Virumaa Museums / Toolse Order Castle

Tel.: 53 414 433
Fax.: 32 25 505

Info Telefon: 32 25 500
Besucher-Email: info@svm.ee
http://www.svm.ee...

open all year round.

People from Kunda used to say, that the stronghold of Toolse was a castle of sea pirates. The master of the castle was a knight named Otto. People called him Ottu of the Toolse.
The pirates used to trick passing ships with false fire near the castle and then they robbed their goods and took people to prison. Later the people were sent to the stronghold Rakvere. There they were sold as slaves.
People say that between the strongholds of Toolse and Rakvere there used to be an underground secret-passage. ” (Estonian Museums)

 

Sagadi Forest Museum

Fax.: 32 58 880

Info Telefon: 32 58 882
Besucher-Email: peeter.reintal@rmk.ee
http://www.rmk.ee/pages.php3/01290101...

1.5.–31.9. Every day 10–18,
1.10.–30.04. advance notice required

RMK Sagadi Forest Museum is a museum for all those who are interested in, and care about, Estonia’s great treasure – its forests. The Forest Museum displays the things the forest offered to our ancestors and what it offers us today. The forest has always held a very special place in the heart of the Estonians: it has been feared and respected, worshipped and cursed. As a keeper of this heritage, the museum helps us to understand it better.

The Forest Museum with the collection of hunting trophies and stuffed animals was opened in the estate’s manor house in 1987. The initial display focused mainly on introducing the history of forestry and the contemporary state administered forestry management system. In 1996, the museum moved to the circular stable building. From spring 2006, the new home of the museum has been the storage and coach house of the estate.

Since 1999 the Sagadi Forest Museum has been part of the State Forest Management Centre (RMK). Therefore, some of the income generated from the state owned forests is spent on forest related heritage conservation and on increasing public awareness of forests and forestry.

 

Sagadi Manor Museum

Fax.: 32 58 880

Info Telefon: 32 58 882
Besucher-Email: peeter.reintal@rmk.ee
http://www.rmk.ee/pages.php3/01290101...

Sagadi Forest Museum

1.5.–31.9. Every day 10–18,
1.10.–30.4. advance notice required

"Sagadi manor house dating back to the 18th century. One can admire original interior and antique furniture there. The 18th century symmetric baroque manor ensemble, consisting of 20 buildings, alleys, ponds, manor park and parkways can also be enjoyed as an open air museum. ” (Estonian Museums)

 

Käsmu Sea Museum

Info Telefon: 32 38 136
Besucher-Email: muuseum@kasmu
http://www.kasmu.ee...

Always open

"The museum is located in a tsarist period cordon building and is dedicated to the history of this legendary village of captains. The exhibits tell about all areas related to the sea (navigation, fishing, smuggling, nature, photo, art, border guarding). Museum hours on two topics are organised for children: the village of captains and the Viking era. Village conferences (in July the Sea Day, in the beginning of August the international Viking Camp) but also concerts and exhibitions are held. ” (Estonian Museums)

 

Porkuni Limestone Museum

Tel.: 51 44 836

Info Telefon: 32 93 825
Besucher-Email: ella.vikk@mail.ee
http://www.porkuni.ee/index.php?PID=page...

2.5.–30.9. Every day 11–18 h.DbaseVCMS MUC 2007

"It is the purpose of the limestone museum to introduce Estonian base rock and the genesis, composition, past and present use of flagstone and the mineralized fossils found in it.
It is interesting to learn that 500 million years ago there was sea in the place of present-day Estonia and Estonia was located in the place of present-day South-Africa. The mineral resource flagstone, containing mainly limestone, dolomite and marl, is made up of the lime skeletons of sea animals and sea sediments. Estonian flagstone is represented in the form of slabs (pieces of flagstone). Of the fossils found in Estonian flagstone brachiopods, corals, bryozoans, trilobites, echinoderms and molluscs are represented.
The Lake Porkuni, its floating islets, a 300 years old pine, the school complex and manor ensemble can be seen from the platform of the 21 m observation tower. ” (Estonian Museums)

 

Tamsalu Museum

Info Telefon: 32 30 308

Kiltsi Castle And The Memorial Room of A. J. von Krusenstern

Fax.: 32 53 411

Info Telefon: 32 53 411
Besucher-Email: kiltsipk@v-maarja.ee
http://www.v-maarja.ee/index.php?menu=10...

