Viljandi (, german: Fellin, sv, Fellin) 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 o ...
and
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 ...
in southern
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, an ...
with a population of 17,407 in 2019.
It is the
capital
Capital may refer to:
Common uses
* Capital city, a municipality of primary status
** List of national capital cities
* Capital letter, an upper-case letter Economics and social sciences
* Capital (economics), the durable produced goods used fo ...
of
Viljandi County
Viljandi County ( et, Viljandi maakond or ''Viljandimaa''; german: Kreis Fellin) is one of 15 counties of Estonia. It is located in southern Estonia bordering Pärnu, Järva, Jõgeva, Tartu and Valga counties.
History
Viljandimaa, under the ...
and is geographically located between two major Estonian cities,
Pärnu
Pärnu () is the fourth largest city in Estonia. Situated in southwest Estonia, Pärnu is located south of the Estonian capital, Tallinn, and west of Estonia's second largest city, Tartu. The city sits off the coast of Pärnu Bay, an inlet ...
and
Tartu
Tartu is the second largest city in Estonia after the Northern European country's political and financial capital, Tallinn. Tartu has a population of 91,407 (as of 2021). It is southeast of Tallinn and 245 kilometres (152 miles) northeast of ...
. The town was first mentioned in 1283, upon being granted its town charter by Wilhelm von Endorpe. The town became a member of the
Hanseatic League
The Hanseatic League (; gml, Hanse, , ; german: label= Modern German, Deutsche Hanse) was a medieval commercial and defensive confederation of merchant guilds and market towns in Central and Northern Europe. Growing from a few North German to ...
at the beginning of the 14th century, and is one of five Estonian towns and cities in the league.
The once influential Estonian
newspaper
A newspaper is a periodical publication containing written information about current events and is often typed in black ink with a white or gray background.
Newspapers can cover a wide variety of fields such as politics, business, spor ...
''
Sakala'' was founded in Viljandi in 1878.
Symbols
The flag of Viljandi is bi-coloured, its upper part light blue and lower part white. The city's shield-shaped coat of arms is light blue, with a white rose in the middle. Viljandi is the white rose city – in midsummer there are 720 white roses flowering in front of the city hall, planted for the town's anniversary in 2003. In summer, the White Rose Day is celebrated in Viljandi.
History
First records of civilization in the surroundings of Viljandi date back to the 5th millennium B.C. The first written record of the earthen
stronghold
A fortification is a military construction or building designed for the defense of territories in warfare, and is also used to establish rule in a region during peacetime. The term is derived from Latin ''fortis'' ("strong") and ''facere' ...
of Viljandi was in the year 1154 in the commentaries to
al-Idrisi's world atlas ''Geography''.
In the 12th century, a permanent settlement emerged around the
stronghold
A fortification is a military construction or building designed for the defense of territories in warfare, and is also used to establish rule in a region during peacetime. The term is derived from Latin ''fortis'' ("strong") and ''facere' ...
of Viljandi, which also became the economic centre of the ancient Sakala district.
In 1211 the
hillfort
A hillfort is a type of earthwork 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 Age or Iron Age. Some were used in the post-Roma ...
of the
Estonians
Estonians or Estonian people ( et, eestlased) are a Finnic ethnic group native to Estonia who speak the Estonian language.
The Estonian language is spoken as the first language by the vast majority of Estonians; it is closely related to othe ...
in Viljandi was besieged by a joint army of
Germans
, native_name_lang = de
, region1 =
, pop1 = 72,650,269
, region2 =
, pop2 = 534,000
, region3 =
, pop3 = 157,000
3,322,405
, region4 =
, pop4 = ...
,
Latvians
Latvians ( lv, latvieši) are a Baltic ethnic group and nation native to Latvia and the immediate geographical region, the Baltics. They are occasionally also referred to as Letts, especially in older bibliography. Latvians share a common L ...
, and
Livs
The Livonians, or Livs ( Livonian: ''līvlizt''; Estonian: ''liivlased''; Latvian: ''līvi'', ''lībieši''), are a Balto-Finnic people indigenous to northern and northwestern Latvia. Livonians historically spoke Livonian, a Uralic language c ...
. The Livonian
Sword Brethren (later the
Livonian Order
The Livonian Order was an autonomous branch of the Teutonic Order,
formed in 1237. From 1435 to 1561 it was a member of the Livonian Confederation.
History
The order was formed from the remnants of the Livonian Brothers of the Sword after th ...
