# Võru

Võru (Estonian:; Võro: Võro; German: Werro) is a town and a municipality in south-eastern Estonia. It is the capital of Võru County and the centre of Võru Parish.

## History

Võru was founded on 21 August 1784, at the request of the Empress Catherine II of Russia, by the order of Riga Governor general count George Browne, on the site of the former Võru estate as the center of the new county.
From 1797 until today, Võru has been the administrative center of the surrounding region.
In 1827, the Võru Town Hospital was opened and Friedrich Reinhold Kreutzwald, who lived and worked as a doctor in Võru from 1833 to 1877, also wrote the Estonian national epic "Kalevipoeg" in Võru. The development of the town was facilitated by the Pskov-Riga railway completed in 1889, which enabled Võru to have a direct connection with Riga and St. Petersburg. As a result, trade was developed, a flour mill, a sawmill and a distillery were built. Võru became the center of the surrounding rural area.

## Geography and climate

The town is situated on the shore of Lake Tamula.
Võru has a humid continental climate (Dfb according to the Köppen climate classification) with warm summers and cold winters. Võru has one of the most continental climates in Estonia: both the temperatures of 35.6 °C (96.1 °F), which is the highest temperature ever recorded in the country and −43.4 °C (−46.1 °F), which is very close to the coldest temperature ever recorded in the country (after Jõgeva) are recorded here. Precipitation is usually higher in early summer to late autumn, and lower in late winter to early spring.
Climate data for Võru (normals 1991–2020, extremes 1868–present) :
| Month | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | Year |
| Record high °C (°F) | 9.6 (49.3) | 12.9 (55.2) | 19.9 (67.8) | 26.9 (80.4) | 31.1 (88.0) | 33.8 (92.8) | 35.2 (95.4) | 35.6 (96.1) | 29.9 (85.8) | 22.2 (72.0) | 14.2 (57.6) | 11.7 (53.1) | 35.6 (96.1) |
| Mean daily maximum °C (°F) | −1.8 (28.8) | −1.3 (29.7) | 3.7 (38.7) | 11.4 (52.5) | 17.6 (63.7) | 21.1 (70.0) | 23.6 (74.5) | 22.1 (71.8) | 16.5 (61.7) | 9.4 (48.9) | 3.4 (38.1) | −0.1 (31.8) | 10.5 (50.9) |
| Daily mean °C (°F) | −4.2 (24.4) | −4.5 (23.9) | −0.4 (31.3) | 6.1 (43.0) | 11.9 (53.4) | 15.9 (60.6) | 18.4 (65.1) | 16.9 (62.4) | 11.9 (53.4) | 6.2 (43.2) | 1.3 (34.3) | −2.1 (28.2) | 6.5 (43.7) |
| Mean daily minimum °C (°F) | −6.7 (19.9) | −7.6 (18.3) | −4.2 (24.4) | 1.2 (34.2) | 6.0 (42.8) | 10.7 (51.3) | 13.3 (55.9) | 12.1 (53.8) | 8.0 (46.4) | 3.3 (37.9) | −0.8 (30.6) | −4.3 (24.3) | 2.6 (36.7) |
| Record low °C (°F) | −43.4 (−46.1) | −37.9 (−36.2) | −30.2 (−22.4) | −18.8 (−1.8) | −9.4 (15.1) | −1.0 (30.2) | 1.7 (35.1) | 1.0 (33.8) | −5 (23) | −14.4 (6.1) | −21.9 (−7.4) | −40.5 (−40.9) | −43.4 (−46.1) |
| Average precipitation mm (inches) | 45 (1.8) | 36 (1.4) | 34 (1.3) | 35 (1.4) | 53 (2.1) | 83 (3.3) | 75 (3.0) | 79 (3.1) | 57 (2.2) | 64 (2.5) | 51 (2.0) | 45 (1.8) | 658 (25.9) |
| Average precipitation days (≥ 1.0 mm) | 12.3 | 9.5 | 8.9 | 8.1 | 8.7 | 10.8 | 9.6 | 10.8 | 9.6 | 11.4 | 10.7 | 11.6 | 122.0 |
| Average relative humidity (%) | 88 | 85 | 77 | 69 | 67 | 71 | 74 | 77 | 82 | 86 | 89 | 89 | 79 |
| Mean monthly sunshine hours | 29.3 | 60.5 | 136.6 | 194.8 | 271.8 | 261.1 | 276.1 | 237.4 | 150.8 | 75.2 | 27.3 | 17.3 | 1,738.2 |
| Source: Estonian Weather Service ||||||||||||||

