Jõgeva is a small town in
Estonia
Estonia, officially the Republic of Estonia, is a country in Northern Europe. It is bordered to the north by the Gulf of Finland across from Finland, to the west by the Baltic Sea across from Sweden, to the south by Latvia, and to the east by Ru ...
with a population of around 5000 people. It is the capital of
Jõgeva Parish
Jõgeva Parish () is a rural Municipalities of Estonia, municipality of Estonia, in Jõgeva County. It has a population of 12,413 (2024) and an area of 458 km2 (177 mi2).
Populated places
;Towns:
Jõgeva (administrative center)
;Sma ...
and
Jõgeva County
Jõgeva County ( or ''Jõgevamaa'') is one of 15 counties of Estonia. It is situated in eastern part of the country and borders Ida-Viru County to the north-east, Lake Peipus to the east, Tartu County to the south, Viljandi County to the south-we ...
.
History
Jõgeva was first mentioned in 1599 as ''Jagiwa'' manor, being established only recently on the lands of the same named village by the orders of the
Polish king
Poland was ruled at various times either by dukes and princes (10th to 14th centuries) or by kings (11th to 18th centuries). During the latter period, a tradition of Royal elections in Poland, free election of monarchs made it a uniquely electab ...
. During the
Polish reign in Estonia (1582–1622) it was part of Laiuse
starostwo, which became Laiuse
fief
A fief (; ) was a central element in medieval contracts based on feudal law. It consisted of a form of property holding or other rights granted by an overlord to a vassal, who held it in fealty or "in fee" in return for a form of feudal alle ...
during
Swedish rule (1622–1721).
In 1756, Jõgeva manor became the property of
Gotthard Johann von Manteuffel (1690–1763) and remained in the family of von Manteuffel until 1919 when it was nationalized by the government. In 1876, a railway station, named Laisholm after the manor, was established near the village of Jõgeva (). The owner of Jõgeva manor,
Ernst Gotthard von Manteuffel (1844–1922), started renting out land around the railway station in 1903. After that, the village grew quickly. On October 13, 1919, Jõgeva became a borough and on 1 May 1938, a town.
During the
Second World War
World War II or the Second World War (1 September 1939 – 2 September 1945) was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War II, Allies and the Axis powers. World War II by country, Nearly all of the wo ...
nearly 60% of the town was destroyed.
During the
Soviet occupation of Estonia Jõgeva became an important administrative center with several big industries. Many new administrative, commercial and residential buildings were erected at that time.
Demographics
Location
Jõgeva is situated on the right shore of
Pedja River which flows through the city from north to south. Parallel with the river is the Tallinn–Tartu railway line. The major cities
Tartu
Tartu is the second largest city in Estonia after Tallinn. Tartu has a population of 97,759 (as of 2024). It is southeast of Tallinn and 245 kilometres (152 miles) northeast of Riga, Latvia. Tartu lies on the Emajõgi river, which connects the ...
and
Tallinn
Tallinn is the capital city, capital and List of cities in Estonia, most populous city of Estonia. Situated on a Tallinn Bay, bay in north Estonia, on the shore of the Gulf of Finland of the Baltic Sea, it has a population of (as of 2025) and ...
are respectively 51 and from Jõgeva, both connected through railway as well as through highways.
Nature and climate
Jõgeva is located between big
drumlin
A drumlin, from the Irish word ("little ridge"), first recorded in 1833, in the classical sense is an elongated hill in the shape of an inverted spoon or half-buried egg formed by glacial ice acting on underlying unconsolidated till or groun ...
s. The hill of Laiuse is located east from the town. River Pedja passes through the town. Jõgeva 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 cold ...
(Dfb). Winters are usually snowy and cold. It is known as the coldest place in Estonia with the lowest temperature of . Summers are mild and often humid, some days the maximum can reach 30°C. Thunder season starts in April and ends usually in the end of October.
Culture
In July
Jõgevatreff, an annual bikers reunion takes place. The culmination of the event is the parade of the bikers through the town. In August, the annual Garlic Festival is held.
Jõgeva is also regarded as the headquarters of the Estonian Santa Claus.