) captured the hillfort in August 1223 from a contingent of the people of
Ruthenians
Ruthenian and Ruthene are exonyms of Latin origin, formerly used in Eastern and Central Europe as common ethnonyms for East Slavs, particularly during the late medieval and early modern periods. The Latin term Rutheni was used in medieval sou ...
, who joined forces with the insurgent Estonians.
In place of the Sakala wooden stronghold a powerful Order Centre was started in 1224. The following year the Grand Master
Volquin led the construction of the
Viljandi Castle at the site of the former hillfort. The Viljandi (Fellin) castle was one of the largest in the
Baltic region
The terms Baltic Sea Region, Baltic Rim countries (or simply the Baltic Rim), and the Baltic Sea countries/states refer to slightly different combinations of countries in the general area surrounding the Baltic Sea, mainly in Northern Europe. ...
. It was a major fortification of the
Livonian Order
The Livonian Order was an autonomous branch of the Teutonic Order,
formed in 1237. From 1435 to 1561 it was a member of the Livonian Confederation.
History
The order was formed from the remnants of the Livonian Brothers of the Sword after th ...
and was appointed a commander from 1248. The fortress was continually rebuilt and modernized over the next two-hundred years.
In the 13th century, a medieval town arose on the northern side of the stronghold. The Hamburg-Riga town
bylaw
A by-law (bye-law, by(e)law, by(e) law), or as it is most commonly known in the United States bylaws, is a set of rules or law established by an organization or community so as to regulate itself, as allowed or provided for by some higher authori ...
s, lands and population of it were first recorded in 1283. During the first half of the 14th century, Viljandi joined the influential
Hanseatic League
The Hanseatic League (; gml, Hanse, , ; german: label= Modern German, Deutsche Hanse) was a medieval commercial and defensive confederation of merchant guilds and market towns in Central and Northern Europe. Growing from a few North German to ...
– the town had become an important stop for merchants on their way to Russia and back. In 1365, the town council was party when peace between Denmark and Hansa was concluded.
In 1470, Johann Wolthus von Herse, then master of the order, took up residence in the castle. In the Middle Ages, Viljandi was a typical small commercial town, which got its main income from transit trade. The local trade and handicraft played an equally important role. In 1481,
Ivan III of Russia
Ivan III Vasilyevich (russian: Иван III Васильевич; 22 January 1440 – 27 October 1505), also known as Ivan the Great, was a Grand Prince of Moscow and Grand Prince of all Rus'. Ivan served as the co-ruler and regent for his blin ...
laid siege to the castle but could not take it. The decline of Viljandi started during the
Livonian War
The Livonian War (1558–1583) was the Russian invasion of Old Livonia, and the prolonged series of military conflicts that followed, in which Tsar Ivan the Terrible of Russia (Muscovy) unsuccessfully fought for control of the region (pr ...
and in 1560, the forces of Knyaz
Andrey Kurbsky of
Muscovite Russia succeeded in seizing and demolished the town and the stronghold.
During the
Polish–Russian War in the first quarter of the 17th century, the town and the stronghold were completely destroyed. Under the Swedish rule in the 17th century the town bylaws of Viljandi were cancelled.
After the
Great Northern War
The Great Northern War (1700–1721) was a conflict in which a coalition led by the Tsardom of Russia successfully contested the supremacy of the Swedish Empire in Northern, Central and Eastern Europe. The initial leaders of the anti-Swe ...
, Russians seized the power and Viljandi was without laws until the year 1783, when in the course of the regency reforms of
Catherine II
, en, Catherine Alexeievna Romanova, link=yes
, house =
, father = Christian August, Prince of Anhalt-Zerbst
, mother = Joanna Elisabeth of Holstein-Gottorp
, birth_date =
, birth_name = Princess Sophie of Anhal ...
Viljandi became a district town. This involved the re-establishment of town bylaws. The economic and political importance of Viljandi started to increase. The population, meanwhile, having decreased to the minimum, started to rise again; handicraft, trading and cultural life were enlivened.
In 2005, Estonian Match, the successor of the 100-year-old Viljandi Match Factory, made a six-metre match, which was registered as the largest match in the world in the
Guinness Book of Records
''Guinness World Records'', known from its inception in 1955 until 1999 as ''The Guinness Book of Records'' and in previous United States editions as ''The Guinness Book of World Records'', is a reference book published annually, listing worl ...
