Kehra Manor
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Kehra is a town in
Anija Parish Anija Parish is a rural municipality in the eastern part of Harju County, Estonia. The administrative center of the parish is the town of Kehra, while the borough of Aegviidu and the village of Alavere are also notable. In total, the parish c ...
,
Harju County Harju County ( or ''Harjumaa''), is one of the fifteen counties of Estonia. It is situated in northern Estonia, on the southern coast of the Gulf of Finland, and borders Lääne-Viru County to the east, Järva County to the southeast, Rapla Count ...
,
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 ...
, best known for its
pulp and paper mill A paper mill is a factory devoted to making paper from vegetable fibres such as wood pulp, old rags, and other ingredients. Prior to the invention and adoption of the Fourdrinier machine and other types of paper machine that use an endless belt, ...
. The town stands on the banks of the
Jägala River Jägala may refer to: * Jägala, Estonia * Jägala (river), a river which runs through Jägala ** Jägala Falls, a waterfall along the river * Jägala concentration camp, a Nazi concentration camp ** Kalevi-Liiva killing fields outside the camp * J ...
, and it has a station on the Tallinn–Narva railway. As of January 1, 2023, the town had a population of 2,694.


Etymology

The village of
Kehra Kehra is a town in Anija Parish, Harju County, Estonia, best known for its Kehra pulp and paper mill, pulp and paper mill. The town stands on the banks of the Jägala (river), Jägala River, and it has a station on the Tallinn–Narva railway. A ...
, the town's namesake, was first mentioned in the
Danish Census Book The Danish Census Book or the Danish book of land taxation (, ) dates from the 13th century and consists of a number of separate manuscripts. The original manuscripts are now housed in the Danish National Archives (''Rigsarkivet'') in Copenhage ...
as ''Ketheræ'' in 1241''.'' Before 1688, the village had also been referred to as ''Kecere, Kecnere, Kedere, Kederikull, Kedder, Keyher, Kether, Kädder(e)'' and ''Keddar''. The village was known as both ''Kehrakyla'' and ''Käihra'' in 1688, and as Kehra in 1732
Kehra Manor Kehra is a town in Anija Parish, Harju County, Estonia, best known for its Kehra pulp and paper mill, pulp and paper mill. The town stands on the banks of the Jägala (river), Jägala River, and it has a station on the Tallinn–Narva railway. A ...
, the town's predecessor, was first established sometime between 1624 and 1637, one kilometer south of the village. Initially it was known as ''Karrock'' Manor ''(''), later as ''Jaunack'' Manor ''(''), and by 1688 as ''Kedder'' Manor. The name stuck around until
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 ...
first became independent and place names were estonianized. The following Estonian words are speculated to be the origins of the name Kehra: * ''keder'' or ''kehr'' (local dialect) () * ''jõekäär,'' also compared to Käära farm in Kohatu, Estonia () * ''veekeeris'', compared to Kehro in
Finland Finland, officially the Republic of Finland, is a Nordic country in Northern Europe. It borders Sweden to the northwest, Norway to the north, and Russia to the east, with the Gulf of Bothnia to the west and the Gulf of Finland to the south, ...
()


History


Early history

In 1940, excavations on the ''Andevei'' property in the village of
Kehra Kehra is a town in Anija Parish, Harju County, Estonia, best known for its Kehra pulp and paper mill, pulp and paper mill. The town stands on the banks of the Jägala (river), Jägala River, and it has a station on the Tallinn–Narva railway. A ...
uncovered a treasure containing 421
silver coin Silver coins are one of the oldest mass-produced form of coinage. Silver has been used as a coinage metal since the times of the Greeks; their silver drachmas were popular trade coins. The ancient Persians used silver coins between 612–330 B ...
s, most recent of which was minted in 978 AD. Out of the 421 coins, 411 were
Samanid The Samanid Empire () was a Persianate society, Persianate Sunni Islam, Sunni Muslim empire, ruled by a dynasty of Iranian peoples, Iranian ''dehqan'' origin. The empire was centred in Greater Khorasan, Khorasan and Transoxiana, at its greatest ...
, 5
Byzantine The Byzantine Empire, also known as the Eastern Roman Empire, was the continuation of the Roman Empire centred on Constantinople during late antiquity and the Middle Ages. Having survived the events that caused the fall of the Western Roman E ...
, 3
German German(s) may refer to: * Germany, the country of the Germans and German things **Germania (Roman era) * Germans, citizens of Germany, people of German ancestry, or native speakers of the German language ** For citizenship in Germany, see also Ge ...
, 1
Anglo-Saxon The Anglo-Saxons, in some contexts simply called Saxons or the English, were a Cultural identity, cultural group who spoke Old English and inhabited much of what is now England and south-eastern Scotland in the Early Middle Ages. They traced t ...
, and 1
Bohemian Bohemian or Bohemians may refer to: *Anything of or relating to Bohemia Culture and arts * Bohemianism, an unconventional lifestyle, originally practised by 19th–20th century European and American artists and writers. * Bohemian style, a ...
. Remains of
iron Iron is a chemical element; it has symbol Fe () and atomic number 26. It is a metal that belongs to the first transition series and group 8 of the periodic table. It is, by mass, the most common element on Earth, forming much of Earth's o ...
tools and pieces of
earthenware Earthenware is glazed or unglazed Vitrification#Ceramics, nonvitreous pottery that has normally been fired below . Basic earthenware, often called terracotta, absorbs liquids such as water. However, earthenware can be made impervious to liquids ...
were also found nearby. Based on this, it is speculated that the village of Kehra was settled at latest by the 11th century. The village of Kehra was first mentioned in the
Danish Census Book The Danish Census Book or the Danish book of land taxation (, ) dates from the 13th century and consists of a number of separate manuscripts. The original manuscripts are now housed in the Danish National Archives (''Rigsarkivet'') in Copenhage ...
in 1241. According to the book, the village was a part of the '' Repel'' parish () and had a size of 10
oxgang An oxgang or bovate (; ; ; ) is an old land measurement formerly used in Scotland and England as early as the 16th century sometimes referred to as an oxgait. It averaged around 20 English acres, but was based on land fertility and cultivation, a ...
s (, ). Half of the village belonged to ''Lambertus'' and the other half to ''Stenhackær''. The village was
baptized Baptism (from ) is a Christian sacrament of initiation almost invariably with the use of water. It may be performed by sprinkling or pouring water on the head, or by immersing in water either partially or completely, traditionally three ...
either in 1219 or 1220, likely at the same time as the villages of Saunja,
Soodla Soodla is a village in Anija Parish, Harju County, 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 acr ...
, Aavere,
Anija Anija () is a village in Anija Parish, Harju County in northern 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 B ...
, Kõlu, Pirsu,
Kihmla Kihmla is a village in Anija Parish, Harju County in northern 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 Bal ...
, and Parila. In 1249, Kehra and
Paasiku Paasiku () is a village in Anija Parish, Harju County in northern 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 th ...
villages were given to the bishop of Tallinn, whose successors later founded '' Fegefyr'' Manor (). According to the Swedish land audit of 1564–1565, the village of Kehra was part of Kiviloo Manor and had a size of 13 oxgangs. The village of ''Jaunack'' (''Janakas, Jannikkas'') was first mentioned in the same audit. It was near the mouth of the Aavoja river and had a size of two oxgangs. Kehra and ''Karrock'' mills were also first mentioned in the same audit. Kehra mill (''Kedder quarn'') was located 100 meters upstream from the current car bridge, in the north-eastern corner of the current
pulp and paper mill A paper mill is a factory devoted to making paper from vegetable fibres such as wood pulp, old rags, and other ingredients. Prior to the invention and adoption of the Fourdrinier machine and other types of paper machine that use an endless belt, ...
. For some time around the end of the 17th century, the mill was temporarily located 100 meters upstream from the mouth of the Aavoja river, near the village of ''Jaunack''. The mill in its original location was demolished in 1936 to make room for the pulp mill that was going to be built. Karukse mill (''Karockas quarn)'' was likely located around 20–50 meters upstream from the current medical center, near the mouth of the hypothetical Karukse stream and was demolished at an undetermined time.


