Valga (german: Walk) is a town 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 ...

and the capital of Valga County and Valga Parish. Until their separation in 1920, Valga and the town of

Valka Valka (; german: Walk) is a town and municipality in northern Latvia, on the border with Estonia along both banks of the river Pedele. Valka and the Estonian town Valga are twins, separated by the Estonian/Latvian border but using the slogan "O ...

in northern

Latvia Latvia ( or ; lv, Latvija ; ltg, Latveja; liv, Leţmō), officially the Republic of Latvia ( lv, Latvijas Republika, links=no, ltg, Latvejas Republika, links=no, liv, Leţmō Vabāmō, links=no), is a country in the Baltic region of ...

were one town. They are now twin-towns. The area of Valga is and that of Valka is . 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.

Location and transport

The distance to Tartu is , Pärnu , Tallinn , Riga and

Pskov Pskov ( rus, Псков, a=pskov-ru.ogg, p=pskof; see also names in other languages) is a city in northwestern Russia and the administrative center of Pskov Oblast, located about east of the Estonian border, on the Velikaya River. Population ...

. Valga is situated at the junction of roads and railways. The Hummuli– Tartu– Riga railway is connected via

Tapa Tapa, TAPA, Tapas or Tapasya may refer to: Media *Tapas (website), a webtoon site, formerly known as Tapastic * ''Tapas'' (film), a 2005 Spanish film * ''Tapasya'' (1976 film), an Indian Hindi-language film * ''Tapasya'' (1992 film), a Nepalese f ...

with the Tallinn–

Narva Narva, russian: Нарва is a municipality and city in Estonia. It is located in Ida-Viru county, at the eastern extreme point of Estonia, on the west bank of the Narva river which forms the Estonia–Russia international border. With 5 ...

– St Petersburg main line. After closing April 2008 for extensive repair work Edelaraudtee railway services from other parts of

to Valga re-opened in January 2010. From 2014 all domestic train services in Estonia are operated by Elron who runs three services a day from Valga to Tartu. The journeys either operate as through services to Tallinn or have a connection available at Tartu. The journey to Tartu takes around one hour and 15 minutes. Valga is also an international railway junction; since April 2008 three daily trains operated by Pasažieru Vilciens from Riga which previously terminated at Lugaži have been extended across the border to Valga. The journey time to Riga is between 3h12m and 3h30m. With the expansion of the Schengen Agreement and the abolition of systematic

border controls Border control refers to measures taken by governments to monitor and regulate the movement of people, animals, and goods across land, air, and maritime borders. While border control is typically associated with international borders, it a ...

between Estonia and Latvia, it was announced that common public bus transport would be launched between Valga and

. During the

Cold War The Cold War is a term commonly used to refer to a period of geopolitical tension between the United States and the Soviet Union and their respective allies, the Western Bloc and the Eastern Bloc. The term '' cold war'' is used because t ...

, Valga was home to Valga air base.

Districts of Valga

There are six districts of Valga: *Kesklinn *Laatsi *Pilpaküla *Puraküla *Kapsamõisa (Raudteetaguse) *Tambre.

Activity

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 Russian (russian: русский язык, russkij jazyk, link=no, ) is an East Slavic language mainly spoken in Russia. It is the native language of the Russians, and belongs to the Indo-European language family. It is one of four living E ...

). There also is a local correspondence office of Estonian Television (''Eesti Televisioon'') and a local radio – "Raadio Ruut". The former municipality of Valga concluded several cooperation agreements. The nearest was an agreement (from the year 1995) with the neighbouring town of Valka. There were also cooperation agreements with Oakland, Maryland ( US) and

Östhammar Municipality Östhammar Municipality (''Östhammars kommun'') is a municipality in Uppsala County in east central Sweden. Its seat is located in the city of Östhammar. The present municipality was created during the local government reform in the late sixti ...

(

Sweden Sweden, formally the Kingdom of Sweden,The United Nations Group of Experts on Geographical Names states that the country's formal name is the Kingdom of SwedenUNGEGN World Geographical Names, Sweden./ref> is a Nordic countries, Nordic c ...

). There were long-term friendly relations with Hallsberg Municipality in Sweden and the towns of

Lübz Lübz is a town in the Ludwigslust-Parchim district, in Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania, Germany. It is situated on the river Elde, 12 km northeast of Parchim. It is home to the Mecklenburgische Brauerei Lübz, the largest local employer and ...

Germany Germany,, officially the Federal Republic of Germany, is a country in Central Europe. It is the second most populous country in Europe after Russia, and the most populous member state of the European Union. Germany is situated betwee ...

and

Tornio Tornio (; sv, Torneå; sme, Duortnus ; smn, Tuárnus) is a city and municipality in Lapland, Finland. The city forms a cross-border twin city together with Haparanda on the Swedish side. The municipality covers an area of , of which is ...