.
Geography
The town is situated on the north-western shore of
Lake Viljandi
Lake Viljandi ( et, Viljandi järv) is a lake in Viljandi County, Estonia. The lake is in the deep primeval valley of the Viljandi town, depth , length , width , and surface area . The Uueveski and Valuoja streams and a number of springs flow int ...
, which lies in the primeval valley. Green zones cover 27% of the town area. Public green areas cover about 418
ha, including 92 ha of parks. The largest is the nature-protected Castle Park, but also Valuoja Park, Kiigepark, Uueveski Park are worth mentioning. The main tree species are
oak,
lime,
birch
A birch is a thin-leaved deciduous hardwood tree of the genus ''Betula'' (), in the family Betulaceae, which also includes alders, hazels, and hornbeams. It is closely related to the beech- oak family Fagaceae. The genus ''Betula'' cont ...
, and
pine
A pine is any conifer tree or shrub in the genus ''Pinus'' () of the family (biology), family Pinaceae. ''Pinus'' is the sole genus in the subfamily Pinoideae. The World Flora Online created by the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew and Missouri Botanic ...
. The grandest tree-lined avenues are Maramaa (named after
August Maramaa
August Maramaa (before 1922 August Marfeldt; 6 April 1881 Aakre Parish, Tartu County – 26 December 1941 Vyatski Prison Camp, Kirov, Russia) was an Estonian politician, teacher and mayor of Viljandi from 1919-1921 and 1927-1939.
He graduated in ...
, twice the mayor of Viljandi) and Lembitu avenues. Among foreign species,
American larch
''Larix laricina'', commonly known as the tamarack, hackmatack, eastern larch, black larch, red larch, or American larch, is a species of larch native to Canada, from eastern Yukon and Inuvik, Northwest Territories east to Newfoundland, and al ...
can be found in Köler avenue and
Douglas fir
The Douglas fir (''Pseudotsuga menziesii'') is an evergreen conifer species in the pine family, Pinaceae. It is native to western North America and is also known as Douglas-fir, Douglas spruce, Oregon pine, and Columbian pine. There are three v ...
in Uus street.
Culture
Viljandi is sometimes called the cultural capital of Estonia, partly due to the
Viljandi Culture Academy being located there.
Ugala Theatre
Ugala is a theatre in Viljandi, Estonia.
The theatre was founded in 1920 opening on January 10 of that year. The first production was Oscar Wilde's "Salome".
Ugala's Artistic Directors
*1925 - 1926: Andres Särev
*1926 – 1928: Eduard Lembe ...
since 1920, Viljandi has had the Ugala drama theatre. The tradition of open-air performances dates back to the same year.
Viljandi Puppet Theatre
Sakala Centre
Viljandi Library built in 2002 is also a venue for exhibitions, meetings with famous people, culture seminars, etc.
Kondas Centre is dedicated to Estonian naïve artist Paul Kondas. The center hosts exhibitions of representatives of naïvism and is also a meeting place for artistic people.
Estonian Traditional Music Centre located in the Traditional Music Storehouse, a restored store house on Kirsimägi in the Castle ruins. The mission of the center is to promote and teach traditional music.
Economy
There were 871 businesses in Viljandi on 1 May 2005, 50% of them in service, 45% in trade, and 5% in production areas. The major industries represented are the construction materials industry, textile industry, and food and bakery industry. In 2005, the Investor of the Year title was awarded to the waterworks operator AS Viljandi Veevärk, the Employer award to AS Toom Tekstiil, and the Sponsor of the Year title to AS Viljandi Metall. Unemployment rate among the working-age population in Viljandi was about 3%.
Transport
At the moment, 2 modes of transport can be used – road and rail. One of the most important is the Viljandi railway station, which was opened in 1897, through which the
Lelle-Viljandi railway and the Viljandi-
Mõisaküla railway pass.
Climate
Education
There are 7 schools and 7 kindergartens in Viljandi, a vocational secondary school and a university college. Special interests are catered for by a variety of institution providing extracurricular studies and activities in such fields as sports, music etc. The Youth Centre of Viljandi County is successful in offering various information and consulting services.
Schools in Viljandi
Primary Schools
Viljandi Jakobsoni KoolViljandi Kesklinna KoolViljandi Paalalinna Kool
Viljandi Kaare KoolViljandi Vaba Waldorfkool
Grammar Schools
Viljandi GümnaasiumViljandi Täiskasvanute Gümnaasium
Vocational education
Vocational education can be acquired at Viljandi Joint Vocational Secondary School.