1.9.–31.5. Mon–Fri 8–16,
1.6.–31.8. Mon, Tue 8–14, Wed–Fri 8–18, Sat, Sun 11–19 h.

The museum is located in an old parish schoolhouse, originally built for confirmation classes in 1869. The parish school was open in 1873, accepting village students with 3 or 4 years of education. The center of the building was the living and sleeping area for the Headmaster and the pupils; both ends of the building were used for classroom study. During the years of Estonia's independence (1918 - 1940), the building also accommodated Subsequent to the Soviet occupation, the primary and secondary school students. Building was used for public housing and was destroyed by fire in 1984. The Väike-Maarja Collective Farm reconstructed the building with a view towards historical preservation, opening the Museum in 1988. The Museum was in the care of the Collective Farm until it was dissolved in 1993, at which time the Municipality assumed responsibility for its care and maintenance.

Local historical memorabilia and information - Room #1:
Admiral Adam Johan von Krusenstern's family memorial wreaths - Admiral Adam Johan von Krusenstern lead the first Russian voyage around the world. During the 19th century he and his heirs lived at the Kiltsi Manorial Estate, located 6 km south of Väike-Maarja. A.J. Krusenstern wrote his "Atlas of the South Seas" and other important works while living at Kiltsi Manor. His son, Paul Theodor von Krusenstern was also an admiral and an explorer. Members of the Krusenstern family are buried in the Väike-Maarja churchyard, however, the Admiral himself is buried in the Tallinn Dome Church by special privilege granted by Russian Tsar Nikolai I. Georg Lurich's memorial slabs - Georg Lurich was the strongest man in the world for a 20 year period in the early 20th century. His development into a weight-lifter and wrestler was unexpected, because as a child, Georg was in bad health and did not participate in physical training activities. While at school in Tallinn, he began a self-training program and soon surpassed the abilities of his rivals. Väike-Maarja Church - The namesake of the Väike-Maarja community was built in about 1375. The gothic style church contains a beautiful stained-glass window entitled "Jesus Blesses Little Children" and an altarpiece painted by E.F. Liphard in 1902. Monument of Freedom - In the park across from the church stands the Monument of Freedom dedicated to the soldiers killed in World War I and the War of Estonian Independence (1918 - 1920). The monument was unveiled in 1925, but was destroyed by Russians and communists, first in 1940 and then again in 1944. It was restored under the leadership of the Väike-Maarja Heritage Society, with the support of the local collective farm, in the summer of 1991. Work-shops and stores - There were 34 workshops or trade masters and 16 stores in Väike-Maarja at the end of Estonia's first independence (1939). In 1941, local communists and Russian soldiers set fire to Väike-Maarja destroying 20 buildings. During the Soviet period, there were 5 workshops and 5 stores. Alar Kotli, architect - The famous Estonian architect, Alar Kotli, was born in Väike-Maarja. He designed the stage for the National song-festival grounds in Tallinn.

History of Estonian Farms - Room #2:
These displays show basic necessities of life and some farm tools for cutting peat, for threshing, and for flax. A typical room and kitchen in an old farmhouse is represented as it looked at the turn of the century. The documents of farm ownership show the story of Estonians becoming landowners. The purchase of land from estate owners in the area of Väike-Maarja started during the last quarter of the 19th century. With the land reform of the Estonian Republic, the Estonian people finally became masters of their own country. The land expropriated from Baltic Germans was divided into small holdings. The Soviet occupation in 1940 again brought about foreign control and repression. The photographs and documents tell us about the life of those deported and imprisoned in Siberia.