Finland Finland ( fi, Suomi ; sv, Finland ), officially the Republic of Finland (; ), is a Nordic country in Northern Europe. It shares land borders with Sweden to the northwest, Norway to the north, and Russia to the east, with the Gulf of Bot ...

. 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.

Population

Population change

Ethnic groups

Languages

Sports

Valga is home to several notable Estonian sports teams. Warrior Valga, is a football club that currently plays in the III liiga. Warrior Valga played in the

Meistriliiga Meistriliiga (, known as the A. Le Coq Premium Liiga for sponsorship reasons) is the highest division of the Estonian Football Association annual football championship. The league was founded in 1992, and was initially semi-professional with ...

from 2003 to 2006. Valga, is a

basketball Basketball is a team sport in which two teams, most commonly of five players each, opposing one another on a rectangular Basketball court, court, compete with the primary objective of #Shooting, shooting a basketball (ball), basketball (appr ...

club that currently plays in the Estonian top-tier Korvpalli Meistriliiga and the Baltic Basketball League.

Climate

Valga lies within the temperate humid continental climate zone.

History

* 1286: Valga (under

German German(s) may refer to: * Germany (of or related to) **Germania (historical use) * Germans, citizens of Germany, people of German ancestry, or native speakers of the German language ** For citizens of Germany, see also German nationality law **Ge ...

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 Algirdas ( be, Альгерд, Alhierd, uk, Ольгерд, Ольґерд, Olherd, Olgerd, pl, Olgierd; – May 1377) was the Grand Duke of Lithuania. He ruled the Lithuanians and Ruthenians from 1345 to 1377. With the help of his br ...

on the second and third occasions. * 1419: Walk becomes the seat of the

Landtag A Landtag (State Diet) is generally the legislative assembly or parliament of a federated state or other subnational self-governing entity in German-speaking nations. It is usually a unicameral assembly exercising legislative competence in non ...

of the Livonian Confederation. * 1481: A raid by

Russia Russia (, , ), or the Russian Federation, is a transcontinental country spanning Eastern Europe and Northern Asia. It is the largest country in the world, with its internationally recognised territory covering , and encompassing one-ei ...

ns; the settlement burns down for the fourth time. * 1500: Walk, a settlement in the heart of Old Livonia that is not fortified, is chosen as the location for town assembly days 36 times up to 1500. * 1501: During another raid by

ns the settlement gets burnt down for the fifth time. * 1558: During the Livonian War the medieval settlement of Walk is completely destroyed. * 1584 11 June: Valga is granted the same charter and byelaws as Riga by Stefan Batory, the King of

Poland Poland, officially the Republic of Poland, is a country in Central Europe. It is divided into 16 administrative provinces called voivodeships, covering an area of . Poland has a population of over 38 million and is the fifth-most populou ...

. * 1590 17 April: The King of Poland, Sigismund III Vasa, ratifies the charter for the second time. Valga is granted its city arms. * 1600: The first town map, showing 42 house properties. The town is long and between wide. * 1626: After the Polish-Swedish War Valga becomes the subject of

. On 6 March, King Gustavus Adolphus of Sweden confirms the existing privileges. * 1657: On 9 July, a Swedish army under

Friedrich von Löwen Friedrich von Löwen (; 5 July 1654 – 9 July 1744) was a Baltic German in Russian Empire military service, also a statesman. In 1710 he left from Swedish military service in favour of Russian military service. 1711–1730 he was vice-governor of ...

defeats a Russian army under Scheremetchev in the Battle of Walk. * 1721: As the result of 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 ...

, Valga is subjected to

n rule together with the rest of

. * 1764 5 October: Empress

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 ...

confirms the town's privileges. * 1783: During the Regency of

the Valga County (''Kreis Walk'') is formed. * 1780: The first stone buildings are erected: a church, a school and county offices. * 1789: Land surveyor O.S. Engell drafts the map of Valga showing 76 plots with houses. * 1816: The building of St. John's Church is finished. * 1876: ''Walkscher Anzeiger'', the first newspaper in Valga, in

, is issued. * 1889: Valga Railway Station is opened. On 22 July the Tartu-Valga railway line is officially opened. * 1890 16 December: The Valga Temperance Society is founded. * 1896: The Pärnu-Valga narrow-gauge railway is opened. * 1901 7 December: Together with

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 ...

