Pakri Islands
Encyclopedia
Pakri Islands are two Estonia
n islands in the Finnish Gulf
: Suur-Pakri and Väike-Pakri ( and ). Administratively they belong to the town of Paldiski
. For centuries the islands had been inhabited by Estonian Swedes
, until during the Second World War the entire population was forced to leave.
was the primary crop grown on the island. Thus Stora Rågö and Lilla Rågö mean Big Rye Island and Small Rye Island, respectively. Alternative names for the two islands are Västra Rågö/Västerö and Östra Rågö/Österö (West Island and East Island).
In terms of area Väike-Pakri (Small-Pakri) is actually somewhat larger than Suur-Pakri (Big-Pakri). The reason for this contradiction is probably that Suur-Pakri had more inhabitants and better farming lands and was reckoned as more important.
, separated from it by Paldiski (Pakri) Bay , over 20 m deep. The shallow 3 km wide Kurkse
strait separates the islands from the mainland in south.
The area of Väike-Pakri, the eastern island, is 12.9 km2, Suur-Pakri covers 11.6 km2 (8th and 9th largest islands in Estonia). Väike-Pakri is also higher than Suur-Pakri (17 m and 8 m, respectively). Both islands are about 6 km long (in southeast-northwest direction) and 2-2.5 km wide.
A few islet
s are situated in the 1-1.5 km wide and shallow (2-4 m deep) strait between the two islands. In 1952, an embankment connecting the two islands over some of the islets was built by the Soviet army.
A limestone
cliff borders the northern coast of both islands and also the eastern coast of Väike-Pakri. Part of the Baltic Klint
, it rises up to 4 m on Suur-Pakri and up to 13 m on Väike-Pakri. Both islands are essentially part of a larger limestone plateau in Northern Estonia.
Before the Second World War the two islands had 5 villages, three on Suur-Pakri and two on Väike-Pakri.
Suur-Pakri
Väike-Pakri
, the islands had 354 inhabitants, all of them Swedes
except for 13 Germans. There were 5 villages, a total of 119 households, a small folk museum (opened in 1935, closed in 1940) and both islands had their own church and school. Following the signing of Molotov–Ribbentrop Pact and the subsequent action of the Soviet Union (see Soviet ultimatums in 1939), in 1940 all the islanders were forced to leave - the islands were designated as a military base for the Soviet Army
. Most of Pakri Swedes left for Sweden
before 1944, during the German occupation of Estonia
. After the Second World War Väike-Pakri had a few inhabitants until 1965. During the Soviet Era
, until 1992, the islands were used as a proving ground
for aerial bombardment by Warsaw Pact
countries.
After control of the islands was returned to Estonia in 1994, the main aim became to clear the area of unexploded bombs
. Thousands of explosive devices were destroyed and the work was mostly completed by 1997.
During the land reform following the restoration of independence in Estonia some of the land was returned to its pre-war owners. The northern parts of the islands and the southern part of Väike-Pakri were incorporated to Pakri Landscape Protection Area, created in 1998 to protect the limestone cliffs, alvar
s and rare species. In 2004, the islands got their first permanent inhabitant over decades, when a person born there during the Second World War returned to rebuild his parents' farm. At the end of 2009 the islands had 6 permanent inhabitants.
Estonia
Estonia , officially the Republic of Estonia , is a state in the Baltic region of Northern Europe. It is bordered to the north by the Gulf of Finland, to the west by the Baltic Sea, to the south by Latvia , and to the east by Lake Peipsi and the Russian Federation . Across the Baltic Sea lies...
n islands in the Finnish Gulf
Gulf of Finland
The Gulf of Finland is the easternmost arm of the Baltic Sea. It extends between Finland and Estonia all the way to Saint Petersburg in Russia, where the river Neva drains into it. Other major cities around the gulf include Helsinki and Tallinn...