Societies of Väike-Maarja - Room #3:
The period of National Awakening in Väike-Maarja was in the last quarter of the 19th century. This is reflected by the creation of Societies to pursue social interests; a total of 20 societies were active in Väike-Maarja. Cultural & Social Highlights: Jacob Liiv wrote and produced stage plays in Väike-Maarja. The first choir was founded in the 1870's and the first orchestra in 1896. The famous Estonian composer and conductor, Tuudur Vettik, studied at the local parish school. Even as a young student he conducted the mixed chorus and the male choir. Väike-Maarja song-festivals began in 1910 and continued through the period of independence; there were 4 in all. At that time there were ten choirs, today there are only two. The Farmers clubhouse, built in 1912 in only eight months, was the largest of its kind at that time. The farmers worked together to build the clubhouse using personal finances and communal labor.

Writer's Room - Room #4:
Several writers were residing in Väike-Maarja at the turn of the century. They called themselves the Parnassians. The most famous of the writers were Peeter Jakobson, Jakob Tamm and Jakob Liiv. Here you can see the studyroom of the writer and headmaster J.Tamm.

Classroom exhibit - Room #5:
The history of local education is exhibited in this room. The room consists of two 19th century desks, along with contemporary furnishings, that provide an historical atmosphere in which to hold current social gatherings and local history lessons. When the parish school opened in 1873, lessons were conducted in Russian to promote the russification of the Estonian people under tsarist Russia. The headmaster of the school was Jakob Tamm, a local writer and poet. Märt Meos, one of the founders of the national independent Estonian school, succeeded him.

Exposition of the history of the Väike-Maarja Collective Farm - 1st Floor (2nd level):
Collective farms were established in Estonia in 1949, just after the devastating deportation of Estonians to Siberia. In the beginning there were 17 small village collective farms in the Väike-Maarja territory. Over time, these dispersed farms were joined together into the Väike-Maarja Collective Farm. To join the collective farm, it was necessary to write an application to volunteer. The animals were driven into one cattle-shed, the agricultural implements were centralized and the work was performed collectively with the implements of the farm. Young people tended to leave their homes and the best farmers were deported, therefore, in the 1950's there was often no one to tend to the farms. In several areas animals died of hunger. In the 1960's life improved a bit. In 1967, Boris Gavronski came to Väike-Maarja as the chairman of the collective farm and surrounded himself with talented specialists. Under his leadership the wealth of the collective farm began to grow. Some industrial enterprises were founded and they began to make money. A firm foundation for cattle breeding was built, from which the collective farm received two-thirds of its income and four-fifths of its profits. There was also a first-class pig-breeding farm and a first-class cow-breeding farm. One chicken farm had about half of a million broilers. The collective farm had a stockyard and a pastry department, a grass-protein factory (equipment was from France used only for grass-granules), a mineral fodder factory and a dairy. The Vaike-Maarja collective farm was one of the richest in Estonia. As the local administration had no real power or money during the Soviet times, the collective farm supported the community services in addition to managing the farm activities. They built homes and apartments, for collective farm employees and also for the community service employees, as well as building a kindergarten, a complex for sports and leisure, a sauna, a hair saloon and restaurants. The entire infrastructure of Vaike-Maarja - business, social and environmental - was dependent upon the Collective Farm. At the beginning of 1993, the collective farm was privatized into 28 small farms or businesses.

 

Viru Jaagupi Museum

Tel.: 52 82 624

Info Telefon: 32 96 285

Mon–Fri 10–12

"Viru-Jaagupi Museum is located in a three-storey former schoolhouse made of flagstone. The building itself is worth seeing as a former school (1908 – 2001). The schoolhouse is surrounded by beautiful scenery; a cenotaph of the artist brothers Raud can be found in the yard.
The local Popular Arts museum allows walking in a room of an old farmhouse (a battle club of church boys, a cradle and a chest for clothes), in a kiln-drying room (flax brake, cards, flails, harnesses) and in a technical room (TVs, radios, cameras, typewriters, computers). Some old radios are functioning. One can also try typewriting. Items resting in cupboards are displayed in the exhibition room. ” (Estonian Museums)

 

Vao Tower Citadel Museum

Info Telefon: 32 61 625
Besucher-Email: muuseum@v-maarja.ee

2.5.–31.8. Wed–Sun 11–18 h.