Higher education
Higher and applied higher education can be acquired at
Viljandi Culture Academy a college of the University of Tartu.
Extracurricular educational institutions
* Viljandi Music School
* Viljandi Sports School
* Viljandi Art School
* Viljandi Youth Hobby Centre
Sports
There are sports events in Viljandi for both top athletes and amateurs. Family sports events, Sunday skiing trips, cycling tours in spring and autumn are very popular. In the city there are 53 sports clubs, a large sports hall and the new sports hall of Maagümnaasium. Also, the country's first artificial
speed skating oval was opened in 2014. Soon, the jogging and cycling track around Lake Viljandi will be completed. A new skateboarding and roller-skating area has been built in Männimäe. At the lakeside are tennis courts and the city stadium.
Several races are held in Viljandi – around Lake Viljandi and Lake Paala and up and down the Trepimägi stairs. The longest tradition – the
race around Lake Viljandi has been organised since 1928. This race takes place annually on 1 May, with the number of participants being about 1300 in the recent years. The winners' names are cut into stone columns. The legendary Hubert Pärnakivi, whose monument is also a tribute to the race, was an 11-time winner of the race.
Other popular fields of sport in Viljandi are handball, football, volleyball, basketball, wrestling, archery and rowing.
Legends
Boatman of Viljandi
Often the popular song is sung about the Boatman of Viljandi or the legend of him is told. Long-long ago, as a young man he had once taken a young girl across the lake on a summer evening and fallen hopelessly in love with the girl's blue eyes. Nobody knows what happened on the lake, but on the other side, the girl just waved him good-bye and left... However, the Boatman, a grey old man now, is said to row on the lake to this day, longing to see those wonderful blue eyes again.
According to another story, it was a boatman from
Gauja
The Gauja River ( et, Koiva jõgi, german: Livländische Aa) is a river in the Vidzeme region of Latvia. It is the only large river of Latvia that begins and ends its flow in Latvia. Its length is 460 km, of which 93.5 km (approxim ...
who had dedicated a song to his loved one. As the young woman had moved near Viljandi, the song had changed, too.
International relations
Viljandi as historic Hanseatic town is a member of the international
City League the Hanse.
Twin towns – sister cities
Viljandi is
twinned with:
*
Ahrensburg
Ahrensburg () is a town in the district of Stormarn, Schleswig-Holstein, Germany. It is located northeast of Hamburg and is part of the Hamburg Metropolitan Region. Its population is around 31,000. ''Schloss Ahrensburg'', the town's symbol, is ...
, Germany
*
Cumberland
Cumberland ( ) is a historic counties of England, historic county in the far North West England. It covers part of the Lake District as well as the north Pennines and Solway Firth coast. Cumberland had an administrative function from the 12th c ...
, United States
*
Eslöv
Eslöv (; older da, Eslev) is a town and the seat of Eslöv Municipality, Skåne County, Sweden with 19,598 inhabitants as of 2018.
Eslöv is part of the Öresund Region.
History
According to a map from 1717, Eslöv village was originally loca ...
, Sweden
*
Frostburg
Frostburg is a city in Allegany County, Maryland, United States, and is at the head of the Georges Creek Valley. It is part of the Cumberland, MD-WV Metropolitan Statistical Area. Located west of Cumberland, the town is one of the first cities o ...
, United States
*
Härnösand
Härnösand () is a locality and the seat of Härnösand Municipality in Västernorrland County, Sweden with 17,556 inhabitants in 2010. It is called "the gate to the High Coast" because of the world heritage landscape just a few miles north of H ...
, Sweden
*
Kretinga
Kretinga (; german: Crottingen) is a City in Klaipėda County, Lithuania. It is the capital of the Kretinga district municipality. It is located east of the popular Baltic Sea resort town of Palanga, and about north of Lithuania's 3rd largest ...
, Lithuania
*
Porvoo
Porvoo (; sv, Borgå ; la, Borgoa) is a city and a municipality in the Uusimaa region of Finland, situated on the southern coast about east of the city border of Helsinki and about from the city centre. Porvoo was one of the six medieva ...
, Finland
*
Telavi, Georgia
*
Ternopil
Ternópil ( uk, Тернопіль, Ternopil' ; pl, Tarnopol; yi, טאַרנאָפּל, Tarnopl, or ; he, טארנופול (טַרְנוֹפּוֹל), Tarnopol; german: Tarnopol) is a city in the west of Ukraine. Administratively, Terno ...