Manor

The
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 ...
on which Kehra Manor would be built was granted to Euphemia Kriedt in 1624. In 1637, the recently built manor was owned by Kriedt's son-in-law, Heinrich Bade. Kriedt's grandson-in-law, Gabriel von Elvering, gained ownership of even more fiefs in the 1660s and according to a 1692 map, the manor's lands stretched as far east as Maapaju border point near the current Mustjõe train station. Reitevahe (Arudevahe) inn, which was near the current Lahinguvälja train station, was also a part of the manor. Von Elverings regained ownership of the manor after the
Great Northern War In the Great Northern War (1700–1721) a coalition led by the Tsardom of Russia successfully contested the supremacy of the Swedish Empire in Northern Europe, Northern, Central Europe, Central and Eastern Europe. The initial leaders of the ant ...
, but were forced to sell it in 1760 to cover debts. Von Breverns, the new owners, lent the manor to Friedrich August von Maydell in the spring of 1820, who subsequently bought it. The manor was rebuilt in the 1820s and is still standing. In 1847, the manor was sold to Dietrich Johann Georg von Tiesenhausen, who sold it to Alexander Georg Matthias von Essen in 1855. In 1864, he gifted the manor to his daughter, Margarethe Gertrude Henriette von Ulrich. Her daughter, Marie Jeanette Katharina von Ulrich, inherited the manor in 1904, when her mother died. Marie Ulrich gave control of the manor's economic side to the Estonian Agricultural Society () at the end of the 19th century. The manor started expanding westwards, to the other side of the current Kreutzwaldi street. The manor's granary was built in 1876, the grain dryer in 1912, and the stables in 1914. Currently, Kehra ait, the cultural center, and sewing factory are located in these buildings, respectively. The agricultural society gained full ownership of the manor in 1914. Marie Ulrich continued to live in the manor until she died on June 27, 1926. The manor was nationalized on May 7, 1926. The state manor drained the nearby wetlands and distributed the land to people for building and farming. The manor was sold to the pulp mill in 1937. On August 3, 1940, Kehra
sovkhoz A sovkhoz ( rus, совхо́з, p=sɐfˈxos, a=ru-sovkhoz.ogg, syllabic abbreviation, abbreviated from , ''sovetskoye khozyaystvo''; ) was a form of state-owned farm or agricultural enterprise in the Soviet Union. It is usually contrasted w ...
was formed to replace the state manor. When German forces
occupied ' ( Norwegian: ') is a Norwegian political thriller TV series that premiered on TV2 on 5 October 2015. Based on an original idea by Jo Nesbø, the series is co-created with Karianne Lund and Erik Skjoldbjærg. Season 2 premiered on 10 October ...
Kehra, the sovkhoz became the state manor again. On April 18, 1945, the state manor was converted back into a sovkhoz one last time. Now under the Soviet rule, the manor building was used as a nursery until 1956, and as a hospital between 1956 and 1994. The sovkhoz ceased operations on July 17, 1995. The manor is currently privately owned.


Education


School

The first school in Harju-Jaani parish started operating in 1717 in
Raasiku Raasiku () is a borough () in Raasiku Parish, Harju County, Estonia, with a population of 1,372 (2020). Although situated in a parish with the same name, Raasiku is not the official administrative centre of the municipality (which is Aruküla, l ...
. The graduates subsequently spread their knowledge to others in the parish, including people from the Kehra area. The first school in the village of Kehra was established in 1738, and it operated inconsistently. It is claimed that in 1785, Kehra school was the worst school in Harju-Jaani parish, and by 1787, it had ceased operations, as had several other schools in the parish. The first school that started operating consistently was opened in fall 1850, a few days before
St. Martin's Day Saint Martin's Day or Martinmas (obsolete: Martlemas), and historically called Old Halloween or All Hallows Eve, is the feast day of Saint Martin of Tours and is celebrated in the liturgical year on 11 November. In the Middle Ages and early mod ...
, according to a first-hand account. According to the official list of schools in the
Estonian Governorate The Governorate of Estonia, also known as the Esthonia (Estland) Governorate, was a province (''guberniya'') and one of the Baltic governorates of the Russian Empire. It was located in the northern Estonia with some islands in the West Estoni ...
in 1886, the school was founded in 1848. The school was located on the land of the current Koolitoa property in the village of Kehra. A new building was built for the school on the same property in 1878, because the previous building was in a bad state. According to Gustav Vilbaste, the school's teacher between 1904 and 1913, the school had three grades and around 30-50 students. The school became a four grade school in 1918 due to a nation-wide school reform. On November 1, 1919, the school moved and started operating just north of the current train station, on the current property of Anija maantee 2. The building was made out of wood and had two stories. It was built in 1914 and destroyed 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 ...
. Since 1928, the school had five grades, and six grades since 1930. On October 8, 1939, the school started operating in the newly built property on Kreutzwaldi street, where the elementary school currently operates. The school became an incomplete middle school () in 1944, and a middle school in 1946.
Russian Russian(s) may refer to: *Russians (), an ethnic group of the East Slavic peoples, primarily living in Russia and neighboring countries *A citizen of Russia *Russian language, the most widely spoken of the Slavic languages *''The Russians'', a b ...
grades were opened in 1947. On October 8, 1961, the school started operating in the new, four-story building on Kooli street. The previous school building became a dormitory for the students. A new dormitory was built in 1975, and the elementary school started operating in the now free rooms. Since 1988, the school has had 12 grades. The dormitory was closed in 1998, and its rooms are currently occupied by the
local government Local government is a generic term for the lowest tiers of governance or public administration within a particular sovereign state. Local governments typically constitute a subdivision of a higher-level political or administrative unit, such a ...
. The school became a gymnasium in 2007. The gymnasium building was renovated in 2012, and the elementary school building was renovated sporadically between 2013 and 2018. The surroundings of the gymnasium were thoroughly renovated in 2020.


Agricultural school

There were plans to establish an agricultural school in Kehra in 1914. For a short amount of time in 1921, the school operated in Kehra.
Keila Keila () is a town and an Municipalities of Estonia, urban municipality in Harju County in north-western Estonia, southwest of Tallinn. As of 2021, the town has a population of 10,499 inhabitants. Keila is also the location of administrative b ...
agricultural school was transferred to Kehra Manor in 1934, where it operated until 1937, when the manor was sold to the
pulp mill A pulp mill is a manufacturing facility that converts wood chips or other plant fiber sources into a thick fiber board which can be shipped to a paper mill for further processing. Pulp can be manufactured using mechanical, semi-chemical, or ...
. Kehra agricultural specialty school () was opened in 1939.


Harjumaa Folk University

Harjumaa Folk University (), headed by Johan Ümarik, started operating in Kehra Manor on February 26, 1930. The curriculum was diverse, some lectures had over 100 spectators, most of them locals. The university moved to Ravila in fall 1932, due to better conditions.


