Võru (; vro, Võro; german: Werro) is a

town A town is a human settlement. Towns are generally larger than villages and smaller than cities, though the criteria to distinguish between them vary considerably in different parts of the world. Origin and use The word "town" shares an ori ...

and a

municipality A municipality is usually a single administrative division having corporate status and powers of self-government or jurisdiction as granted by national and regional laws to which it is subordinate. The term ''municipality'' may also mean the go ...

in south-eastern

Estonia Estonia, formally the Republic of Estonia, is a country by the Baltic Sea in Northern Europe. It is bordered to the north by the Gulf of Finland across from Finland, to the west by the sea across from Sweden, to the south by Latvia, a ...

. It is the capital of

Võru County Võru County ( et, Võru maakond or ''Võrumaa''; vro, Võro maakund) is a county in southern Estonia. It is bordered by Valga County and Põlva County and is the only Estonian county bordering two countries - Latvia ( Alūksne Municipality an ...

and the centre of

Võru Parish Võru Parish ( et, Võru vald; vro, Võro vald) is a rural municipality of Estonia, in Võru County Võru County ( et, Võru maakond or ''Võrumaa''; vro, Võro maakund) is a county in southern Estonia. It is bordered by Valga County and P ...

History

Võru was founded on 21 August 1784, according to the wish of the Empress Catherine II of Russia, by the order of Riga Governor general count George Browne, on the site of the former Võru estate.

Geography and climate

The town is situated on the shore of Lake Tamula. Võru has a

humid continental climate A humid continental climate is a climatic region defined by Russo-German climatologist Wladimir Köppen in 1900, typified by four distinct seasons and large seasonal temperature differences, with warm to hot (and often humid) summers and freezing ...

(''Dfb'' according to the

Köppen climate classification The Köppen climate classification is one of the most widely used climate classification systems. It was first published by German-Russian climatologist Wladimir Köppen (1846–1940) in 1884, with several later modifications by Köppen, notabl ...

) with warm summers and cold winters. Võru has one of the most continental climates in Estonia: both the temperatures of 35.6 °C, which is the highest temperature ever recorded in the country and - 43.4 °C, which is very close to the coldest temperature ever recorded in the country (after

Jõgeva Jõgeva (german: Laisholm) is a small town in Estonia with a population of around 5000 people. It is the capital of Jõgeva Parish and Jõgeva County. History Jõgeva was first mentioned in 1599 as ''Jagiwa'' manor, being established only rec ...

) are recorded here. Precipitation is usually higher in early summer to late autumn, and lower in late winter to early spring.

Culture

The Võru Folklore Festival is held annually in Võru in July since 1995.

Friedrich Reinhold Kreutzwald Friedrich Reinhold Kreutzwald ( – ) was an Estonian writer who is considered to be the father of the national literature for the country. He is the author of Estonian national epic ''Kalevipoeg''. Life Friedrich Reinhold Kreutzwald's pare ...

, the author of the Estonian national epic "

Kalevipoeg ''Kalevipoeg'' (, ''Kalev's Son'') is a 19th century Epic poetry, epic poem by Friedrich Reinhold Kreutzwald which has since been considered the Estonian national epic. Origins In pre-Christian ancient Estonia there existed an oral tradition ...

", lived in Võru from 1833 to 1877.

Transport

European route E263 European route E 263 is a Class B road part of the International E-road network. It runs only through Estonia, begins in Tallinn and ends in Luhamaa, Võru County, and shares exactly the same route as Estonian national road 2. Route: Ta ...

is the main connection with the rest of Estonia. Other roads connect Võru with

Põlva Põlva () is a town in southeastern Estonia, the capital of Põlva County, and the centre of Põlva Parish. Põlva is home for the Intsikurmu Song Festival Grounds, which regularly hosts concerts and summer activities, situated in a small f ...

Räpina Räpina ( vro, Räpinä, german: Rappin) is a town in Põlva County, Estonia. Räpina was administrative centre of Räpina raion from 1950 until 1961, currently it is the administrative centre of Räpina Parish. The oldest commercial enterpri ...

