Suure-Jaani
Encyclopedia
Suure-Jaani is a town
in the northern part of the county of Viljandimaa
in Southern Central Estonia
, 25 kilometres north of the town of Viljandi
. Suure-Jaani is the centre of Suure-Jaani rural municipality
.
of ancient Estonians was built at a location (now known as Lõhavere) approximately two kilometres north-east of the present town border. The hill fort was the centre of the northernmost district (Estonian: kihelkond) in the historical Estonian county of Sakala and also one of the centres of Estonians' fight against the conquest of German Sword Brethren
in the 13th century. Not much except the hill remains of it but the place (known in Estonian also as Lembitu linnamägi) is still visited as a tourist attraction. 2/3 of the hill-fort have been excavated archaeologically.
The locality of Suure-Jaani was initially called Wallola (or "Valle"), first recorded in 1423(?). The town began to develop around the (now Lutheran) Church of Great Saint John the Evangelist
(Groß Sankt Johannis in German), built before the year 1300. There is a Lutheran cemetery near the church. The church was severely damaged during the Livonian War
(1558–1582) and the Great Northern War
(1700–1721), particularly the latter (the church was burnt down in 1703 and the restoration was completed only in 1767). The present name, "Suure-Jaani" (literally meaning "Great John's"), which came into widespread use for the locality only by the end of the 19th century, is an Estonian derivative from the German
name of the church, officially used until 1920 for the church as well as its immediate surroundings (the church estate). Until then, other areas of the present town of Suure-Jaani were the villages of Valula (or Wallola; the southern part of the present town of Suure-Jaani), Nuutre (the western part) and Päraküla
(or Perraküla; the north-western part; one part of the traditional Päraküla still being an independent village).
During the following centuries, Suure-Jaani was one of the centres of Suure-Jaani parish and, since the end of the 19th century, also the cultural and commercial centre of the parish region.
In 1906–1908, Sts. Peter and Paul Orthodox
Church was built at the village of Valula (now Suure-Jaani). The Orthodox congregation had already been established at the nearby village of Olustvere
(at that time also called Ollustfer in German) in 1847. In 1911, an Orthodox cemetery was established at Valula (now Suure-Jaani), replacing the former Orthodox cemetery, which was located at Reegoldi. Since 1989 Sts. Peter and Paul Church has not been used for services and the church is now in need of repair.
In 1924, Suure-Jaani was granted the rights of a town (Estonian: alev) and in 1938, it was granted city rights.
In 1950–1959, Suure-Jaani was the capital of Suure-Jaani District (of the Estonian SSR). The 1950s also marked the all-time peak number (approximately 1700) in the population of the town.
(5 km). The nearest towns are Võhma
(12 km), Viljandi
(25 km), Põltsamaa
(28 km) and Vändra
(32 km). The distance of Suure-Jaani from Tallinn
, the capital of Estonia, is 143 km.
period in the 19th century, Suure-Jaani parish was an important region for Estonian culture.
Notable persons buried at the Suure-Jaani cemetery include the composers Artur Kapp
, Villem Kapp and Mart Saar
, and the painter Johann Köler
, as well as Ado Johanson, the first Estonian professional agronomist.
Presently, Suure-Jaani hosts the Suure-Jaani Music Days, an annual summer festival of classical music started in 1998, dedicated to the Kapp family of composers. Suure-Jaani is also the place of establishment of the International Artur Kapp Society, a non-profit foundation for promoting the works and life of composer Artur Kapp and other authors related to Suure-Jaani.
Populated places in Estonia
Populated places in Estonia are settlements or territorial units within a municipality. Populated places have no administrative functions. A group of populated places form a rural municipality with local administration...
in the northern part of the county of Viljandimaa
Viljandi County
Viljandi County , is one of 15 counties of Estonia. It is located in southern Estonia bordering Pärnu, Järva, Jõgeva, Tartu and Valga counties. 55,657 people live in Viljandi County – constituting 4.2% of the total population in Estonia ....
in Southern Central Estonia
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...
, 25 kilometres north of the town of Viljandi
Viljandi
Viljandi is a town and municipality in southern Estonia with a population of 19,150 . It is the capital of Viljandi County. The town was first mentioned in 1283, upon being granted its town charter by Wilhelm von Endorpe....
. Suure-Jaani is the centre of Suure-Jaani rural municipality
Suure-Jaani Parish
Suure-Jaani Parish is a rural municipality of Estonia, in Viljandi County. It has a population of 6,178 and an area of 742.83 km².-Settlements:TownSuure-JaaniSmall boroughOlustvereVillages...
.