: Suur-Pakri and Väike-Pakri ( and ). Administratively they belong to the town of Paldiski
Paldiski
Paldiski is a town and Baltic Sea port situated on the Pakri peninsula of north-western Estonia. Originally a Swedish settlement known as Rågervik, it became a Russian naval base in the 18th century. The Russians renamed it Балтийский Порт Paldiski is a town and Baltic Sea port situated on the...
. For centuries the islands had been inhabited by Estonian Swedes
Estonian Swedes
The Estonian Swedes, Estonia-Swedes, or Coastal Swedes are a Swedish-speaking linguistic minority traditionally residing in the coastal areas and islands of what is now western and northern Estonia...
, until during the Second World War the entire population was forced to leave.
Etymology
The Swedish name of the islands Rågöarna means Rye Islands - historically ryeRye
Rye is a grass grown extensively as a grain and as a forage crop. It is a member of the wheat tribe and is closely related to barley and wheat. Rye grain is used for flour, rye bread, rye beer, some whiskeys, some vodkas, and animal fodder...
was the primary crop grown on the island. Thus Stora Rågö and Lilla Rågö mean Big Rye Island and Small Rye Island, respectively. Alternative names for the two islands are Västra Rågö/Västerö and Östra Rågö/Österö (West Island and East Island).
In terms of area Väike-Pakri (Small-Pakri) is actually somewhat larger than Suur-Pakri (Big-Pakri). The reason for this contradiction is probably that Suur-Pakri had more inhabitants and better farming lands and was reckoned as more important.
Geography
The islands lie a few kilometers off the Estonian coast. Väike-Pakri lies 3 km west of PaldiskiPaldiski
Paldiski is a town and Baltic Sea port situated on the Pakri peninsula of north-western Estonia. Originally a Swedish settlement known as Rågervik, it became a Russian naval base in the 18th century. The Russians renamed it Балтийский Порт Paldiski is a town and Baltic Sea port situated on the...
, separated from it by Paldiski (Pakri) Bay , over 20 m deep. The shallow 3 km wide Kurkse
Kurkse
Kurkse is a village in Padise Parish, Harju County in northern Estonia....
strait separates the islands from the mainland in south.
The area of Väike-Pakri, the eastern island, is 12.9 km2, Suur-Pakri covers 11.6 km2 (8th and 9th largest islands in Estonia). Väike-Pakri is also higher than Suur-Pakri (17 m and 8 m, respectively). Both islands are about 6 km long (in southeast-northwest direction) and 2-2.5 km wide.
A few islet
Islet
An islet is a very small island.- Types :As suggested by its origin as islette, an Old French diminutive of "isle", use of the term implies small size, but little attention is given to drawing an upper limit on its applicability....
s are situated in the 1-1.5 km wide and shallow (2-4 m deep) strait between the two islands. In 1952, an embankment connecting the two islands over some of the islets was built by the Soviet army.
A limestone
Limestone
Limestone is a sedimentary rock composed largely of the minerals calcite and aragonite, which are different crystal forms of calcium carbonate . Many limestones are composed from skeletal fragments of marine organisms such as coral or foraminifera....
cliff borders the northern coast of both islands and also the eastern coast of Väike-Pakri. Part of the Baltic Klint
Baltic Klint
The Baltic Klint is an erosional limestone escarpment on several islands of the Baltic Sea, in Estonia and in Leningrad Oblast of Russia...
, it rises up to 4 m on Suur-Pakri and up to 13 m on Väike-Pakri. Both islands are essentially part of a larger limestone plateau in Northern Estonia.
Villages
Suur-Pakri
- Storbyn (100 inhabitants in 1935)
- Strandbyn or Åsbyn (59)
- Bisagidbyn (38)
Väike-Pakri
- Storbyn (88)
- Lillbyn (72)
History
The islands were inhabited in 1345, when five Swedish families bought the western island from Padise monastery. According to the 1934 Estonian censusCensus
A census is the procedure of systematically acquiring and recording information about the members of a given population. It is a regularly occurring and official count of a particular population. The term is used mostly in connection with national population and housing censuses; other common...
