Valga (German: Walk) is a town in southern Estonia and the capital of Valga County and Valga Parish. Until their separation in 1920, Valga and the town of Valka in northern Latvia were one town. They are now twin-towns. The area of Valga is 16.5 square kilometres (6.4 square miles) and that of Valka is 14.2 km2 (5.5 sq mi). Their populations are respectively 12,261 and 6,164. On 21 December 2007 all border-crossing points were removed and roads and fences opened between the two countries with both countries joining the Schengen Agreement.
The distance to Tartu is 89 km (55 mi), Pärnu 144 km (89 mi), Tallinn 245 km (152 mi), Riga 175 km (109 mi) and Pskov 170 km (106 mi).
Valga is situated at the junction of roads and railways.
The Valga-Võru-Koidula railway runs to the town. Trains stopped running in 2001. At the time, the railway only ran to Piusa, as the Koidula border station was yet to be built. Along the line, there was a morning and evening trip in each direction as of 1995, and a trip in the midday that only went to Võru. An international train to St. Petersburg ran in the night.[2] Trains were extended in 1997 to Veski, when the train line Tartu-PiirTP was cut back from the Russian border to Orava.[3] Freight trains on the Valga-Võru-Koidula line have been cut back significantly after the Russian invasion of Ukraine.[4]
The Tartu-Valga railway line also serves this station. After closing April 2008 for extensive repair work Edelaraudtee railway services from other parts of Estonia to Valga re-opened in January 2010.[5][6] From 1 January 2014 all domestic train services in Estonia are operated by Elron. The journeys at 6:35am, 12:01pm, and 6:02pm run to Tallinn. The train at 7:36am goes only to Tartu. All trains arriving the station from Estonia begin in Tallinn, as of January 2, 2024.[7]
Valga is also an international railway junction; since April 2008, from Riga. Currently two trains run daily, operated by Pasažieru Vilciens. These trains previously terminated at Lugaži, but have been extended across the border to Valga.[8]
The train service from Latvia by Pasažieru Vilciens was updated in 2016, the morning train to Riga leaves at 5:12am, and the afternoon ones leave 2:52pm on weekdays and 4:52pm on weekends. There are two trains to Riga everyday.[9] The Latvian trains use track 2, and the Estonian trains use track 1.[10]
With the expansion of the Schengen Agreement and the abolition of systematic border controls between Estonia and Latvia, it was announced that common public bus transport would be launched between Valga and Valka.[11]
Since 1944, a local newspaper, Valgamaalane, has been published (3 times a week). Since 2003, there has also been a local newspaper "Walk" (in the Russian language). There also is a local correspondence office of Estonian Television (Eesti Televisioon) and a local radio – "Raadio Ruut".
The former urban municipality of Valga has established partnerships with many towns, mostly in foreign countries, which are listed in a special subsection below.
Valga is developing quickly. Since 1996, the populace's quality of life has improved due to the renovation of several buildings, including the Central Library, Valga Stadium, the Museum, Valga Hospital, and the Culture and Hobby Centre. Step by step, the schools and kindergartens are also being modernized. Since 2003, a new water treatment plant has improved the quality of water in the town.
In the private sector, there have been extensive investments in trade, light industry, and forestry.
1286: Valga (under German name Walk) appears for the first time in the credit register of the city of Riga.
1298, 1329, 1345: Walk suffers from looting raids made by Lithuanians who are led by Grand Duke Gediminas and Algirdas on the second and third occasions.
1902: In the building of the Temperance Society the social society Säde is founded; Andres Alver, the county medical officer, is elected chairman. The Valga-Marienburg narrow-gauge railway is opened.
1908 24 June: Estonian military commander Alfons Rebane is born in Valga.
1908: The Girls' Progymnasium is changed into the Gymnasium with Marta Pärna as principal.
1909: The construction of the Säde building is begun (architect Georg Hellat).
1913: 16194 inhabitants lived in the town (51% of them Estonians, 25.1% Latvians, 15.5% Russians, 4.0% Germans, 2.1% Jewish).
1917: A Germanzeppelin flies over the town and drops forty high-explosive bombs without hitting the main target, the railway station.
1918 11 January: The Council of Delegates of Valga County Workers, Soldiers and Landless Men gains power in the town. On 12 February the German Army occupies Valga.
1919 11 January: The Valga Estonian Gymnasium is opened at 22 Kesk Street. For the first time in the history of secondary education in Valga the teaching language is Estonian instead of German. At the end of January, 107 victims of Bolshevik acts of terror are found in five mass graves around Valga; 67 people are taken away as hostages. On 31 January the Battle of Paju takes place and consequently Valga is freed from the Bolsheviks.
1920 1 July: The British envoy Colonel S. G. Tallents conclusively establishes the border between Estonia and Latvia, putting an end to their disputes and the city of Valga is divided into Estonian and Latvian areas based on ethnicity. Valga proper, as far as Konnaoja and Luke graveyard, remains intact under Estonian rule.
1921 11 February: The decree of the Estonian government establishes the territory of Valga county. Valga becomes a county centre.
1940 17 June: The Soviet occupation begins and with it the political repressions against Estonians and Latvians in Valga/Valka, including the mass deportations in June 1941.
1944 19 September: In the course of heavy fighting Valga is liberated from the German occupation of Estonia. It is immediately replaced by the Soviet occupation of Estonia.