Arts school

The school was established as a music school () on August 16, 1962. It operated in the gymnasium building. In 1970, one part of the arts school was moved to the pulp mill club and the other part to the basement of the Spordi 3 property. The school gained three rooms in the current elementary school in 1975. The school started teaching visual arts in 1989. In 1990, the entire school moved to Kose maantee 22. In 1991, the school was renamed to Kehra School of Fine Arts (). The whole school started operating in the same building as the elementary school in 2013.


Kindergartens

The first kindergarten started operating in Kehra Manor in 1946. It was operated by the pulp mill. A new building for the kindergarten was built on Laste street in 1954. The kindergarten and the local nursery were merged in 1972, the resulting establishment became known as ''Kehra Tselluloosi- ja Paberikombinaadi lastepäevakodu''. The local
sovkhoz A sovkhoz ( rus, совхо́з, p=sɐfˈxos, a=ru-sovkhoz.ogg, syllabic abbreviation, abbreviated from , ''sovetskoye khozyaystvo''; ) was a form of state-owned farm or agricultural enterprise in the Soviet Union. It is usually contrasted w ...
opened kindergarten Lepatriinu on March 1, 1980, in Lehtmetsa village. The pulp mill's kindergarten was temporarily closed in 1992 because the pulp mill went bankrupt. The pulp mill's kindergarten became known as Lastetare in 1995. Currently both kindergartens are operated by
Anija parish Anija Parish is a rural municipality in the eastern part of Harju County, Estonia. The administrative center of the parish is the town of Kehra, while the borough of Aegviidu and the village of Alavere are also notable. In total, the parish c ...
.


Railway

The route of the
St. Petersburg Saint Petersburg, formerly known as Petrograd and later Leningrad, is the second-largest city in Russia after Moscow. It is situated on the River Neva, at the head of the Gulf of Finland on the Baltic Sea. The city had a population of 5,601, ...
-
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 ...
-
Paldiski Paldiski is a seaside Populated places in Estonia, town in northwestern Estonia, located on the Pakri Peninsula and adjacent Pakri Islands, Pakri islands in the Gulf of Finland of the Baltic Sea. It is the administrative centre of the Lääne- ...
railway was agreed upon by 1862, and it was built between 1869 and 1870. Kehra station was opened in 1872. The railway approximately divided the lands of the manor and the village, and roughly followed the old winter road between Kehra and
Aegviidu Aegviidu is a borough in Anija Parish, Harju County, Estonia, most known for its picturesque surroundings and hiking trails. The borough is situated along the Tallinn-Narva railway and , housing both the Aegviidu TV Mast (107m) and the termi ...
. The initial station building was located closer to the river than the current one. It was demolished in the first half of the 20th century. The current train station building was first alleged to have been built between 1876 and 1878, after Kehra became a class V railway station in 1876, but newer data suggests that the train station was built in 1896 instead. It is a single-story historistic red brick building with a half-hip roof. Similar buildings used to exist in
Kohtla-Nõmme Kohtla-Nõmme is a Populated places in Estonia, borough () in Toila Parish, in Ida-Viru County, in northeastern Estonia. It had a population of 1,047 (as of 1 January 2009) and an area of 4.64 km². In the 1930s, New Consolidated Gold Fields ope ...
and Auvere, one still exists in
Lehtse Lehtse is a Populated places in Estonia, small borough (') in Tapa Parish, Lääne-Viru County in northern Estonia. As of the 2011 Estonian census, 2011 census, the settlement's population was 383. References

Boroughs and small borough ...
. Kehra became a class IV railway station in 1922 and a class III station in 1927. First Estonian Division used the station as their headquarters in late 1918 and early 1919, during 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 ...
. The Battle of Kehra took place in the nearby village of Vikipalu on January 4, 1919, being one of the decisive battles of the war of independence. In fall 1936, a railway branch was built to connect the future Kehra pulp mill to the main railway. On March 25, 1949, 801 people were deported to Siberia from the station, of whom 108 were from the former
Anija Parish Anija Parish is a rural municipality in the eastern part of Harju County, Estonia. The administrative center of the parish is the town of Kehra, while the borough of Aegviidu and the village of Alavere are also notable. In total, the parish c ...
. The station building was elongated in both directions in 1961 and was renovated in 1963. The current pedestrian railway crossing was closed to cars when the construction of
Kose Kose () is a small borough () in Harju County, 39 kilometers (24 miles) southeast of Tallinn, Estonia. It is the administrative centre of Kose Parish and lies next to Pirita River. At the 2011 Census, the settlement's population was 2,097. ...
- Jägala highway was finished in 1972. The railway between Kehra 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 ...
was electrified in 1973, and a new waiting platform was built 200 meters towards Tallinn from the former station. The railway between Kehra and
Aegviidu Aegviidu is a borough in Anija Parish, Harju County, Estonia, most known for its picturesque surroundings and hiking trails. The borough is situated along the Tallinn-Narva railway and , housing both the Aegviidu TV Mast (107m) and the termi ...
was electrified in 1978. The second pair of rails between
Raasiku Raasiku () is a borough () in Raasiku Parish, Harju County, Estonia, with a population of 1,372 (2020). Although situated in a parish with the same name, Raasiku is not the official administrative centre of the municipality (which is Aruküla, l ...
and Kehra was laid in 1985 and was electrified in 1986. In fall 2002, half of the waiting platform was demolished and never rebuilt. The new waiting platforms were built between the station building and the current pedestrian railway crossing. Trains started servicing them on December 5, 2011. The old waiting platform was demolished shortly after. Elektriraudtee AS gained ownership of the station building after Estonia became independent and started selling train tickets there. In November 1997, the sale of tickets moved onto trains, and on April 13, 1998, the company sold the building to the town for 33 604
Estonian kroon The kroon (sign: KR; code: EEK) was the official currency of Estonia for two periods in history: 1928–1940 and 1992–2011. Between 1 January and 14 January 2011, the kroon circulated together with the euro, after which the euro became the sole ...
s.
Anija Parish Anija Parish is a rural municipality in the eastern part of Harju County, Estonia. The administrative center of the parish is the town of Kehra, while the borough of Aegviidu and the village of Alavere are also notable. In total, the parish c ...
and non-profit organization Kehra Raudteejaam entered into a
usufruct Usufruct () is a limited real right (or ''in rem'' right) found in civil law and mixed jurisdictions that unites the two property interests of ''usus'' and ''fructus'': * ''Usus'' (''use'', as in usage of or access to) is the right to use or en ...
agreement regarding the building in February 2010. Kehra Museum has operated in the building since February 12, 2018, and a pizza shop has operated in the eastern part of the building since August 1, 2018. The building was fully renovated by 2019. Mustjõe station was first mentioned on the Estonian topographic map of 1935. An oxygen factory started operating there in 1937. The station ceased operating at some point and was reopened in 1978, when the railway was electrified. Lahinguvälja station was opened in 1939, near the place, where the battle of Kehra took place. The station was renamed to Vikipalu in 1957 and back to Lahinguvälja in 2009. Parila station was opened in 1973, when the railway was electrified. File:Kehra perroonid.jpg, Waiting platforms File:Kehra railway crossing.jpg, Railway crossing on Kose-Jägala highway File:Kehra railway station 2010.JPG, Kehra station in 2010 File:Kehra.peatus.JPG, Old waiting platform


