Oru Palace (, ) was a palace in the northeastern part of

Toila Toila is a small borough (') in Ida-Viru County, in northeastern Estonia. It is located about northeast of the town of Jõhvi, on the coast of Narva Bay (part of the Gulf of Finland). Toila is known as an important sea resort in Estonia, with a ...

in the Viru valley of

Jõhvi Parish Jõhvi Parish () is an Estonian municipality located in Ida-Viru County, consisting of the county capital Jõhvi and its environs. It has a population of 13,174 (2006) and an area of . Settlements Towns Jõhvi Small boroughs Tammiku Villages ...

Ida-Viru County Ida-Viru County ( or ; ) is one of the 15 counties of Estonia. It is the most northeastern part of the country. The county contains large deposits of oil shale the main mineral mined in Estonia. Oil shale is used in the production of shale oil ...

, Estonia. The palace was originally the holiday home of a Russian merchant, Grigori Eliseev, and later the summer residence of the Estonian head of state. It was built in the

Italian Renaissance The Italian Renaissance ( ) was a period in History of Italy, Italian history between the 14th and 16th centuries. The period is known for the initial development of the broader Renaissance culture that spread across Western Europe and marked t ...

style by Gavril Baranovski, with park designer

Georg Kuphaldt Georg Friedrich Ferdinand Kuphaldt () (6 June 1853 in Plön, Holstein – 14 April 1938 in Berlin, Germany) was an influential German landscape architect, gardener and dendrologist of the Russian Empire. At the age of 27, Kuphaldt was promo ...

. The 57-room three-story building was completed in 1899. The palace descends towards the river terraces, and also contains riding stables and manege. Alleged construction of the palace and the park was the total cost of five million gold rubles. After the Bolshevik revolution of October, Jelissejev went to Paris. The land belonging to the palace was not sold as it was farmland. In 1934, Jelissejev was not willing to sell land to private persons, but only in the state. The agreement was finalized on 22 February 1935. Until 1940 it served as the summer residence of the Estonian president

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 ...

. On 13 August 1941, a fire caused by the retreating Soviets largely destroyed the palace. Today notable gardens are located here.

Toila-Oru Park

The palace is surrounded by Toila-Oru Park. The park was designed in 1899 by

. Nowadays, the park is protected ( Oru Park Landscape Conservation Area).

References

Buildings and structures in Ida-Viru County Houses completed in 1899 Buildings and structures demolished in 1941 Palaces in Estonia Former buildings and structures in Estonia 1941 in Estonia 1890s establishments in Estonia 1940s disestablishments in Estonia Toila Parish 1899 establishments in the Russian Empire Tourist attractions in Ida-Viru County Kreis Wierland {{Estonia-struct-stub