The Tower
DbaseVCMS MUC 2007
According to the history of Estonian architecture, there were many tower strongholds in Estonia as early as the 14th century. They were built to safeguard roads and waterways, particularly in areas where large strongholds were not needed. These smaller strongholds were built by vassals in the second half of the 14th century as they began relocating from towns and fortified centers closer to the land for which they were responsible. Uprising of subordinated peasants was a significant factor in the increase in the number of stronghold towers, which were only intended to provide sufficient protection from smaller attacks. The building of stronghold towers intensified after the uprising of St. Georg's Eve in 1343, when many estates in northern Estonia were destroyed. Most of the towers built during this period have been destroyed, leaving only ruins. The only towers in Estonia that are well preserved and restored are those of Vao and Kiiu.

The Vao tower fortification is situated on a high slope at the edge of the previous Vao manor estate. In the valley there is a small stream originating from the nearby Mõisamaa Springs, which is the beginning of the River Põltsmaa.
The Vao Tower is a square building made of local limestone. The tower has four levels, the two lower of which are vaulted. The stronghold is architecturally interrelated with the development of northern Estonia, especially Tallinn. Judging by the thickness of the walls, the stronghold was not meant for bigger military operations. There is no data about military action in the tower.

The tower was the vassal's permanent living quarters, evidenced by a dansker, a washing area, a chapel and a fireplace on the ground floor level.
The cellar is connected with the ground floor by a narrow staircase in the wall. Originally, it is likely to have been the only way to the cellar of the stronghold where the munitions, as well as the provisions, were held. The top floor was the guard tower.
In 1986, the stronghold was restored under the leadership of the Vao collective farm. The Rakvere branch of the Republican Restoration Department performed the restoration work.

The Manor Estate

The first written information about the Vao Estate and the village dates from 1442. At that time the lands belonged to the de Wacks, giving the area and estate its German name, Wack, and its Estonian name, Vao.
Subsequent to the ownership by the de Wacks, the estate belonged to the Wedeweses in the 16th century, then to the Budbergs, the Anreps, the Pahlens and the Helffreichs.
In the first half of the 18th century, the Rennenkampff family acquired the estate and began construction of the "heart" of the estate according to an estate plan. The Rennenkampffs retained ownership of the estate until the family resettled in Germany in 1939.

The Tower Museum

1991 - 1997 acted Vao Museum on Janis Tobreluts own initiative. In 1998, the new exposition in cooperation with the Väike-Maarja Museum took place. The museum provides information about the tower, estate and the history of the villages around the estate. There are photographs of the progression of the restoration process and coat of arm which belonged to the families that lived at Vao. There is greater detail provided about the Rennenkampff family, the last Baltic Germans to live at the estate.
The first floor of the stronghold has a medieval air - in the middle of the room is a table with chairs covered with the skin of boar. The walls and ceiling have metallic foring lamps. Stained vitraged made in 1998-2002 decorate the room.
On the walls of the top floor of the tower there are pictures representing people in medieval costumes (author Eve Veermäe).
 

Lehtse County History Museum

Tel.: 32 33 335

Info Telefon: 32 33 465

ATTENTION: OPEN ONLY ON PRIOR REQUEST.

"The museum was opened in 1991 in the former bank building of the Estonian Farmers` Association to tell the history and introduce the sights of Lehtse small town and municipality. The collections are diverse and include several objects, photos and documets, illustrating the distant, as well as recent aspect of the history of Lehtse municipality. ” (Estonian Museums)