Sights and buildings
*The house museum of Estonian poet
Betti Alver - the house by the railway station where she was born;
*Külmasammas - a monument marking the Estonian cold record of recorded in Jõgeva in 1940;
*The
Estonian War of Independence
The Estonian War of Independence, also known as the War of Freedom in Estonia, was a defensive campaign of the Estonian Army and its allies, most notably the United Kingdom, against the Soviet Russian westward offensive of 1918–1919 and the ...
memorial stone to commemorate the casualties;
*The memorial to the casualties of the
Second World War
World War II or the Second World War (1 September 1939 – 2 September 1945) was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War II, Allies and the Axis powers. World War II by country, Nearly all of the wo ...
;
*The memorial to the Estonian deportees during Soviet occupation in 1941 and 1949;
International relations
Twin towns - Sister cities
The former municipality of Jõgeva (until 2017) was
twinned with:
*
Jonava
Jonava () is the ninth largest city in Lithuania with a population of .
It is located in Kaunas County in central Lithuania, north east of Kaunas, the second-largest city in Lithuania. It is served by Kaunas International Airport. ''Achema'', t ...
, Lithuania
*
Kaarina
Kaarina (; , i.e. "Catherine of Alexandria, Saint Catherine's") is a town in Finland, located in the region of Southwest Finland. It lies south of the regional capital, Turku. The population of Kaarina is approximately , while the Turku sub-regi ...
, Finland
*
Karlstad
Karlstad (, ) is the 20th-largest city in Sweden, the seat of Karlstad Municipality, the capital of Värmland County, and the largest city in the province Värmland in Sweden. The city proper had 67,122 inhabitants in 2020 with 97,233 inhabitan ...
, Sweden
*
Keuruu, Finland
Gallery
Betti Alveri mälestusmärk Jõgeval.jpg, Monument to the poet Betti Alver in Jõgeva
Jõgeva pangahoone.JPG, Bank in Jõgeva
Jõgeva päästekomando hoone.JPG, Fire station and rescue building
Jõgeva train station 2005.jpg, Jõgeva railway station
Jõgeva.jpg, Jõgeva central square
Jõgeva endine jaamahoone.jpg, Old railway station
Jõgeva bussijaam.JPG, Bus station
Betti Alveri muuseum 2012.JPG, Betti Alver museum
Jõgeva Kultuurikeskus.JPG, Cultural center
County Government building, Jõgeva.jpg, Jõgeva County government building
Notable people
*
Martin Algus (born 1973), actor, screenwriter, playwright and translator, born in Jõgeva
*
Vallo Allingu (born 1978), basketball player, born in Jõgeva
*
Saskia Alusalu (born 1994), speed skater, born in Jõgeva
*
Betti Alver (1906–1989), poet, born in Jõgeva
*
Ain Evard (born 1962) high jumper, born in Jõgeva
*
Leopold Hansen (1879–1964), actor and theater director, lived in Jõgeva as a child
*
Robin Kool (aka "ropz"; born 1999), esports player, born in Jõgeva
*
Aire Koop (born 1957), actress, born in Jõgeva
*
Alo Kõrve (born 1978), actor, born in Jõgeva
*
Hele Kõrve (born 1980), actress, born in Jõgeva
*
Alo Mattiisen (1961–1996), musician and composer, born in Jõgeva
*
Mati Meos (born 1946), engineer and politician, born in Jõgeva
*
Erki Pütsep (born 1976), road bicycle racer, born in Jõgeva
*
Aleksandr Selevko (born 2001), figure skater, born in Jõgeva
*
Tiit Sukk (born 1974), actor, born in Jõgeva
*
Alar Varrak (born 1982), basketball player and coach, born in Jõgeva
*
Luule Viilma (1950–2002), physician, esotericist and parapsychologist, born in Jõgeva
*
Igor Volke (born 1950), ufologist and author, born in Jõgeva
See also
*
Jõgeva SK Noorus-96
*
FC Jõgeva Wolves
References
;Notes
External links
Webcamera in Jõgeva center
{{DEFAULTSORT:Jogeva
Cities and towns in Estonia
Former municipalities of Estonia
Populated places in Jõgeva County
Kreis Dorpat
16th-century establishments in Estonia
Populated places established in the 16th century