History
The oldest archaeological findings from the area date back to the 6th millennium B.C. At the end of the 12th century A.D., the Lehola hill fortHill fort
A hill fort is a type of earthworks used as a fortified refuge or defended settlement, located to exploit a rise in elevation for defensive advantage. They are typically European and of the Bronze and Iron Ages. Some were used in the post-Roman period...
of ancient Estonians was built at a location (now known as Lõhavere) approximately two kilometres north-east of the present town border. The hill fort was the centre of the northernmost district (Estonian: kihelkond) in the historical Estonian county of Sakala and also one of the centres of Estonians' fight against the conquest of German Sword Brethren
Livonian Brothers of the Sword
The Livonian Brothers of the Sword were a military order founded by Bishop Albert of Riga in 1202. Pope Innocent III sanctioned the establishment in 1204. The membership of the order comprised German "warrior monks"...
in the 13th century. Not much except the hill remains of it but the place (known in Estonian also as Lembitu linnamägi) is still visited as a tourist attraction. 2/3 of the hill-fort have been excavated archaeologically.
The locality of Suure-Jaani was initially called Wallola (or "Valle"), first recorded in 1423(?). The town began to develop around the (now Lutheran) Church of Great Saint John the Evangelist
John the Evangelist
Saint John the Evangelist is the conventional name for the author of the Gospel of John...
(Groß Sankt Johannis in German), built before the year 1300. There is a Lutheran cemetery near the church. The church was severely damaged during the Livonian War
Livonian War
The Livonian War was fought for control of Old Livonia in the territory of present-day Estonia and Latvia when the Tsardom of Russia faced a varying coalition of Denmark–Norway, the Kingdom of Sweden, the Union of the Grand Duchy of Lithuania and the Kingdom of Poland.During the period 1558–1578,...
(1558–1582) and the Great Northern War
Great Northern War
The Great Northern War was a conflict in which a coalition led by the Tsardom of Russia successfully contested the supremacy of the Swedish Empire in northern Central Europe and Eastern Europe. The initial leaders of the anti-Swedish alliance were Peter I the Great of Russia, Frederick IV of...
(1700–1721), particularly the latter (the church was burnt down in 1703 and the restoration was completed only in 1767). The present name, "Suure-Jaani" (literally meaning "Great John's"), which came into widespread use for the locality only by the end of the 19th century, is an Estonian derivative from the German
German language
German is a West Germanic language, related to and classified alongside English and Dutch. With an estimated 90 – 98 million native speakers, German is one of the world's major languages and is the most widely-spoken first language in the European Union....
name of the church, officially used until 1920 for the church as well as its immediate surroundings (the church estate). Until then, other areas of the present town of Suure-Jaani were the villages of Valula (or Wallola; the southern part of the present town of Suure-Jaani), Nuutre (the western part) and Päraküla
Päraküla, Viljandi County
Päraküla is a village in Suure-Jaani Parish, Viljandi County in central Estonia. It has a population of 107 ....
(or Perraküla; the north-western part; one part of the traditional Päraküla still being an independent village).
During the following centuries, Suure-Jaani was one of the centres of Suure-Jaani parish and, since the end of the 19th century, also the cultural and commercial centre of the parish region.
In 1906–1908, Sts. Peter and Paul Orthodox
Orthodox Christianity
The term Orthodox Christianity may refer to:* the Eastern Orthodox Church and its various geographical subdivisions...
Church was built at the village of Valula (now Suure-Jaani). The Orthodox congregation had already been established at the nearby village of Olustvere
Olustvere
Olustvere is a small borough in Suure-Jaani Parish, Viljandi County in central Estonia. It has a population of 465 .During the 19th century and supposedly earlier, the area surrounding the Olustvere estate and its manor was one of the commercial and social centres of the Suure-Jaani parish, at...
(at that time also called Ollustfer in German) in 1847. In 1911, an Orthodox cemetery was established at Valula (now Suure-Jaani), replacing the former Orthodox cemetery, which was located at Reegoldi. Since 1989 Sts. Peter and Paul Church has not been used for services and the church is now in need of repair.
In 1924, Suure-Jaani was granted the rights of a town (Estonian: alev) and in 1938, it was granted city rights.
In 1950–1959, Suure-Jaani was the capital of Suure-Jaani District (of the Estonian SSR). The 1950s also marked the all-time peak number (approximately 1700) in the population of the town.
Geography
Suure-Jaani is situated in a hilly region (Sakala Upland), offering picturesque views with its park, artificial lakes and church in the centre of the town.Transport
Due to its small size, Suure-Jaani has no urban transport. The town has a small bus station for intercity lines. The nearest railway station is at OlustvereOlustvere
Olustvere is a small borough in Suure-Jaani Parish, Viljandi County in central Estonia. It has a population of 465 .During the 19th century and supposedly earlier, the area surrounding the Olustvere estate and its manor was one of the commercial and social centres of the Suure-Jaani parish, at...
