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Tartu
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Tartu County
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Laine Jänes
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388
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101,297
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2004
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2,6108
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58°23' N 26°43' E
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58_23_N_26_43_E
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(formerly, , with a population of 101,297 (as of
2004 ) and an area of 38.8 km&
2. In contrast to Estonia's political and financial capital
Tallinn , Tartu is often considered the intellectual and cultural centre, especially since it is home to Estonia's oldest and most renowned
University . Situated 186 km southeast of Tallinn, Tartu is the centre of Southern Estonia. The
Emajõgi river, which connects the two largest lakes of Estonia, crosses the city for a length of 10 km.
Archaeological evidence of first permanent settlement on the site of modern Tartu dates to as early as the
5th Century AD. By the
7th Century , the local inhabitants had built a wooden fortification on the east side of Toome Hill (''Toomemägi'').
The first documented record of the place was made in
1030 by chroniclers of
Kievan Rus .
Yaroslav The Wise , Prince of
Kiev , raided Tartu that year, built his own fort there, and named it ''Yuryev'' (literally "Yury's" - Yury being Yaroslav's Christian name). Kievan rulers then collected tribute from the surrounding ancient Estonian county of
Ugaunia , possibly until
1061 , when, according to chronicles, Yuryev was burned down by another tribe of
Chud es (''Sosols'').
During the period of
Northern Crusades in the beginning of the 13th century the fort of ''Tarbatu'' (or ''Tharbata'', Tartu) was captured by the crusading
Livonian Knights and recaptured by Estonians on several occasions until, in
1224 , it was besieged and conquered from Estonians and troops of the
East Slavic prince
Vyachko for one last time by the German crusaders. Subsequently known as Dorpat (''Tarbatum''), Tartu became a commercial centre of considerable importance during the later
Middle Ages and the capital of the semi-independent
Bishopric Of Dorpat .
In 1262 the army of Prince
Dmitry Of Pereslavl , son of
Alexander Nevsky launched an assault on Tartu, capturing and destroying the town. His troops did not manage to capture the bishop’s fortress on Toome Hill. The event was recorded both in German and
Old East Slavic chronicles, which also provided the first record of a settlement of German merchants and artisans which had arisen alongside the bishop’s fortress.
In 1280’s Tartu joined the
Hanseatic League . In medieval times Tartu was an important merchant town. As in all of Estonia and Latvia, the largely
German-speaking nobility, but in Tartu/Dorpat (as in Tallinn) even more so the Baltic bourgeoisie, the ''literati'', dominated culture, religion, architecture, education, and politics until the late
19th Century . For example, the town hall of Tartu was built by an architect from
Mecklenburg , from the city of
Rostock , while the university buildings were built by another German. Many, if not most, of the students, and more than 90% of the faculty members were of German heritage, and numerous statues of notable scientists with German names can still be found in the city today. Most Germans had to leave during the first half of the 20th century.
In the
16th Century ,
Livonia and Tartu both came under
Polish rule, and a
Jesuit grammar school was established in the city in
1583 . In addition, a translators' seminary was organized in Tartu and the city received its red and white flag from the Polish king
Stephen Bathory .
The activities of both the grammar school and the seminary were stopped by the
Polish-Swedish War (
1601 ). Tartu then became
Swedish in
1629 , which led to the foundation of the university in
1632 by King
Gustavus Adolphus Of Sweden .
university]]
With the
Treaty Of Nystad in
1721 , the city became part of the
Russian Empire and was known as ''Derpt''. Due to fires in the
18th Century which destroyed much of the medieval architecture, the city was rebuilt along
Late Baroque and
Neoclassical lines. During the second-half of the
19th Century , Tartu was the cultural center for Estonians in the era of
Romantic Nationalism . The city hosted Estonia's first song festival in
1869 , as well as the ''Vanemuine'', the first national theatre, in
1870 . It was also the setting for the foundation of the Society of Estonian Writers in
1872 .
In
1893 , the city was officially retitled to the ancient Russian name ''Yuryev''. The university began to be
Russified in
1895 with the introduction of compulsory Russian in teaching. This Russian imperial university was relocated to
Voronezh in
1918 , but the Estonian
University Of Tartu opened in
1919 . With Estonian independence after
World War I , the city officially became known by the
Estonian name ''Tartu''.
During the
Russian Civil War following World War I, a peace treaty between the
Bolsheviks and Estonia was signed on
2 February 1920 in Tartu. The treaty meant that
Bolshevist Russia renounced territorial claims to Estonia "for all time." However, the
Soviet Union occupied Estonia and Tartu as a result of the
Nazi-Soviet Pact of
1939 .
During
World War II , a large part of the city as well as the historical ''Kivisild'' (stone bridge) (built by
Catherine II Of Russia in
1776 -
1778 ) over the ''Emajõgi'' were destroyed by the fighting Red Army, partly in
1941 and almost totally in
1944 .
After the war Tartu was declared a "closed town" to foreigners, as there was a Soviet air base constructed on the outskirts. The old runways there now house a large used-car market.
During Soviet times the population of Tartu grew almost two times from 57000 to 100000 people.
After the regaining of Estonian independence in
1991 , Tartu has asserted itself evolved as a beautiful and intellectually-oriented cultural city with a strong university and an old town centre that is successively being renovated.
The city is best known for being the home to the
University Of Tartu , founded by King
Gustavus Adolphus Of Sweden in
1632 . Mainly for this reason, Tartu was and is also - tongue-in-cheek - known as the "
Athens of the Emajõgi" or as the "
Heidelberg of the North".
Tartu is also the seat of the
Estonian University Of Life Sciences , the
Baltic Defence College , and the Estonian Ministry of Education and Research. The
Estonian Supreme Court , which was reestablished in Tartu in the autumn of
1993 , is likewise in the city, as well as the Estonian Historical Archives.
The architecture and city planning of historical Tartu mainly go back to the pre-independence period, with Germans forming the upper and middle classes of society, and therefore contributing many architects, professors, local politicians, etc. Most notable are the old
Lutheran St. John's Church (''Johanneskirche'' or ''Jaani Kirik''), the 18th-century town hall, the university building, the remainders of the 13th-century cathedral, the botanical gardens, the main shopping street, and many buildings around the town hall square.
In the suburbs, classic Soviet neighbourhoods - blocks of high-rise flats - were built during the period between the Second World War and restoration of Estonian independence in
1991 .
Presently, Tartu is also known for several modern, rather sterile-looking buildings of the "steel, concrete and glass" type, but has managed to retain a mix of old buildings and new buildings in the historical centre of town.
Being the intellectual and cultural centre of Estonia, the Estonian Prime Minister often takes state guests to Tartu. Famous guests have included
Charles, Prince Of Wales , the presidents of
Finland ,
Latvia ,
Hungary , the
Republic Of Ireland , and
Lithuania , as well as religious leaders like the
Dalai Lama and the head of the
Orthodox Church Of Constantinople ,
Patriarch Bartholomew I .
Tartu's large student population means that it has a comparatively thriving nightlife, with some bars, restaurants, and nightclubs. Some of the more popular destinations for tourists include the
Wilde Irish Pub and the
Gunpowder Cellar .