, Ukraine
*
Valmiera
Valmiera (; german: link=no, Wolmar; pl, Wolmar see other names) is the largest city of the historical Vidzeme region, Latvia, with a total area of . As of 2002, Valmiera had a population of 27,323, and in 2020 – 24 879. It is a state cit ...
, Latvia
Events
*
Viljandi Folk Music Festival
__NOTOC__
The Viljandi Folk Music Festival is a music festival in Estonia with a central focus on European folk music. It is traditionally held during the last weekend of July, when the otherwise quiet city of Viljandi is completely transformed as ...
a music festival with a focus on European folk music. It is traditionally held in the end of July. In the year 2006, over 24,000 people attended the concerts. As such, it is the largest annual music festival in Estonia. Due to this, Viljandi is sometimes called the Estonian Capital of Folk Music.
* Early Music Festival
* Notafe Festival – originally 'Noore Tantsu (Young Dance) Festival' : Annual experimental theater festival founded in 1993, traditionally held in mid July.
* Winter Folk Dance Festival
* "Theatre in Suitcase" puppet theatre festival
* Rock Ramp Festival
* Viljandi Hanseatic Days are traditionally held in June every year. The program covers different activities and events like a Hanseatic fair, where people can buy and sell traditional goods. The Viljandi Hanseatic Days also offer concerts and live performances from local and foreign performers. Different workshops are opened. Medieval sports games take place by the
Lake Viljandi
Lake Viljandi ( et, Viljandi järv) is a lake in Viljandi County, Estonia. The lake is in the deep primeval valley of the Viljandi town, depth , length , width , and surface area . The Uueveski and Valuoja streams and a number of springs flow int ...
.
*
International Hanseatic Days will be held in Viljandi from 2015.
*
Grand Race around Lake Viljandi
The Grand Race around Lake Viljandi ( et, Suurjooks ümber Viljandi järve) is an annual cross country running competition that takes place around the Lake Viljandi in Viljandi, Estonia. It is also the oldest traditional running event in Eston ...
Notable residents
*
Ülle Aaskivi (1950–2007), Estonian politician
*
Liisa Aibel
Liisa Aibel (born 21 September 1972) is an Estonian stage, film and television actress.
Early life and education
Liisa Aibel was born in Viljandi and attended school in Pärnu, graduating from Pärnu Secondary School No. 6 in 1990. As a teenager, ...
(born 1972), Estonian actress
*
August Alle
August Alle ( in Viljandi – 8 July 1952 in Tallinn) was an Estonian writer.Endel Nirk, Arthur Robert Hone, Oleg Mutt, ''Estonian Literature: Historical Survey with Biobibliographical Appendix'', Published by Perioodika, 1987, p215
Early life
A ...
(1890–1952), Estonian author
*
Stefan Airapetjan (born 1997), singer who represented
Estonia in the Eurovision Song Contest 2022
Estonia participated in the Eurovision Song Contest 2022 in Turin, Italy, with "Hope" performed by Stefan. The Estonian broadcaster (ERR) organised the national final ''2022'' in order to select the Estonian entry for the contest.
The nation ...
*
Meelis Atonen
Meelis Atonen (born 5 December 1966 in Viljandi) is an Estonian politician and entrepreneur. He has been a member of the IX, X and XI Riigikogu representing the Estonian Reform Party
The Estonian Reform Party ( et, Eesti Reformierakond) is ...
(born 1966), Estonian politician
*
Franz Burchard Dörbeck
Franz Burchard Dörbeck ( in Fellin in Fellin) was a Baltic German graphic artist and caricaturist born in Fellin (now Viljandi, Viljandi County, Estonia) in what was then the Governorate of Livonia
From 1814 to 1816 Dörbeck studied engravin ...
(1799–1835), Baltic-German caricaturist and painter
*
August Eller
August Eller (1907, Viljandi – 1990, Haapsalu) was an Estonian chess player, who won the Estonian Chess Championship.
Biography
August Eller participated in two Estonian schoolchildren chess championships (1925, 1926). Best result was 4th plac ...