Pulp Mill

In the 1930s, the Estonian state had plans to build a new modern
pulp mill A pulp mill is a manufacturing facility that converts wood chips or other plant fiber sources into a thick fiber board which can be shipped to a paper mill for further processing. Pulp can be manufactured using mechanical, semi-chemical, or ...
that could process
pine A pine is any conifer tree or shrub in the genus ''Pinus'' () of the family Pinaceae. ''Pinus'' is the sole genus in the subfamily Pinoideae. ''World Flora Online'' accepts 134 species-rank taxa (119 species and 15 nothospecies) of pines as cu ...
. On September 28, 1936, Kehra was chosen as the location of the new pulp mill due to its proximity to
the railway ''The Railway'', widely known as ''Gare Saint-Lazare'', is an 1873 painting by Édouard Manet. It is the last painting by Manet of his favourite model, the fellow painter Victorine Meurent, who was also the model for '' Olympia'' and the '' Lu ...
, a river, and the
capital city A capital city, or just capital, is the municipality holding primary status in a country, state (polity), state, province, department (administrative division), department, or other administrative division, subnational division, usually as its ...
. In addition to that, most of the land was already owned by the state. ''Eesti Metsa ja Tselluloosi Aktsiaühing'' was formed to operate the pulp mill. It was the largest company established during the first independence of Estonia. Construction of the pulp mill began in 1937 and ended in 1938. The opening event took place on August 25, 1938. It was attended by
Konstantin Päts Konstantin Päts ( – 18 January 1956) was an Estonian statesman and the country's president from 1938 to 1940. Päts was one of the most influential politicians of the independent democratic Republic of Estonia, and during the two decades p ...
,
Johan Laidoner Johan Laidoner ( – 13 March 1953) was an Estonian general and statesman. He served as Commander‑in‑Chief of the Estonian Armed Forces during the 1918–1920 Estonian War of Independence and was among the most influential people in the Eston ...
, and
Kaarel Eenpalu Kaarel Eenpalu (until 1935 Karl August Einbund; – 27 January 1942) was an Estonian journalist, politician and head of state, who served as 7th Prime Minister of Estonia. Early years Eenpalu was educated at the Hugo Treffner Gymnasium in ...
, among many other important officials. 11700 and 34400 tons of sulphate cellulose were manufactured in 1938 and 1939, respectively. The pulp mill had 464 workers in 1939. The pulp mill seriously polluted the
Jägala River Jägala may refer to: * Jägala, Estonia * Jägala (river), a river which runs through Jägala ** Jägala Falls, a waterfall along the river * Jägala concentration camp, a Nazi concentration camp ** Kalevi-Liiva killing fields outside the camp * J ...
, killing most of fishes downstream from the mill. The pulp mill's chimney, dam and other parts were destroyed by the
red army The Workers' and Peasants' Red Army, often shortened to the Red Army, was the army and air force of the Russian Soviet Republic and, from 1922, the Soviet Union. The army was established in January 1918 by a decree of the Council of People ...
on August 21, 1941. The chimney was rebuilt during the
German occupation German-occupied Europe, or Nazi-occupied Europe, refers to the sovereign countries of Europe which were wholly or partly militarily occupied and civil-occupied, including puppet states, by the (armed forces) and the government of Nazi Germany at ...
in October 1942, and the mill started operating again in the summer of 1943. The Germans wanted to destroy the pulp mill in September 1944, before leaving Kehra, but did not succeed. During the German occupation, a
POW camp A prisoner-of-war camp (often abbreviated as POW camp) is a site for the containment of enemy fighters captured as prisoners of war by a belligerent power in time of war. There are significant differences among POW camps, internment camps, an ...
was established to restore the destroyed pulp mill. It was likely a subsidiary of the
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 ...
POW camp. According to Arthur Puksov, the director of the mill at the time, the prisoners were treated well. According to German records, around 100 prisoners died due to illnesses between 1941 and 1942, and 11 were shot on escape. The camp operated until September 18, 1944. Eight camp officials were convicted in 1945 and one in 1966. After the war, the pulp mill produced electricity for
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 ...
and heated buildings in Kehra. By 1955, the pulp mill had reached pre-war production level and started producing
kraft paper Kraft paper or kraft is paper or paperboard (cardboard) produced from chemical pulp produced in the kraft process. Sack kraft paper (or just sack paper) is a porous kraft paper with high elasticity and high tear resistance, designed for packa ...
. The mill started producing sewn paper sacks in 1957 and glued paper sacks in 1962. The pulp mill began treating its wastewater biologically in 1977, which significantly improved the condition of the
Jägala River Jägala may refer to: * Jägala, Estonia * Jägala (river), a river which runs through Jägala ** Jägala Falls, a waterfall along the river * Jägala concentration camp, a Nazi concentration camp ** Kalevi-Liiva killing fields outside the camp * J ...
. In 1988, the mill produced 55 000 tons of
cellulose Cellulose is an organic compound with the chemical formula, formula , a polysaccharide consisting of a linear chain of several hundred to many thousands of glycosidic bond, β(1→4) linked glucose, D-glucose units. Cellulose is an important s ...
, 48 500 tons of
paper Paper is a thin sheet material produced by mechanically or chemically processing cellulose fibres derived from wood, Textile, rags, poaceae, grasses, Feces#Other uses, herbivore dung, or other vegetable sources in water. Once the water is dra ...
, 120 million
paper bag A paper bag is a bag made of paper, usually kraft paper. Paper bags can be made either with virgin or recycled fibres to meet customers' demands. Paper bags are commonly used as shopping bag, shopping carrier bags and for packaging of some co ...
s, 450 tons of
adhesive tape Adhesive tape is one of many varieties of backing materials coated with an adhesive. Several types of adhesives can be used. Types Pressure-sensitive tape Pressure-sensitive tape, PSA tape, self-stick tape or sticky tape consists of a pre ...
, and 400 tons of
crêpe paper Crêpe paper is thin, textured, and often colorful decorative paper used in paper craft. It is created by adhering wet tissue paper to the cylinder of a Yankee dryer and then scraping it off with a blade once dry. This process creates gathers in ...
. The mill had 1065 workers, of whom 270 were Estonian. After Estonia regained independence, the mill became known as ''Kehra Paber''. The production halted on November 13, 1992, due to breakage in the recovery boiler. The company declared bankruptcy on March 1, 1993. Tolaram Group acquired the mill in June 1995 and the factory was renamed to Horizon Pulp & Paper Ltd. The mill started producing the well-known "Daisy" tissue paper on June 4, 1998.
Lennart Meri Lennart Georg Meri (; 29 March 1929 – 14 March 2006) was an Estonian writer, film director, and statesman. He was the country's foreign minister from 1990 to 1992 and President of Estonia from 1992 to 2001. Early life Meri was born in Tallin ...
visited Kehra on the same day. Tolaram Group became a 100% shareholder of the mill in 2008. File:Kehra pulp mill close distance.jpg, Kehra pulp mill closer File:Kehra pulp mill management building.jpg, Management building File:Kehra pulp mill dam 3.jpg, Pulp mill dam upstream File:Kehra pulp mill dam.jpg, Pulp mill dam downstream


