Viljandi

Viljandi town hall

Viljandi (German: Fellin) is a town too municipality inwards southern Republic of Estonia amongst a population of 19,150 (2014). It is the uppercase of Viljandi County. The town was foremost mentioned inwards 1283, upon existence granted its town charter past times Wilhelm von Endorpe.

 St. John's church

In 1211 the hill-fort of the Estonians inwards Viljandi was besieged past times a articulation dry reason forces of Germans, Latvians, too Livs. The Livonian Sword Brethren captured the hill-fort inwards August 1223 from a contingent of the people of Rus, who joined forces amongst the insurgent Estonians. The next twelvemonth the Grand Master Volquin led the structure of the castle at the site of the one-time hill-fort. The Viljandi (Fellin) castle was i of the largest inwards the Baltic region. It was a major fortification of the Livonian Order too was appointed a commander from 1248. The fortress was continually rebuilt too modernized over the side past times side two-hundred years.

 St. Paul's church

In 1283, the town received a charter from Wilhelm von Endorpe, the principal of the Order. The town became a fellow member of the Hanseatic League at the showtime of the 14th century, too is i of v Estonian towns too cities inwards the league.

In 1470, Johann Wolthus von Herse, too then principal of the order, took upward residence inwards the castle. In 1481, Ivan III of Russian Federation lay siege to the castle simply could non accept it. However, during the Livonian War, Muscovite Russian Federation succeeded inwards seizing it inwards 1560. During the Polish–Swedish War at the showtime of the 17th century the castle changed hands several times too roughshod into ruins. The same goes for the town, which was deprived of its privileges.

After the Great Northern War the Russians revoked local autonomy until 1783, when inwards the course of report of the regency reforms of the Empress Catherine the Great Viljandi became a district town. This involved the re-establishment of town bylaws. The economical too political importance of Viljandi started to increase. The population, later on decreasing inwards population too wealth, started to ascent again, equally handicraft, trading, too cultural life were revived.

The pop Estonian paper Sakala was founded inwards Viljandi inwards 1878.

Symbols

The flag of Viljandi is bi-coloured, its upper purpose low-cal blueish too lower purpose white. The city's shield-shaped coat of arms is low-cal blue, amongst a white rose inwards the middle. Viljandi is the white rose urban inwardness – inwards midsummer in that location are 720 white roses flowering inwards forepart of the urban inwardness hall, planted for the town's anniversary inwards 2003. In summer, the White Rose Day is celebrated inwards Viljandi.

Culture

Viljandi is sometimes called the cultural uppercase of Estonia, partly due to the Viljandi Culture Academy existence located there.

In Viljandi, several international festivals too other cultural events accept place: Viljandi Folk Music Festival, The Early Music Festival, Hansa Days, Young Dance Festival, Winter Folk Dance Festival, the "Theatre inwards Suitcase" puppet house festival, too others.

Since 1920, Viljandi has had the Ugala drama theatre. The tradition of open-air performances dates dorsum to the same year. The Viljandi Puppet Theatre also works there.

In 2002, a novel library was built, which is also a venue for exhibitions, meetings amongst famous people, civilization seminars, etc. There are several exhibition halls too galleries inwards Viljandi. Influenza A virus subtype H5N1 coming together identify for artistic people is the Kondas Centre, dedicated to Estonian naïve creative mortal Paul Kondas.

Viljandi is famous for Viljandi Folk Music Festival – a music festival amongst a focus on European folk music. It is traditionally held inwards the halt of July. In the twelvemonth 2006, over 24,000 people attended the concerts. As such, it is the largest annual music festival inwards Estonia. Due to this, Viljandi is sometimes called the Estonian Capital of Folk Music. Influenza A virus subtype H5N1 manor trouble solid on Kirsimägi inwards the Castle ruins was restored too holds the Estonian Traditional Music Center (or Traditional Music Storehouse). The mission of the Center is to promote too learn traditional music.