## Demographics

Ethnic composition 1897-2021 :
| Ethnicity | 1897 | 1897 | 1922 | 1922 | 1934 | 1934 | 1941 | 1941 | 1959 | 1959 | 1970 | 1970 | 1979 | 1979 | 1989 | 1989 | 2000 | 2000 | 2011 | 2011 | 2021 | 2021 |
| Ethnicity | amount | % | amount | % | amount | % | amount | % | amount | % | amount | % | amount | % | amount | % | amount | % | amount | % | amount | % |
| Estonians | 2675 | 64.4 | 4480 | 88.3 | 4855 | 91.1 | 5250 | 97.1 | 8604 | 80.4 | 12307 | 79.9 | 13783 | 82.2 | 14985 | 85.6 | 13414 | 90.2 | 11651 | 92.0 | 11042 | 93.1 |
| Russians | 248 | 5.97 | 163 | 3.21 | 171 | 3.21 | 87 | 1.61 | - | - | 2277 | 14.8 | 2378 | 14.2 | 1934 | 11.1 | 1112 | 7.47 | 804 | 6.35 | 599 | 5.05 |
| Ukrainians | - | - | - | - | 0 | 0.00 | - | - | - | - | 312 | 2.03 | 261 | 1.56 | 249 | 1.42 | 99 | 0.67 | 64 | 0.51 | 51 | 0.43 |
| Belarusians | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | 112 | 0.73 | 96 | 0.57 | 90 | 0.51 | 44 | 0.30 | 30 | 0.24 | 22 | 0.19 |
| Finns | - | - | - | - | 3 | 0.06 | 1 | 0.02 | - | - | 91 | 0.59 | 77 | 0.46 | 81 | 0.46 | 61 | 0.41 | 40 | 0.32 | 27 | 0.23 |
| Jews | 258 | 6.21 | 118 | 2.33 | 96 | 1.80 | 0 | 0.00 | - | - | 20 | 0.13 | 10 | 0.06 | 12 | 0.07 | 6 | 0.04 | 4 | 0.03 | 4 | 0.03 |
| Latvians | 118 | 2.84 | - | - | 37 | 0.69 | 21 | 0.39 | - | - | 30 | 0.19 | 30 | 0.18 | 35 | 0.20 | 23 | 0.15 | 14 | 0.11 | 23 | 0.19 |
| Germans | 824 | 19.8 | 188 | 3.71 | 145 | 2.72 | - | - | - | - | - | - | 33 | 0.20 | 17 | 0.10 | 7 | 0.05 | 5 | 0.04 | 8 | 0.07 |
| Tatars | - | - | - | - | 0 | 0.00 | - | - | - | - | - | - | 19 | 0.11 | 12 | 0.07 | 6 | 0.04 | 1 | 0.01 | 0 | 0.00 |
| Poles | 20 | 0.48 | - | - | 11 | 0.21 | 9 | 0.17 | - | - | - | - | 18 | 0.11 | 22 | 0.13 | 8 | 0.05 | 6 | 0.05 | 3 | 0.03 |
| Lithuanians | - | - | - | - | 0 | 0.00 | 0 | 0.00 | - | - | 30 | 0.19 | 4 | 0.02 | 4 | 0.02 | 3 | 0.02 | 3 | 0.02 | 0 | 0.00 |
| unknown | 0 | 0.00 | 0 | 0.00 | 1 | 0.02 | 6 | 0.11 | 0 | 0.00 | 0 | 0.00 | 0 | 0.00 | 0 | 0.00 | 44 | 0.30 | 9 | 0.07 | 40 | 0.34 |
| other | 9 | 0.22 | 122 | 2.41 | 13 | 0.24 | 33 | 0.61 | 2096 | 19.6 | 219 | 1.42 | 58 | 0.35 | 55 | 0.31 | 52 | 0.35 | 36 | 0.28 | 43 | 0.36 |
| Total | 4152 | 100 | 5071 | 100 | 5332 | 100 | 5407 | 100 | 10700 | 100 | 15398 | 100 | 16767 | 100 | 17496 | 100 | 14879 | 100 | 12667 | 100 | 11865 | 99.9 |
Religion in Võru (2021)