Politics

After village councils (') were abolished in the newly independent
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 ...
, Kehra was re-established as a borough on October 24, 1991. Jüri Lillsoo was the head of the borough (') between 1991 and 1993. When Kehra became a town in 1993, he continued on as a mayor and retained that position until Kehra became a part of
Anija parish Anija Parish is a rural municipality in the eastern part of Harju County, Estonia. The administrative center of the parish is the town of Kehra, while the borough of Aegviidu and the village of Alavere are also notable. In total, the parish c ...
in 2002. Estonian Prime Minister Jüri Ratas has said that "Anija parish is a good example of strong cooperation between local governments", and that "As a living environment, Anija parish is excellent". File:Flag of Kehra, Harju County, Estonia.svg, The flag of Kehra between October 8, 1993, and December 2, 2002 File:Kehra coatofarmas.gif, The coat of arms of Kehra between October 8, 1993, and December 2, 2002


Geography


Neighborhoods

There are five neighborhoods in Kehra: Keskus, Vana-asula, Uusasula, Ülejõe, and Põrgupõhja. The oldest parts of the town are Keskus and Vanaasula, which were already inhabited before the manor was built between 1624 and 1637. The
railway Rail transport (also known as train transport) is a means of transport using wheeled vehicles running in railway track, tracks, which usually consist of two parallel steel railway track, rails. Rail transport is one of the two primary means of ...
was built in 1870 and it split off the current Vanaasula from the rest of the manor. The manor started expanding westwards around the same time. Construction of the
pulp mill A pulp mill is a manufacturing facility that converts wood chips or other plant fiber sources into a thick fiber board which can be shipped to a paper mill for further processing. Pulp can be manufactured using mechanical, semi-chemical, or ...
began in 1936 and brought along large scale development of Kehra. Most of the buildings in Uusasula were built between 1953 and 1991. Construction in the Põrgupõhja district began in 1956. Ülejõe district was supposed to become a summer resort area and the houses were built between 1932 and 1969. File:Kehra map with historic data.png, Kehra map with historic locations


Keskus (Kehramõisa)

According to the Swedish land audit of 1564–1565, Karukse mill was located just south-east of the place where the manor currently is, near the mouth of the alleged Karukse stream. The manor itself was first built sometime between 1624 and 1637. Karukse meadow lied to the west of the manor complex, other nearby lands were covered by forests. The railway station building was built between 1876 and 1878. The manor complex did not expand west of the current Kreutzwaldi street until the end of the 19th century. Kehra park lies to the south of the manor. The current elementary school was built in 1939. The current local government building was built in 1975 to accommodate students. The pharmacy and the medical center were built in 1989. The local EEKB congregation building was built in 1990 as a canteen-office for the local
sovkhoz A sovkhoz ( rus, совхо́з, p=sɐfˈxos, a=ru-sovkhoz.ogg, syllabic abbreviation, abbreviated from , ''sovetskoye khozyaystvo''; ) was a form of state-owned farm or agricultural enterprise in the Soviet Union. It is usually contrasted w ...
. The congregation acquired the building in 1995. The district is bordered by the Kose road to the west and south,
Jägala River Jägala may refer to: * Jägala, Estonia * Jägala (river), a river which runs through Jägala ** Jägala Falls, a waterfall along the river * Jägala concentration camp, a Nazi concentration camp ** Kalevi-Liiva killing fields outside the camp * J ...
to the east, and Tallinn-Narva railway to the north. File:Kehra granary and cultural center.jpg, Kehra granary and cultural center File:Kehra stables.jpg, Kehra stables, nowadays a sewing factory File:Kose maantee 1, Kehra.jpg, Kose maantee 1 File:Kehra tervisekeskus jõe poolt.jpg, Local medical center File:Kehra vallamaja.jpg, Local municipal government building File:Kehra palvela.IMG 20190904 161506.jpg, EEKB congregation building


Vana-asula

The village of ''Jaunack'', which was located near the mouth of the Aavoja river, and Kehra mill, which was located near the current car bridge, were first mentioned in the Swedish land audit of 1564–1565. Other nearby land was mostly covered by fields and forests. On a 1856 map, a storehouse was located just south of the current Raja street and an inn was located just north of the street. A Baptist place of worship was built on top of the remains of the inn at the beginning of the 20th century. The oldest houses south of the pulp mill were also built in the beginning of the 20th century, according to maps and the building register. Between 1919 and 1939, Kehra school operated in a now destroyed building on the
Anija Anija () is a village in Anija Parish, Harju County in northern 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 B ...
road. The construction of the pulp mill and the nearby apartment buildings was conducted between 1937 and 1938. The district is bordered by the village of Kehra and its fields to the north, the
Jägala River Jägala may refer to: * Jägala, Estonia * Jägala (river), a river which runs through Jägala ** Jägala Falls, a waterfall along the river * Jägala concentration camp, a Nazi concentration camp ** Kalevi-Liiva killing fields outside the camp * J ...
to the east, the Tallinn–Narva railway to the south, and the highway from
Kose Kose () is a small borough () in Harju County, 39 kilometers (24 miles) southeast of Tallinn, Estonia. It is the administrative centre of Kose Parish and lies next to Pirita River. At the 2011 Census, the settlement's population was 2,097. ...
to Jägala to the west.


Uusasula

Historically, the district's land was covered by Karukopli and Karukse meadows, which were separated by the alleged Karukse stream. Most of the apartment buildings in the district were built between 1953 and 1991, according to the building register. The
Stalinist Stalinism (, ) is the totalitarian means of governing and Marxist–Leninist policies implemented in the Soviet Union (USSR) from 1927 to 1953 by dictator Joseph Stalin and in Soviet satellite states between 1944 and 1953. Stalinism in ...
buildings next to the Kose road were built between 1953 and 1958, including the pulp mill club. The apartment buildings on Aia street and Kooli 12 were built between 1962 and 1966. The apartment buildings on Kooli and Keskuse streets were built between 1968 and 1991. The residential buildings on Kooli street were mostly built in the 1950s and 1960s. The apartment buildings in the nearby Lehtmetsa village were built between 1972 and 1988. The current Kehra Gymnasium building was built in 1961. Kehra sports complex was opened in 2003. The pulp mill club was demolished in 2013. The district is bordered by Keskuse street and Kose road to the north,
Jägala river Jägala may refer to: * Jägala, Estonia * Jägala (river), a river which runs through Jägala ** Jägala Falls, a waterfall along the river * Jägala concentration camp, a Nazi concentration camp ** Kalevi-Liiva killing fields outside the camp * J ...
to the east, Lehtmetsa village to the south of Aiandi street, and Kose-Jägala highway to the west. New buildings are planned on Aia street and a new residential area is planned south of the local rescue squad building, between Kooli street and the highway. File:Kehra Uusasula paneelmajad.jpg,
Plattenbau A large-panel-system building is a building constructed of large, prefabricated concrete slabs. Such buildings are often found in housing developments. Although large-panel-system buildings are often considered to be typical of Eastern Bloc c ...
s on Kooli street File:Kehra Uusasula hruštšovkad.jpg,
Khrushchyovka ''Khrushchevkas'' ( rus, хрущёвка, khrushchyovka, p=xrʊˈɕːɵfkə) are a type of low-cost, concrete- paneled or brick three- to five-storied apartment buildings (and apartments in these buildings) which were designed and constructe ...
s on Kooli street File:Stalinist buildings in Kehra Uusasula.jpg, Stalinist houses on Kose maantee File:Kehra pulp mill club being demolished.jpg, Kehra pulp mill club being demolished