, the islands had 354 inhabitants, all of them Swedes
Estonian Swedes
The Estonian Swedes, Estonia-Swedes, or Coastal Swedes are a Swedish-speaking linguistic minority traditionally residing in the coastal areas and islands of what is now western and northern Estonia...
except for 13 Germans. There were 5 villages, a total of 119 households, a small folk museum (opened in 1935, closed in 1940) and both islands had their own church and school. Following the signing of Molotov–Ribbentrop Pact and the subsequent action of the Soviet Union (see Soviet ultimatums in 1939), in 1940 all the islanders were forced to leave - the islands were designated as a military base for the Soviet Army
Soviet Army
The Soviet Army is the name given to the main part of the Armed Forces of the Soviet Union between 1946 and 1992. Previously, it had been known as the Red Army. Informally, Армия referred to all the MOD armed forces, except, in some cases, the Soviet Navy.This article covers the Soviet Ground...
. Most of Pakri Swedes left for Sweden
Sweden
Sweden , officially the Kingdom of Sweden , is a Nordic country on the Scandinavian Peninsula in Northern Europe. Sweden borders with Norway and Finland and is connected to Denmark by a bridge-tunnel across the Öresund....
before 1944, during the German occupation of Estonia
Occupation of Estonia by Nazi Germany
After Nazi Germany invaded the Soviet Union on June 22, 1941, Army Group North reached Estonia in July.Initially the Germans were perceived by most Estonians as liberators from the USSR and its repressions, having arrived only a week after the first mass deportations from the Baltics...
. After the Second World War Väike-Pakri had a few inhabitants until 1965. During the Soviet Era
Estonian Soviet Socialist Republic
The Estonian Soviet Socialist Republic , often abbreviated as Estonian SSR or ESSR, was a republic of the Soviet Union, administered by and subordinated to the Government of the Soviet Union...
, until 1992, the islands were used as a proving ground
Proving ground
A proving ground is the US name for a military installation or reservation where weapons or other military technology are experimented or tested, or where military tactics are tested...
for aerial bombardment by Warsaw Pact
Warsaw Pact
The Warsaw Treaty Organization of Friendship, Cooperation, and Mutual Assistance , or more commonly referred to as the Warsaw Pact, was a mutual defense treaty subscribed to by eight communist states in Eastern Europe...
countries.
After control of the islands was returned to Estonia in 1994, the main aim became to clear the area of unexploded bombs
Unexploded ordnance
Unexploded ordnance are explosive weapons that did not explode when they were employed and still pose a risk of detonation, potentially many decades after they were used or discarded.While "UXO" is widely and informally used, munitions and explosives of...
. Thousands of explosive devices were destroyed and the work was mostly completed by 1997.
During the land reform following the restoration of independence in Estonia some of the land was returned to its pre-war owners. The northern parts of the islands and the southern part of Väike-Pakri were incorporated to Pakri Landscape Protection Area, created in 1998 to protect the limestone cliffs, alvar
Alvar
An alvar is a biological environment based on a limestone plain with thin or no soil and, as a result, sparse vegetation. It is also known as a pavement barren although this term is also used for similar landforms based on sandstone. In the United Kingdom the exposed landform is called a limestone...
s and rare species. In 2004, the islands got their first permanent inhabitant over decades, when a person born there during the Second World War returned to rebuild his parents' farm. At the end of 2009 the islands had 6 permanent inhabitants.
External links
- The Pakri Islands' Development Foundation
- Swedes from Pakri islands - a virtual exhibition at Estonian National MuseumEstonian National MuseumThe Estonian National Museum founded 1909 in Tartu is a museum devoted to folklorist Jakob Hurt's heritage, to Estonian ethnography and folk art...