Antsla Antsla is a town in Võru County, southern Estonia, it is the administrative centre of Antsla Parish. Antsla borough was renamed town of third rank by Konstantin Päts from 1 May 1938. The settlement is known since 1405. The town has a furnitur ...

and Valga. The Valga–

Pechory Pechory (russian: Печо́ры; Estonian and Seto: ') is a town and the administrative centre of Pechorsky District in the Pskov Oblast, Russia. Its population in the 2010 Census was 11,195, having fallen from 13,056 recorded in ...

railway, which passes through Võru, is currently inactive. The Võru train station is unused as of 2014.

Military

Võru is home to

Taara Army Base The Taara Army Base ( et, Taara sõjaväelinnak) is a military installation of the Estonian Defence Forces located in Võru, in South Estonia. History The Taara military facilities were built between 1926 and 1928. Structure The Taara Army Base ...

, headquarters of the

Kuperjanov Infantry Battalion The Kuperjanov Infantry Battalion ( et, Kuperjanovi jalaväepataljon) is a battalion of the Estonian Land Forces. It is a part of the 2nd Infantry Brigade. Battalion headquarters is at Taara Army Base, Võru. History Estonian War of Independen ...

Sports

Võru is home to

Võru Stadium Võru (; vro, Võro; german: Werro) is a town and a municipality in south-eastern Estonia. It is the capital of Võru County and the centre of Võru Parish. History Võru was founded on 21 August 1784, according to the wish of the Empress Cather ...

, the home ground of

II liiga II liiga is the fourth level of football league competition in Estonia arranged by the Estonian Football Association. It consists of 28 teams, divided geographically into two divisions with 14 teams respectively in group North/East and South/Wes ...

football team Võru JK.

Twin towns – sister cities

Võru is twinned with: *

Alūksne Alūksne ()) is a town on the shores of Lake Alūksne in northeastern Latvia near the borders with Estonia and Russia. It is the seat of Alūksne municipality. Alūksne is the highest elevated Latvian city, located in East Vidzeme Upland at 217 ...

, Latvia * Bad Segeberg, Germany * Chambray-lès-Tours, France *

Härryda Härryda () is a locality situated in Härryda Municipality, Västra Götaland County, Sweden. It had 968 inhabitants in 2010. Despite its name it is not the seat of the municipality A municipality is usually a single administrative division ...

, Sweden *

Iisalmi Iisalmi (; sv, Idensalmi) is a town and municipality in the region of Northern Savonia in Finland. It is located north of Kuopio and south of Kajaani. The municipality has a population of (), which makes it the second largest of the five towns ...

, Finland *

Joniškis Joniškis (; Samogitian: ''Juonėškis'') is a town in northern Lithuania with a population of about 9,900. It is located 39 kilometers north of Šiauliai and 14 kilometers south of the Lithuania– Latvia border. Joniškis is the municipal an ...

, Lithuania *

Kaniv Kaniv ( uk, Канів, ) city located in Cherkasy Raion, Cherkasy Oblast (province) in central Ukraine. The city rests on the Dnieper River, and is also one of the main inland river ports on the Dnieper. It hosts the administration of Kaniv urb ...

, Ukraine *

Laitila Laitila (; sv, Letala) is a town and a municipality of Finland. It is located in the Southwest Finland region, and it is from Laitila to Turku. The municipality has a population of () and covers an area of of which is water. The population de ...

, Finland *

Landskrona Landskrona (old da, Landskrone) is a town in Scania, Sweden. Located on the shores of the Öresund, it occupies a natural port, which has lent the town at first military and subsequent commercial significance. Ferries operate from Landskrona t ...

, Sweden * Pechorsky District, Russia * Smolyan, Bulgaria *

Suwałki Suwałki ( lt, Suvalkai; yi, סואוואַלק) is a city in northeastern Poland with a population of 69,206 (2021). It is the capital of Suwałki County and one of the most important centers of commerce in the Podlaskie Voivodeship. Suwałki ...

, Poland

Notable people

Priit Aimla Priit Aimla (born 19 April 1941 in Võru) is an Estonian writer, poet, humorist and politician known for several stage plays and books. During 1992 to 1995, he belonged to Riigikogu, having been elected as a member of the Independent Royalist ...

(born 1941) writer, poet, humorist and politician was born in Võru. *

Helmut Ajango Helmut "Mike" Ajango (November 30, 1931 – November 15, 2013) was an Estonian-born architect based in Fort Atkinson, Wisconsin in the United States.Moses Wolf Goldberg (1905–1964), Estonian-Jewish chemist, lived in Võru as a child. *

Sulev Iva Sulev Iva (born 3 October 1969 in Võru), also known under the Võro-styled pen name of Jüvä Sullõv, is a Võro identity advocate, and a founding fellow at the Võro Institute. He has authored numerous subjects on Võro-related topics, and ...