Ülejõe

In the early 1930s, there were plans to build a summer resort area on the opposite side of the river from Kehra Manor in an area then known as ''Kopli mets''. The first houses were built in 1932 and the last one was built in 1969. The apartment buildings were built before
the second world war World War II or the Second World War (1 September 1939 – 2 September 1945) was a global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies and the Axis powers. Nearly all of the world's countries participated, with many nations mobilising ...
. According to the district's plan from 1935, 28 plots of land were allocated for building, but those were split into smaller plots during the
Soviet occupation During World War II, the Soviet Union occupied and annexed several countries effectively handed over by Nazi Germany in the secret Molotov–Ribbentrop Pact of 1939. These included the eastern regions of Poland (incorporated into three differe ...
. According to the same plan, there should have been more houses between Lõhmuse street and the river, sporting facilities and shops near the current stadium, and a bridge over the river between Kalda and Kase streets. There are two suspension bridges that connect the district to other parts of Kehra. The northern bridge is next to the railway bridge and is more used, while the southern bridge connects the district to the local stadium. Ülejõe village is located 300 meters north from the railway crossing. The district is bordered by the
Jägala River Jägala may refer to: * Jägala, Estonia * Jägala (river), a river which runs through Jägala ** Jägala Falls, a waterfall along the river * Jägala concentration camp, a Nazi concentration camp ** Kalevi-Liiva killing fields outside the camp * J ...
to the west and south, Tallinn-Narva railway to the north, and forest to the east. A car bridge over the river is planned to be built between 2024 and 2026. File:Kehra Ülejõe rippsild talvel.jpg, Bridge near the railway File:Kehra staadioni sild talvel.jpg, Stadium bridge File:Artificial island in Ülejõe district of Kehra.jpg, Artificial island File:Street in Kehra Ülejõe district 2.jpg, Riverside road File:Lõhmuse road in Kehra Ülejõe district.jpg, Lõhmuse street File:Kehra Ülejõe railway crossing.jpg, Road to Ülejõe village


Põrgupõhja

The first property on the land of the district existed by 1870 and was known as ''Selja renditalu''. Before the large scale development of the district began in 1956, only two more properties were built - Nurme and Lehtmetsa. The land was mostly covered with sparse spruce forest. The name of the district was coined by one of the first new settlers - Karl Rass. He complained that the land was really hard to develop, since it was really rocky and hard, and called it the bottom of the hell ('). The name stuck and became the district's official name. The district lies one kilometer west of the main town, fields lay in between. Before
The Second World War World War II or the Second World War (1 September 1939 – 2 September 1945) was a global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies and the Axis powers. Nearly all of the world's countries participated, with many nations mobilising ...
, the border between Kehra and
Paasiku Paasiku () is a village in Anija Parish, Harju County in northern 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 th ...
ran where Aasa street is located, but nowadays, the town's land extends until
Kose Kose () is a small borough () in Harju County, 39 kilometers (24 miles) southeast of Tallinn, Estonia. It is the administrative centre of Kose Parish and lies next to Pirita River. At the 2011 Census, the settlement's population was 2,097. ...
- Jägala highway. The district is bordered by the Tallinn-Narva railway from the north.


Nature

Kehra is located on the banks of the
Jägala river Jägala may refer to: * Jägala, Estonia * Jägala (river), a river which runs through Jägala ** Jägala Falls, a waterfall along the river * Jägala concentration camp, a Nazi concentration camp ** Kalevi-Liiva killing fields outside the camp * J ...
, 27 kilometers from the
estuary An estuary is a partially enclosed coastal body of brackish water with one or more rivers or streams flowing into it, and with a free connection to the open sea. Estuaries form a transition zone between river environments and maritime enviro ...
. The river's banks are steep next to the pulp mill and between the manor and the stadium, the river's course is
meander A meander is one of a series of regular sinuous curves in the Channel (geography), channel of a river or other watercourse. It is produced as a watercourse erosion, erodes the sediments of an outer, concave bank (cut bank, cut bank or river cl ...
ing. The river is overgrown, muddy, and slow due to a hydroelectric plant located upstream in the village of Kaunissaare. The pulp mill's dam raises the river's water level in the town. The town and the mill pollute the river with significant amounts of
nitrogen Nitrogen is a chemical element; it has Symbol (chemistry), symbol N and atomic number 7. Nitrogen is a Nonmetal (chemistry), nonmetal and the lightest member of pnictogen, group 15 of the periodic table, often called the Pnictogen, pnictogens. ...
and
phosphorus Phosphorus is a chemical element; it has Chemical symbol, symbol P and atomic number 15. All elemental forms of phosphorus are highly Reactivity (chemistry), reactive and are therefore never found in nature. They can nevertheless be prepared ar ...
compounds. Aavoja river flows into Jägala river just across the river from the pulp and paper mill. Historically, two streams used to flow into the Jägala river in Kehra. The longer one, called Karukse, flowed just south of the manor, between the current elementary school and Konsum grocery store. The bridge just north of the elementary school was used to cross this stream. Last remnants of the stream were filled in when the medical center was built in 1989. The shorter stream flowed parallel to the current Laste street and was filled in the 1950s, when the apartment buildings were built there.
Kõrvemaa Kõrvemaa (or ('Middle Estonian Lowland')) is a geographical region in Northern Estonia. Its area is , with length of and width of . The region is characterised by wetlands (37.7% of the region) and forests. Settlement is sparse. A high percen ...
region, covered by vast and sparsely populated forests, lies to the east of Kehra, while the area to the west and north is more densely populated and consists of farmlands, mixed with forests.
Kaunissaare reservoir Kaunissaare Reservoir is located on Jägala (river), Jägala river in Kaunissaare, Kaunissaare Village, Anija Parish, Harju County, Estonia, near Kehra. The reservoir is part of the Tallinn water supply system and is connected to Pirita River, ...
is about 2 kilometers south of the town,
Aavoja reservoir Aavoja Reservoir is located on Aavoja river in Anija Parish, Harju County, Estonia near Kehra. The reservoir is part of Tallinn water supply system and is connected to Jägala, Pirita and Soodla rivers via canals. The area of the reservoir ...
is about 2.5 kilometers east of the town, while Raudoja and Soodla reservoirs are about 9 kilometers north-east of the town. File:Log next to Jägala river in Kehra.jpg, Log next to Jägala river File:River Aavoja flows into Jägala river.jpg, Mouth of Aavoja File:Historical bridge over Karukse stream in Kehra.jpg, Bridge over historical Karukse stream File:Jägala river Kehra fish bridge.jpg, Kehra fish bridge File:Railroad near Kehra in winter.jpg, Railroad near Kehra in winter


Climate

Kehra is in the transition zone between
maritime Maritime may refer to: Geography * Maritime Alps, a mountain range in the southwestern part of the Alps * Maritime Region, a region in Togo * Maritime Southeast Asia * The Maritimes, the Canadian provinces of Nova Scotia, New Brunswick, and Princ ...
and
continental Continental may refer to: Places * Continental, Arizona, a small community in Pima County, Arizona, US * Continental, Ohio, a small town in Putnam County, US Arts and entertainment * ''Continental'' (album), an album by Saint Etienne * Continen ...
climates. On average, the annual temperature is 5.0 °C, the annual rainfall is 700mm, and wind mostly blows from west and south-west. There are about 1750 hours of sunshine per year. The highest known recorded temperature is 33.4 °C, which was recorded on August 7, 2010, at 18:00. The lowest temperature recorded since 1991 according to MSN Weather was -32.0 °C in February 1996. Kehra hydrometric station was opened in 1937 and fully automated by 2007. Based on data from the station, the average flow rate of the
Jägala river Jägala may refer to: * Jägala, Estonia * Jägala (river), a river which runs through Jägala ** Jägala Falls, a waterfall along the river * Jägala concentration camp, a Nazi concentration camp ** Kalevi-Liiva killing fields outside the camp * J ...
between 1982 and 2019 was 7.69 m3/s. Minimum flow rate was 0.14 m3/s, which was recorded in September 2002 and maximum flow rate was 98.9 m3/s, which was recorded in April 1956. The average water level of the river between 1976 and 2019 was 76 cm. Minimum water level was 25 cm, which was recorded on July 28, 1996, and the maximum water level was 243 cm, which was recorded on January 11, 2005. Measurements were taken 40.34 meters above the sea level. Kehra Gymnasium has operated their own weather station since 2018.