(1907–1990), Estonian chess player
*
Väino Ilus (born 1929), Estonian writer
*
Kaido Kama (born 1957), Estonian politician
*
Triinu Kivilaan
Triinu Kivilaan (born 13 January 1989 in Viljandi, Estonia) is an Estonian vocalist and former model, best known as a former member of the popular girl group Vanilla Ninja. She had been modelling for several years when she replaced Maarja Kivi ...
(born 1989), former bassist of the band
Vanilla Ninja
Vanilla Ninja is an Estonian all-female rock band which enjoyed chart success in a number of countries across Europe, especially in Estonia, Germany and Austria.
The group formed in 2002 and released their self-titled debut album '' Vanilla N ...
, now soloist
*
Ragnar Klavan
Ragnar Klavan (born 30 October 1985) is an Estonian professional footballer who plays as a defender for Estonian club Paide Linnameeskond and the Estonia national team. A left-footed centre back, he has also played as a left back during his car ...
(born 1985), Estonian footballer and captain of the
Estonia national team, played for
Liverpool
Liverpool is a City status in the United Kingdom, city and metropolitan borough in Merseyside, England. With a population of in 2019, it is the List of English districts by population, 10th largest English district by population and its E ...
and in
Cagliari
Cagliari (, also , , ; sc, Casteddu ; lat, Caralis) is an Italian municipality and the capital of the island of Sardinia, an autonomous region of Italy. Cagliari's Sardinian name ''Casteddu'' means ''castle''. It has about 155,000 inhabitant ...
*
Mart Laar
Mart Laar (born 22 April 1960) is an Estonian politician and historian. He served as the Prime Minister of Estonia from 1992 to 1994 and from 1999 to 2002. Laar is credited with having helped bring about Estonia's rapid economic development dur ...
(born 1960), Estonian politician
*
Karin Luts
Karin Luts (29 April 1904 – 14 May 1993) was a Estonian female painter and a graphic artist.
Biography
Karin Luts was born in Riidaja in Valga County to parents Andres and Juuli Mari Luts (''née'' Gentalen) in April 1904 where she was one of ...
(1904–1993), Estonian artist
*
Mait Malmsten
Mait Malmsten (born 6 September 1972 in Viljandi) is an Estonian actor.
Malmsten comes from a family of actors. His father is actor Rein Malmsten. His paternal grandparents were actors Franz Malmsten and Eva Meil. His great-uncle was actor Hug ...
(born 1972), Estonian actor
*
Karol Mets
Karol Mets (; born 16 May 1993) is an Estonian professional footballer who plays as a centre back or defensive midfielder for St. Pauli on loan from Swiss club Zürich and the Estonia national team.
Club career Tulevik
Mets came through the T ...
(born 1993), Estonian footballer
*
Uno Naissoo
Uno Naissoo (25 March 1928 Viljandi – 5 January 1980 Tallinn) was an 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 ...
(1928–1980), Estonian composer and music pedagogue
*
Annely Peebo
Annely Peebo (born 16 November 1971) is an Estonian operatic mezzo-soprano. She was a co-host of the Eurovision Song Contest 2002 in Tallinn.
Life and career
Annely Peebo gained a diploma for choral conducting and completed vocal studies in ope ...
(born 1971), Estonian opera singer (mezzo-soprano)
*
Eric Pehap
Eric Pehap (10 April 1912 – 22 November 1981), also known as Erich Konstantin or simply Pehap, was an abstract artist working in Canada.
Biography
Eric Pehap was born in Viljandi in 1912 where his father worked as a police officer. Growing ...
(1912–1981), abstract artist
* (1832–1907), journalist, teacher, author
*
Sander Post
Sander Post (born 10 September 1984 in Viljandi) is an Estonian football coach and former player who played as a centre back.
Club career
Early career
Post made his first-team debut for FC Elva at the age of 16 in 2001, as a defender. After ...
(born 1984), Estonian football player
*
Joakim Puhk
Joakim Puhk (25 May 1888 – 14 September 1942) was an Estonian businessman, economist and Rotarian; a member of the International Chamber of Commerce, and a member of the International Olympic Committee from 1936 to 1942.
Biography
Joakim ...
(1888–1942), Estonian entrepreneur and sports official
*
Tõnis Rätsep (born 1947), Estonian actor, musician, playwright and educator
*
Hans Schmidt (1854–1923), German musician (composer and pianist) and poet
*
Elisabeth Schiemann
Elisabeth Schiemann (; 15 August 1881 – 3 January 1972) was a German geneticist, crop researcher and resistance fighter in the Third Reich.
