is a village in Anija Parish, Harju County, Estonia, just north of the town of Kehra. The village stands on the left bank of the Jägala River. As of August 1, 2020, the village had a population of 29.
Raasiku is a borough in Raasiku Parish, Harju County, Estonia, with a population of 1,372 (2020). Although situated in a parish with the same name, Raasiku is not the official administrative centre of the municipality. The settlement started to grow in the 19th century around the railway station. The Raasiku manor was established on the grounds of the earlier Kaemla (Keamol) village and in the middle ages it belonged to Padise Abbey.
Põhja-Kõrvemaa Nature Reserve is a protected area in Harju County, Northern Estonia, some 50 km east of Tallinn. With an area of 130.9 km2, it is the third largest nature reserve in Estonia. Dominated by forests and bogs, it aims to protect rare and endangered species, their habitats, and valuable natural landscapes.
Soodla Reservoir is located on Soodla river in Pillapalu Village, Anija Parish, Harju County, Estonia, near Kehra and Kuusalu.
The Tallinn–Tapa railway is a 77.8-kilometre (48.3 mi) long double track partly electrified railway line in Estonia, connecting the cities of Tallinn and Tapa.
Aruküla railway station is a railway station serving the small borough of Aruküla in Harju County in northern Estonia. It is the seventh station on Elron's eastern route between Tallinn and Aegviidu. It is located about 21 km south-east of Balti jaam. The station is served by commuter trains heading to Aegviidu and consists of two 150 metre platforms.
The Tarvasjõgi is a river in Estonia. It is also called the Mõnuvere. It is a tributary of the Jäneda, which in turn flows into the Jägala and thence into the Baltic Sea. The Tarvasjõgi begins near the Piibe Highway. The river is 30 kilometres (19 mi) long and has a 64.7-square-kilometre (25.0 sq mi) drainage basin.
Kaunissaare Reservoir is located on Jägala river in Kaunissaare Village, Anija Parish, Harju County, Estonia, near Kehra.
The Capture of Tapa, sometimes known as the Battle of Tapa, took place on 9 January 1919 in Tapa, Estonia, between troops of the Russian Red Army and Estonia. The goal of the Estonian troops was to capture and liberate the Tapa Railway Station from occupation by Russia. Three armored trains (soomusrong) were used in the engagement, led by Captain Anton Irv, Captain Oskar Luiga, and Captain Jaan Lepp.
Olaf-Gunnar Schmeidt was an Estonian botanist and dendrologist.
{{cite book}}
: CS1 maint: location missing publisher (link)