Geology

Kehra is situated on the North-Estonian plateau. The surface layer mostly consists of
moraine A moraine is any accumulation of unconsolidated debris (regolith and Rock (geology), rock), sometimes referred to as glacial till, that occurs in both currently and formerly glaciated regions, and that has been previously carried along by a gla ...
, while the
limestone Limestone is a type of carbonate rock, carbonate sedimentary rock which is the main source of the material Lime (material), lime. It is composed mostly of the minerals calcite and aragonite, which are different Polymorphism (materials science) ...
layer is approximately 3–8 meters below the ground. The
basement A basement is any Storey, floor of a building that is not above the grade plane. Especially in residential buildings, it often is used as a utility space for a building, where such items as the Furnace (house heating), furnace, water heating, ...
is approximately 200 meters below the sea level. Põrgupõhja district and western part of the Vana-asula district are located on
gleysol A gleysol or gley soil is a hydric soil that unless drained is saturated with groundwater for long enough to develop a characteristic colour pattern. The pattern is essentially made up of reddish, brownish, or yellowish colours at surfaces of so ...
soil, while Uusasula, Keskus, the rest of Vana-asula, and the fields between Põrgupõhja and the rest of the town, are mostly located on mollic cambisol soils mixed with gleysol. Ülejõe district is mostly on overly-wet gleysol soils, but bog soil is also found. The
Ordovician The Ordovician ( ) is a geologic period and System (geology), system, the second of six periods of the Paleozoic Era (geology), Era, and the second of twelve periods of the Phanerozoic Eon (geology), Eon. The Ordovician spans 41.6 million years f ...
aquifer An aquifer is an underground layer of water-bearing material, consisting of permeability (Earth sciences), permeable or fractured rock, or of unconsolidated materials (gravel, sand, or silt). Aquifers vary greatly in their characteristics. The s ...
is between 11.5 and 78 meters below the ground, the quality and rate of recharge are poor. The Ordovician-
Cambrian The Cambrian ( ) is the first geological period of the Paleozoic Era, and the Phanerozoic Eon. The Cambrian lasted 51.95 million years from the end of the preceding Ediacaran period 538.8 Ma (million years ago) to the beginning of the Ordov ...
aquifer is between 80 and 115 meters below the ground, the quality is good but the supply is small. The
Vendian The Ediacaran ( ) is a geological period of the Neoproterozoic geologic era, Era that spans 96 million years from the end of the Cryogenian Period at 635 Million years ago, Mya to the beginning of the Cambrian Period at 538.8 Mya. It is the last ...
-Cambrian aquifer is between 160 and 230 meters below the ground, the quality is good and the water is pressurized. There used to be a
spring Spring(s) may refer to: Common uses * Spring (season), a season of the year * Spring (device), a mechanical device that stores energy * Spring (hydrology), a natural source of water * Spring (mathematics), a geometric surface in the shape of a he ...
near the current EEKB congregation building, but it was paved closed.


Demographics

Historically, several settlements have lied on the land of the current town. The oldest known settlement, the village of Kehra, is and was located on the northern border of the current town. The village's population has mostly stayed between 130 and 200 since the 13th century. In 1565, two settlements were located south of the village, on the land of the current town. The northern one was called ''Jaunack'' and was located where the pulp mill is currently located. The southern one was called ''Karrock'' and was located where the manor is currently located. Both settlements were 2 oxgangs in size, while the village of Kehra was 13
oxgang An oxgang or bovate (; ; ; ) is an old land measurement formerly used in Scotland and England as early as the 16th century sometimes referred to as an oxgait. It averaged around 20 English acres, but was based on land fertility and cultivation, a ...
s in size. It is known that the village of Kehra was practically uninhabited after the
Polish-Swedish war This is a List of wars between the Polish–Lithuanian Commonwealth and Sweden Sweden, formally the Kingdom of Sweden, is a Nordic countries, Nordic country located on the Scandinavian Peninsula in Northern Europe. It borders Norway to ...
in 1615, while ''Jaunack'' and ''Karrock'' remained seemingly untouched. The village recovered from the demographic crisis by the second half of the 17th century. Kehra Manor was built next to the ''Karrock'' mill sometime between 1624 and 1637. By 1660s, the manor owned all the nearby lands, including the village of Kehra, ''Jaunack'' and ''Karrock.'' The peasants of Kehra Manor lost almost all their belongings after a Russian raid in 1704, as part of the
Great Northern War In the Great Northern War (1700–1721) a coalition led by the Tsardom of Russia successfully contested the supremacy of the Swedish Empire in Northern Europe, Northern, Central Europe, Central and Eastern Europe. The initial leaders of the ant ...
, which in general brought down the birthrate in the Harju-Jaani parish for a year. In 1710, the last year of the war in the area, there is a record cannibalism in Kehra, due to lack of food. The manor's lands were ravaged by the bubonic plague from fall 1710 to fall 1711. Out of the total 146 inhabitants, 102 perished due to the plague while the rest likely fled the area, resulting in a population of only 14 individuals. The population recovered to pre-plague levels in approximately 40 years. By 1856, the village of Kehra had transformed from a clustered settlement to a
linear In mathematics, the term ''linear'' is used in two distinct senses for two different properties: * linearity of a '' function'' (or '' mapping''); * linearity of a '' polynomial''. An example of a linear function is the function defined by f(x) ...
settlement. Kehra railway station was opened in 1872, but the settlement did not see a big influx of people until the pulp mill started operating in 1938. The pulp mill had 464 workers in 1939. Most of the immigration happened after
The Second World War World War II or the Second World War (1 September 1939 – 2 September 1945) was a global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies and the Axis powers. Nearly all of the world's countries participated, with many nations mobilising ...
. The official data regarding the population size after the war is classified due to the presence of
Soviet military The Armed Forces of the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics, also known as the Armed Forces of the Soviet Union, the Red Army (1918–1946) and the Soviet Army (1946–1991), were the armed forces of the Russian Soviet Federative Socialist Republi ...
personnel in the area at the time. The first census after the war was conducted in 1959. The settlement's population was almost entirely
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