## Culture

The Võru Folklore Festival is held annually in Võru in July since 1995.
Friedrich Reinhold Kreutzwald, the author of the Estonian national epic "Kalevipoeg", lived in Võru from 1833 to 1877. Fr.R.Kreutzwald Memorial Museum and the Võro Institute are also located in Võru.

## Sports

Võru is home to Võru Stadium, the home ground of II liiga football team Võru JK.

## Transport

European route E263 is the main connection with the rest of Estonia. Other roads connect Võru with Põlva, Räpina, Antsla and Valga. The Valga–Pechory railway, which passes through Võru, is currently inactive. The Võru train station is unused as of 2001.

## Military

Võru is home to Taara Army Base, headquarters of the Kuperjanov Infantry Battalion.

## Twin towns – sister cities

Võru is twinned with:
* Alūksne, Latvia
* Bad Segeberg, Germany
* Chambray-lès-Tours, France
* Härryda, Sweden
* Iisalmi, Finland
* Joniškis, Lithuania
* Kaniv, Ukraine
* Laitila, Finland
* Landskrona, Sweden
* Pechorsky District, Russia
* Smolyan, Bulgaria
* Suwałki, Poland

## Notable people

* Priit Aimla (born 1941) writer, poet, humorist and politician was born in Võru.
* Helmut Ajango (1931–2013), Estonian-American architect, was born in Võru.
* Moses Wolf Goldberg (1905–1964), Estonian-Jewish chemist, lived in Võru as a child.
* Sulev Iva (born 1969), Võro identity advocate, founder of Võro Institute.
* Meelis Kanep (born 1983), Estonian chess grandmaster, was born in Võru.
* Friedrich Reinhold Kreutzwald (1803–1882), Estonian writer and folklorist, the author of Estonian national epic Kalevipoeg, lived in Võru from 1833 to 1877.
* Ain Mäeots (born 1971), Estonian actor and director, was born in Võru.
* Innar Mäesalu (born 1970), Estonian politician
* Marianne Mikko (born 1961), Estonian politician.
* Hilje Murel (born 1975), Estonian actress, was born in Võru.
* Priit Narusk (born 1977), Estonian cross-country skier, was born in Võru.
* Erki Nool (born 1970), Estonian decathlete and politician, was born in Võru.
* Erki Pehk (born 1968), Estonian conductor, was born in Võru.
* Priidu Puusepp (1887–1972), Estonian educator and linguist, was born in Võru.
* Anti Saarepuu (born 1983), Estonian cross-country skier, was born in Võru.
* Leon Sibul (1932–2007), American electrical engineer, was born in Võru.
* Uku Suviste (born 1982), Estonian singer, was born in Võru.
* Kaija Udras (born 1986), Estonian cross-country skier, was born in Võru.
* Debora Vaarandi (1916–2007), Estonian poet, was born in Võru.
* Katrin Välbe (1904–1981), Estonian actress, was born in Võru.
* Kullar Viimne (born 1980), Estonian fillmaker, was born in Võru.

## Gallery

* Fr.R.Kreutzwald street in Võru
* Tartu street near the beach
* Tamula lake in Võru
* MS Estonia memorial on the central square
* Võro Institute
* Võru Gymnasium
* Monument to Friedrich Reinhold Kreutzwald
* Võru county government building
* Old fire station