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 ...

succeed in winning the elections over

Baltic Germans Baltic Germans (german: Deutsch-Balten or , later ) were ethnic German inhabitants of the eastern shores of the Baltic Sea, in what today are Estonia and Latvia. Since their coerced resettlement in 1939, Baltic Germans have markedly decline ...

in Valga – the first occasion on

Estonian Estonian may refer to: * Something of, from, or related to Estonia, a country in the Baltic region in northern Europe * Estonians, people from Estonia, or of Estonian descent * Estonian language * Estonian cuisine * Estonian culture See also * ...

territory. The chemist Johannes Märtson is elected mayor. * 1902: In the building of the Temperance Society the social society Säde is founded;

Andres Alver Andres Alver (born 23 December 1953) is an Estonian architect. Born in Tartu, from 1961 to 1972, Alver studied in the 2nd Secondary School of Tartu (today's Miina Härma Gymnasium). From 1972, Alver studied in the State Art Institute of the Eston ...

, the county medical officer, is elected chairman. The Valga- Marienburg narrow-gauge railway is opened. * 1904 22 May: Estonian poet and writer

Paul Viiding Paul Viiding (22 May 1904 – 27 June 1962) was an Estonian poet, author and literary critic. Born in Valga, to Juhan and Ann Viiding (''née'' Rose), he was the oldest of two children; his sister Linda was born in 1907. He graduated with a deg ...

is born in Valga. * 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 Georg Hellat (3 March 1870, Puka, Governorate of Livonia – 28 August 1943, Tallinn, Generalbezirk Estland) was an Estonian architect. His most known masterpiece is the building of the Estonian Students' Society in Tartu Tartu is the sec ...

). * 1917: A

zeppelin A Zeppelin is a type of rigid airship named after the German inventor Count Ferdinand von Zeppelin () who pioneered rigid airship development at the beginning of the 20th century. Zeppelin's notions were first formulated in 1874Eckener 1938, pp ...

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

instead of German. At the end of January, 107 victims of

Bolshevik The Bolsheviks (russian: Большевики́, from большинство́ ''bol'shinstvó'', 'majority'),; derived from ''bol'shinstvó'' (большинство́), "majority", literally meaning "one of the majority". also known in English ...

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

and

, putting an end to their disputes. Valga proper, as far as Konnaoja and Luke graveyard, remains intact under

n rule. * 1921 11 February: The decree of the

n government establishes the territory of Valga county. Valga becomes a county centre. * 1940 17 August: The

Soviet The Soviet Union,. officially the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics. (USSR),. was a List of former transcontinental countries#Since 1700, transcontinental country that spanned much of Eurasia from 1922 to 1991. A flagship communist state, ...

occupation begins and with it the mass deportations of Estonians and Latvians from Valga/Valka * 1941 9 July: Valga is occupied by

troops. * 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

n flag of the re-established independence period is hoisted on the flagpole of 12 Aia Street. * 1992 24 May: The

n 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 relations

Twin towns – Sister cities

There former municipality of Valga, Estonia was twinned with:

City Twins Association

The former municipality of Valga was a founding member of City Twins Association that was founded in Imatra,

on 13 December 2006. In addition to sister towns, Valga had a cooperation through the association with following cities: * Imatra, Finland * Svetogorsk, Russia *

, Estonia * Ivangorod, Russia * Görlitz, Germany * Frankfurt (Oder), Germany * Słubice, Poland * Cieszyn, Poland

Cooperation without any formal agreement

Vejle Vejle () is a city in Denmark, in the southeast of the Jutland Peninsula at the head of Vejle Fjord, where the Vejle River and Grejs River and their valleys converge. It is the site of the councils of Vejle Municipality ('' kommune'') and the ...

, Denmark * Sátoraljaújhely, Hungary

Notable residents

Kazimierz Świątek (Belarusian: Казімір Свёнтак, 1914 – 2011), first cardinal of the Roman Catholic Church in independent Belarus

Gallery

Valga main library.JPG, Valga main library Valga katoliku kirik 2.jpg, Church of the Holy Spirit Valga railway station, summer 2014, picture 1.JPG, Valga railway station Valga Linnapark (3).JPG, Valga Linnapark Vabaduse street (2), Valga.JPG, Vabaduse street Endine Valga Poeglastegümnaasiumi hoone praegune Valga Põhikool.jpg, Valga Basic School Valga 02 08 2007.jpg, Sepa Street / Semināra Street. The border and checkpoint between Valga, Estonia and Valka in Latvia from the Estonian side

References

;Notes

External links

Valga/Valka
Illustrations and detailed descriptions of the border, in the period before Schengen {{Authority control Cities and towns in Estonia Former municipalities of Estonia Valga Divided cities Estonia–Latvia border crossings Kreis Walk