...
before the pulp mill started operating. By 1959, Estonians constituted 59.3%, and by 1989, only 47.7% of the borough's population due to the influx of foreign workforce from other parts of the
Soviet Union The Union of Soviet Socialist Republics. (USSR), commonly known as the Soviet Union, was a List of former transcontinental countries#Since 1700, transcontinental country that spanned much of Eurasia from 1922 until Dissolution of the Soviet ...
. Approximately 400
Ingrian Finns Ingrian Finns (, ; ) are the Finnish people, Finnish population of Ingria (now the central part of Leningrad Oblast in Russia), descending from Lutheranism, Lutheran Finnish immigrants introduced into the area in the 17th century, when Finland ...
moved to Kehra after the war because they were
exiled Exile is either an entity who is, or the state of being, away from one's home while being explicitly refused permission to return. Exile, exiled, exiles, The Exile, or The Exiles may also refer to: Exiles * Babylonian captivity, or Babylonia ...
from their native land near the city of
Leningrad Saint Petersburg, formerly known as Petrograd and later Leningrad, is the List of cities and towns in Russia by population, second-largest city in Russia after Moscow. It is situated on the Neva, River Neva, at the head of the Gulf of Finland ...
. In 1934, the settlement had a population of 236 and by 1959, the population had grown twelvefold to 2823. The borough saw a steady increase in population until 1985, when it peaked at 4089. Since then, Kehra saw a constant decline in population until around 2020, when it started growing again. As on January 1, 2023, the town had a population of 2694. Kehra Manor gained borough rights on September 13, 1945, and town rights on August 25, 1993. The town became a part of the
Anija parish Anija Parish is a rural municipality in the eastern part of Harju County, Estonia. The administrative center of the parish is the town of Kehra, while the borough of Aegviidu and the village of Alavere are also notable. In total, the parish c ...
on December 2, 2002. The villages of Lehtmetsa, Ülejõe, and
Kehra Kehra is a town in Anija Parish, Harju County, Estonia, best known for its Kehra pulp and paper mill, pulp and paper mill. The town stands on the banks of the Jägala (river), Jägala River, and it has a station on the Tallinn–Narva railway. A ...
are widely considered to be part of the town due to their proximity. In 2019, the settlements had a combined population of 3555.


Economy

Some of the largest companies in Kehra include: * Horizon Tselluloosi ja Paberi AS - manufacture of paper products * Multimek Baltic OÜ - manufacture of fabricated metal products * Narvo OÜ - manufacture of sawn timber * Velko AV OÜ - infrastructure management * Year AS - manufacture of designer clothes * Kehra Pagar OÜ - manufacture of bakery products


Infrastructure


Transportation

Raudoja- Vikipalu-Kehra and
Soodla Soodla is a village in Anija Parish, Harju County, 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 acr ...
-Kehra roads terminate north-east of the paper mill, just outside of the town's limits.
Kose Kose () is a small borough () in Harju County, 39 kilometers (24 miles) southeast of Tallinn, Estonia. It is the administrative centre of Kose Parish and lies next to Pirita River. At the 2011 Census, the settlement's population was 2,097. ...
- Jägala highway passes through Kehra on its western border.
Raasiku Raasiku () is a borough () in Raasiku Parish, Harju County, Estonia, with a population of 1,372 (2020). Although situated in a parish with the same name, Raasiku is not the official administrative centre of the municipality (which is Aruküla, l ...
-Kehra road is located 550 meters north of the town's limits on the Kose-Jägala highway. Kehra is located approximately 32.8 kilometers from the outer edge of
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 ...
through Kose-Jägala, Jägala-Käravete, and Tallinn-Narva highways. The journey takes approximately 23 minutes. Kehra has a station on the Tallinn-Narva railway, which is served by Elron.
Aegviidu Aegviidu is a borough in Anija Parish, Harju County, Estonia, most known for its picturesque surroundings and hiking trails. The borough is situated along the Tallinn-Narva railway and , housing both the Aegviidu TV Mast (107m) and the termi ...
,
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 ...
,
Narva Narva is a municipality and city in Estonia. It is located in the Ida-Viru County, at the Extreme points of Estonia, eastern extreme point of Estonia, on the west bank of the Narva (river), Narva river which forms the Estonia–Russia border, E ...
, and
Rakvere Rakvere is the administrative center, or county seat, of Lääne-Viru County in northern Estonia, about 100 km southeast of Tallinn and 20 km south of the Gulf of Finland and the Baltic Sea. Rakvere boasts a distinctive architectural feature: th ...
trains stop in Kehra. Aegviidu trains take around 28 minutes to reach Ülemiste station in Tallinn while other trains take around 19 minutes. In 2013, Elron named one of their trains after the town's historic German name, ''Kedder''. As of 2020, five bus lines were providing local transport in
Anija Parish Anija Parish is a rural municipality in the eastern part of Harju County, Estonia. The administrative center of the parish is the town of Kehra, while the borough of Aegviidu and the village of Alavere are also notable. In total, the parish c ...
, three of which operate on every workday. There is also a bus line between Kehra and Kose borough.


Culture


Sports

HC Kehra was established in 1991 and has since become
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

...
and Baltic handball champion several times. Football club Anija JK has operated in Kehra since 2012. Kehra sports complex was opened on February 18, 2003. It features a sports hall, a gym, a sauna, and a cafe. Handball matches are hosted regularly. The new renovated Kehra Stadium was opened on October 13, 2016. It features a football field, a basketball field, running tracks, and an athletics field. A disc golf track, an outdoor gym, an artificial hill for sledding and skiing, a sand field, a skating rink, and a beach are located nearby. Kehra fitness trail is located on the eastern edge of the town, across the river from the stadium, and is mainly used for running and skiing. File:Kehra sports complex.jpg, Kehra sports complex File:Sitsimägi artificial hill in Kehra.jpg, Sitsimägi artificial hill File:Kehra beach Lastekas.jpg, Kehra beach(Lastekas) File:Kehra terviserajad.jpg, Kehra fitness trail File:HC Kehra.IMG 20190904 154213.jpg, Trophies of HC Kehra


Religion

EEKB Kehra Congregation and Unity in Christ Congregation currently operate in Kehra. File:Kehra kogudus.jpg, EEKB Kehra congregation File:Kehra Unity in Christ congregation building.jpg, Unity in Christ Kehra congregation


Memorials

File:Suures Isamaasõjas langenute mälestusmärk Kehras.jpg, Memorial to those who died in the
Great Patriotic War The Eastern Front, also known as the Great Patriotic War (term), Great Patriotic War in the Soviet Union and its successor states, and the German–Soviet War in modern Germany and Ukraine, was a Theater (warfare), theatre of World War II ...
File:Küüditatute mälestusmärk Kehras.jpg, Memorial to those who were forcefully deported in 1941 and 1949 File:Silvi Vrait memorial bench.jpg,
Silvi Vrait Silvi Vrait (28 April 1951 – 28 June 2013) was an Estonian singer and music teacher. Biography Vrait was born in Kehra in 1951 to Einar "Edward" Wright, a Minnesota-born American of Finland, Finnish ancestry and his Estonian wife Senta (née ...
memorial bench File:Žanna Botvinkina memorial in winter.jpg, Žanna Botvinkina memorial


Notable people

* Tõnu Aav (1939–2019), actor * Marja Kallasmaa (born 1950), linguist * Kare Kauks (born 1961), singer and music teacher * Rein Loik (born 1950), former minister of education * Laine Mägi (born 1959), actress, dancer, choreographer * Juhan Maiste (born 1952), art historian * Karmen Pedaru (born 1990), fashion model * Terje Pennie (born 1960), actress * August Vaga (1893–1960), botanist *
Silvi Vrait Silvi Vrait (28 April 1951 – 28 June 2013) was an Estonian singer and music teacher. Biography Vrait was born in Kehra in 1951 to Einar "Edward" Wright, a Minnesota-born American of Finland, Finnish ancestry and his Estonian wife Senta (née ...
(1951–2013), singer and music teacher


References


Further reading

* Miidla, Ants (2014). ''Kehra Lood'' (in Estonian). MTÜ Kehra Raudteejaam. .


External links


Anija Parish homepage

Kehra Gymnasium homepage

Kehra Museum homepage
{{Authority control Cities and towns in Estonia Former municipalities of Estonia Kreis Harrien