(born 1969), Võro identity advocate, founder of Võro Institute. * Meelis Kanep (born 1983), Estonian chess grandmaster, was born in Võru. *

(1803–1882), Estonian writer and folklorist, the author of Estonian national epic "

", lived in Võru from 1833 to 1877. * Ain Mäeots (born 1971), Estonian actor and director, was born in Võru. * Innar Mäesalu (born 1970), Estonian politician * Marianne Mikko (born 1961), Estonian politician. *

Hilje Murel Hilje Murel (born 17 December 1975) is an Estonian stage, film, and television actress. Early life and education Hilje Murel was born in the town of Võru in Võru County. She is a 1998 graduate of the EMA Higher Drama School (now, the Estonian ...

(born 1975), Estonian actress, was born in Võru. * Priit Narusk (born 1977), Estonian cross-country skier, was born in Võru. *

Erki Nool Erki Nool (born 25 June 1970, in Võru, Estonia) is an Estonian decathlete and former politician. Life and career Nool grew up in an impoverished environment in the southern part of Võru. His father was a worker in a furniture factory and his ...

(born 1970), Estonian decathlete and politician, was born in Võru. * Erki Pehk (born 1968), Estonian conductor, was born in Võru. * Anti Saarepuu (born 1983), Estonian cross-country skier, was born in Võru. * Leon Sibul (1932–2007), American electrical engineer, was born in Võru. *

Uku Suviste Uku Suviste (born 6 June 1982) is an Estonian singer-songwriter, pianist and music producer. He was scheduled to represent Estonia in the Eurovision Song Contest 2020 in Rotterdam, Netherlands, before cancellation of the competition that year. ...

(born 1982), Estonian singer, was born in Võru. *

Kaija Udras Kaija Vahtra (née Udras, born 4 December 1986) is an Estonian cross-country skier who has competed since 2005. At the 2010 Winter Olympics in Vancouver, she finished 16th in the team sprint, 31st in the individual sprint, and did not finish the ...

(born 1986), Estonian cross-country skier, was born in Võru. * Debora Vaarandi (1916–2007), Estonian poet, was born in Võru. *

Katrin Välbe Katrin Välbe (until 1929 Jekaterina Poska; 31 October 1904 – 5 July 1981) was an Estonian actress. Katrin Välbe was born Jekaterina Poska in Võru to Gabriel and Lydia Poska. Her father was a lawyer and her uncles included statesman Jaan Posk ...

(1904–1981), Estonian actress, was born in Võru. *

Kullar Viimne Kullar Viimne (born 22 March 1980 in Võru) is an Estonian director, scriptwriter, editor and cinematographer. Between 2004 - 2011 he studied at the Baltic Film and Media School of Cinema, Tallinn University. Has furthered his education at fi ...

(born 1980), Estonian fillmaker, was born in Võru.

Gallery

Võru town centre.jpg, Fr.R.Kreutzwald street in Võru Võru town centre near the beach.jpg, Tartu street near the beach Tamula lake in Võru.jpg, Tamula lake in Võru MS Estonia memorial in the central square.jpg,

MS Estonia MS ''Estonia'' was a cruiseferry built in 1980 at the West German shipyard Meyer Werft in Papenburg. In 1993, she was sold to Nordström & Thulin for use on Estline's Tallinn–Stockholm route. The ship's sinking on 28 September 1994, in the B ...

memorial on the central square Võro Instituut 2011 03 17.jpg,

Võro Institute Võro Institute ( vro, Võro Instituut, et, Võru Instituut) is an Estonian state research and development institution dedicated to the preservation and promotion of the Võro language and culture. History Võro ( vro, võro kiil, links=no ...

Võru Gümnaasium 2018 12.jpg, Võru Gymnasium F R Kreutzwaldi monument Vorus.JPG, Monument to

Võru maavalitsus.JPG, Võru county government building Võru old fire station, 2013.jpg, Old fire station

References

External links

*
Võru Folklore FestivalVõro Institute
{{DEFAULTSORT:Voru Cities and towns in Estonia Municipalities of Estonia Planned cities Populated places established in 1784 18th-century establishments in Estonia Kreis Werro