1988. The Valga Society for the Protection of Antiquities is founded. On 27 November, on the initiative of the Society, the beginning of the War of Liberation is commemorated at the memorial for those killed in the war.
1989 24 February: The first Estonian flag of the re-established independence period is hoisted on the flagpole of 12 Aia Street.
1992 24 May: The Russian army base in Valga is taken over, and later on becomes the border guard's post.
1993 17 October: The first free elections of the municipal council after the restoration of independence take place.
1994 31 January: On the 75th anniversary of the battle of Paju a memorial to it is opened. On 21–25 June, worldwide days of Valga county people take place.
International relationsedit
Twin towns – Sister citiesedit
The former municipality of Valga, Estonia was twinned with:[30]
The former municipality of Valga was a founding member of City Twins Association that was founded in Imatra, Finland on 13 December 2006. In addition to sister towns, Valga had a cooperation through the association with following cities:[31]
Sepa Street / Semināra Street. The border and checkpoint between Valga, Estonia and Valka in Latvia from the Estonian side
Estonian and Latvian train at Valga
Referencesedit
Notes
^Population by sex, age and place of residence after the 2017 administrative reform, 1 January. Statistics Estonia.
^"Picture 023 lisas R. Jeerland - Nagi". 7 July 2017. Archived from the original on 7 July 2017. Retrieved 29 December 2023.
^"Edelareisija album "diiselrongide sõiduplaan aastal 2001." - Nagi". 21 April 2019. Archived from the original on 21 April 2019. Retrieved 29 December 2023.
^"[Lost Video] Operail / Eesti Raudtee GE C36-7 1545 at Antsla". YouTube.
^"Taasavatud Tartu-Valga rongiliini esimene sõit osutus ülipopulaarseks" (in Estonian). tartupostimees.ee. 30 December 2009. Retrieved 29 June 2012.
^Tere, Juhan (15 December 2009). "Tartu-Valga train connection to get relaunched from January". The Baltic Course. Retrieved 29 June 2012.
^Estonian Train Action at Valga and Sangaste Station, retrieved 29 December 2023
^"Establishment of common public bus transport (Presentation)" (PDF). euregio-heltal.org. Retrieved 17 April 2018.[permanent dead link]
^"LINNAOSADE JA -JAGUDE LÜHENDID". www.eki.ee (in Estonian). Retrieved 18 March 2020.
^1922 a. üldrahvalugemise andmed. Vihk X. Tartu ja Valga maakonnad (tabelid). Eesti riikline statistika (in Estonian and French). Tallinn: Riigi Statistika Keskbüroo. 1924. p. 22. hdl:10062/4445.
^Rahvastiku koostis ja korteriolud. 1.III 1934 rahvaloenduse andmed. Vihk II (in Estonian and French). Tallinn: Riigi Statistika Keskbüroo. 1935. pp. 47–53. hdl:10062/4439.
^Eesti Statistika : kuukiri 1942-03/04 (in German and Estonian). Tallinn: Riigi Statistika Keskbüroo. 1942. pp. 66–67.
^Население районов, городов и поселков городского типа Эстонской ССР : по данным Всесоюзной переписи населения на 15 января 1970 года (in Russian). Tallinn: Eesti NSV Statistika Keskvalitsus. 1972. p. 76.
^ abEesti Vabariigi maakondade, linnade ja alevite rahvastik. 1. osa, Rahvaarv rahvuse, perekonnaseisu, hariduse ja elatusallikate järgi : 1989. a. rahvaloenduse andmed (in Estonian). Tallinn: Eesti Vabariigi Riiklik Statistikaamet. 1990. pp. 31, 35. ISBN 978-9949-7193-2-7 – via Digar.
^"RL222: RAHVASTIK ELUKOHA JA RAHVUSE JÄRGI". Estonian Statistical Database (in Estonian).
^"RL0429: RAHVASTIK RAHVUSE, SOO, VANUSERÜHMA JA ELUKOHA JÄRGI, 31. DETSEMBER 2011". Estonian Statistical Database. Retrieved 4 February 2021.
^"RL21429: Rahvastik Rahvuse, Soo, Vanuserühma Ja ELukoha (Haldusüksus) Järgi, 31. DETSEMBER 2021". Estonian Statistical Database (in Estonian).
^"Ethnic nationality. Mother tongue. Command of foreign languages". pub.stat.ee. Retrieved 17 April 2018.
^"Ethnic nationality. Mother tongue and command of foreign languages. Dialects". pub.stat.ee. Retrieved 17 April 2018.
^"Population by ethnic nationality, sex, age group and place of residence (administrative unit)". andmed.stat.ee. 31 December 2021.
^
"Climate normals-Temperature". Estonian Weather Service. Retrieved 1 February 2021.
^
"Climate normals-Precipitation". Estonian Weather Service. Retrieved 1 February 2021.
^
"Climate normals-Humidity". Estonian Weather Service. Retrieved 1 February 2021.
^
"Rekordid" (in Estonian). Estonian Weather Service. Retrieved 7 April 2021.
^
"Kliimanormid-Sademed, õhuniiskus" (in Estonian). Estonian Weather Service. Archived from the original on 22 February 2012. Retrieved 1 February 2021.
^T.Rosenberg. Künnivaod. ("Plow furrows"). Research on Estonian agrarian history of the 18th-20th centuries. The town of Valga in the first quarter of the 19th century. Tartu University Press. Learned Estonian Society, Tartu, 2013 (in Estonian), p. 239.