(5 km). The nearest towns are Võhma
Võhma
Võhma is a town and municipality in central Estonia, in Viljandi County. It has a population of 1411 .-History:...
(12 km), Viljandi
Viljandi
Viljandi is a town and municipality in southern Estonia with a population of 19,150 . It is the capital of Viljandi County. The town was first mentioned in 1283, upon being granted its town charter by Wilhelm von Endorpe....
(25 km), Põltsamaa
Põltsamaa
-External links:...
(28 km) and Vändra
Vändra
Vändra is a borough with a municipality status in Pärnu County, Estonia. Vändra is surrounded by Vändra Parish in which the borough itself is not part of. It has a population of 2,500 and an area of 3.28 km²....
(32 km). The distance of Suure-Jaani from Tallinn
Tallinn
Tallinn is the capital and largest city of Estonia. It occupies an area of with a population of 414,940. It is situated on the northern coast of the country, on the banks of the Gulf of Finland, south of Helsinki, east of Stockholm and west of Saint Petersburg. Tallinn's Old Town is in the list...
, the capital of Estonia, is 143 km.
Culture
During the Estonian national awakeningEstonian national awakening
The Estonian Age of Awakening is a period in history where Estonians came to acknowledge themselves as a nation deserving the right to govern themselves. This period is considered to begin in 1850s with greater rights being granted to commoners and to end with the declaration of the Republic of...
period in the 19th century, Suure-Jaani parish was an important region for Estonian culture.
Notable persons buried at the Suure-Jaani cemetery include the composers Artur Kapp
Artur Kapp
Artur Kapp was an Estonian composer.Born in Suure-Jaani, Estonia, then part of the Governorate of Livonia, Russian Empire, he was the son of Joosep Kapp, who was also a classically trained musician...
, Villem Kapp and Mart Saar
Mart Saar
Mart Saar was an Estonian composer, organist and collector of folk songs.-Childhood:Saar was born at the small borough of Hüpassaare, Estonia, then part of the Livonian Governorate, Russian Empire, to a family of forest keepers. He received his education in the village school at Kaansoo and the...
, and the painter Johann Köler
Johann Köler
Johann Köler was a leader of the Estonian national awakening and a painter. He is considered as the first professional painter of the emerging nation. He distinguished himself primarily by his portraiture and to a lesser extent by his landscape paintings...
, as well as Ado Johanson, the first Estonian professional agronomist.
Presently, Suure-Jaani hosts the Suure-Jaani Music Days, an annual summer festival of classical music started in 1998, dedicated to the Kapp family of composers. Suure-Jaani is also the place of establishment of the International Artur Kapp Society, a non-profit foundation for promoting the works and life of composer Artur Kapp and other authors related to Suure-Jaani.
Places of interest
- Church of Great Saint John the Evangelist
- Lehola hill fort (Lembitu linnamägi) of ancient Estonians (at Lõhavere)
- Home museum of the Kapp family of composers and musicians
- Home museum of composer Mart Saar at Hüpassaare (in Suure-Jaani rural municipality)
- Home museum of painter Johann Köler at Lubjassaare farm (Ivaski village in Suure-Jaani rural municipality)
- Monument of the Estonian War of Independence (depicting Lembitu of Lehola)
- Soomaa National ParkSoomaa National ParkSoomaa National Park is national park in south-western Estonia. Soomaa protects 390 km², and is a Ramsar site of protected wetlands...
(20–30 km south-west of Suure-Jaani)
Notable residents
- Artur KappArtur KappArtur Kapp was an Estonian composer.Born in Suure-Jaani, Estonia, then part of the Governorate of Livonia, Russian Empire, he was the son of Joosep Kapp, who was also a classically trained musician...
, composer - Villem Kapp, composer
- Albert KivikasAlbert KivikasAlbert Kivikas was an Estonian writer and journalist. He is best known as the author of the book "Names in Marble" , the subject of which is the Estonian War of Independence.- Life :...
, writer - Johann KölerJohann KölerJohann Köler was a leader of the Estonian national awakening and a painter. He is considered as the first professional painter of the emerging nation. He distinguished himself primarily by his portraiture and to a lesser extent by his landscape paintings...
, painter - Paul Kondas, painter
- Lembit Uno Lilleleht, professor emeritus of chemical engineering
- Mart SaarMart SaarMart Saar was an Estonian composer, organist and collector of folk songs.-Childhood:Saar was born at the small borough of Hüpassaare, Estonia, then part of the Livonian Governorate, Russian Empire, to a family of forest keepers. He received his education in the village school at Kaansoo and the...
, composer
External links
- Suure-Jaani vald Official website of Suure-Jaani Rural Municipality