Background and education
Elisabeth Schiemann was born in Viljandi, Estonia, at the time part of the ...
(1881–1972), German geneticist and crop scientist
*
Helir-Valdor Seeder
Helir-Valdor Seeder (born 7 September 1964) is an Estonian politician. He is a member of the parliament, current chairman of the Isamaa and served as Minister of Agriculture from 2007 to 2014. Seeder has a master's degree in economics from the E ...
(born 1964), Estonian politician
*
Sirje Tamul
Sirje Tamul (born 31 August 1951 in Viljandi) is an Estonian historian and a lector at the University of Tartu. She received her PhD in 2007.
Tamul's main field of research is the history of the University of Tartu between the 19th and the be ...
(born 1951), Estonian historian
*
Jaan Tätte (born 1964), Estonian dramatist, actor and singer
*
Joonas Tamm
Joonas Tamm (born 2 February 1992) is an Estonian professional footballer who plays as a centre-back for Liga I club FCSB and the Estonia national team. Tamm has won the Estonian Footballer of the Year in 2022.
Club career Tulevik
Tamm started ...
(born 1992), International Estonian football player of
FC Desna Chernihiv
Football Club Desna Chernihiv ( uk, ФК «Десна» Чернігів) is a Ukrainian football club based in Chernihiv. The original name of the club was "Avanhard" (FC Avanhard Chernihiv) during its first year of existence as part of a re ...
and
Sampdoria.
Gallery
File:Viljandi castle southern end.jpg, Viljandi castle. Ruins at the southern end of the hill with Lake Viljandi
Lake Viljandi ( et, Viljandi järv) is a lake in Viljandi County, Estonia. The lake is in the deep primeval valley of the Viljandi town, depth , length , width , and surface area . The Uueveski and Valuoja streams and a number of springs flow int ...
in the background
File:Viljandi 2010 002.jpg, Viljandi Folk Music Festival held annually within the castle ruins
File:Viljandi vanalinna muinsuskaitseala, Hiire ja Johan Laidoneri plats tänava nurk.JPG, Viljandi Town Heritage Conservation Area
File:Ugala teater.jpg, Ugala
Ugala is a theatre in Viljandi, Estonia.
The theatre was founded in 1920 opening on January 10 of that year. The first production was Oscar Wilde's "Salome
Salome (; he, שְלוֹמִית, Shlomit, related to , "peace"; el, Σαλώμ� ...
Theatre
File:Elamu Viljandis Tallinna 16.jpg, Main building of University of Tartu Viljandi Culture Academy
University of Tartu Viljandi Culture Academy ( et, Tartu Ülikooli Viljandi Kultuuriakadeemia) is an Estonian institution of higher education, situated in the provincial town of Viljandi, central Estonia. The UT Viljandi Culture Academy merged ...
on Tallinna tänav 16 in Viljandi
File:Viljandi maagümnaasiumi hoone.jpg, Main building of Viljandi Gümnaasium
File:Grand Hotel in winter.JPG, Grand Hotel Viljandi
File:Viljandin öistä keskustaa.JPG, Viljandi shopping centre at night
See also
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Lake Viljandi
Lake Viljandi ( et, Viljandi järv) is a lake in Viljandi County, Estonia. The lake is in the deep primeval valley of the Viljandi town, depth , length , width , and surface area . The Uueveski and Valuoja streams and a number of springs flow int ...
*
Viljandi castle
*
University of Tartu Viljandi Culture Academy
University of Tartu Viljandi Culture Academy ( et, Tartu Ülikooli Viljandi Kultuuriakadeemia) is an Estonian institution of higher education, situated in the provincial town of Viljandi, central Estonia. The UT Viljandi Culture Academy merged ...
References
Heinrici (ca. 1187–1259) Chronicon Livoniaesee also
Chronicle of Henry of Livonia
The ''Livonian Chronicle of Henry'' ( la, Heinrici Cronicon Lyvoniae) offers a Latin narrative of events in Livonia (roughly corresponding to today's inland Estonia and the northern part of Latvia) and surrounding areas from 1180 to 1227. It was ...
External links
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Viljandi Tourist Information CentreFestival Viljandi Folk Music FestivalViljandi this week, Nädal Viljandis, all events in Viljandi
{{Authority control
Cities and towns in Estonia
Municipalities of Estonia
Members of the Hanseatic League
Kreis Fellin
Populated places in Viljandi County
Populated places established in the 1280s