The city of Paldiski (Estonia) is located 49 km west of Tallinn and 80 km by sea from Finland. The port was founded by Peter I in the distant XVIII century. Since then, many attractions have remained, but the most important is the Peter Fortress. Now in the village a little more than 4000 people live, which is half as much as 20 years ago. This is due to the departure of Soviet troops and the closure of the naval base.
Description
Paldiski in Estonia is known as the country's largest port closest to Western and Northern Europe, which is actively used by sea carriers. It is located on the Parks peninsula, protruding into the Baltic Sea for 10 km. The city’s sphere of influence also includes two large islands, Suur and Vayake, as well as smaller islets. Previously, they were called Rooge, or Rågöarna, which is translated from Swedish as "islands where rye is cultivated." Therefore, until 1762, the bay was called Rogervik.
Since 1762, the settlement became known as the Baltic Port, and it was subordinate to the administration of the Estland province. The coat of arms of the city of Paldiski (Estonia) was approved on October 4, 1788 by decree No. 16716. It consisted of two forts at sea, the imperial standard was placed on the right of them. 12/01/1994 the coat of arms was modified: instead of the imperial standard, a lighthouse stylized as a fortress appeared. The flag consists of five horizontal stripes of blue and white.
The characteristics of the terrain are very convenient for placing the port, which was first evaluated by the Swedes, and after Peter I. At the mouth of the bay, the depth of the sea is 45 meters, in the bay itself - up to 20 meters, the coastline is about 13 kilometers.
Early story
Convenient geographical position, transport accessibility, short ice season attracted fishermen to the harbor. The first settlements of the Finnish nationality - Estonians - on the territory of Paldiski (Estonia) were founded in the X-XII centuries. At first, people built houses away from the sea, where pirates, Vikings and Vikings dominated - on the fortified hills of the peninsula.
At the end of the XIII century, the Swedes began to settle in the area, and navigation and fishing developed. To protect the convenient bay, a small fort was built, and a dam was laid in shallow water towards the island of Vayake Parka. Local residents began to settle at the edge of the sea, as a result a regular settlement appeared.
Peter Fortress
At the end of the 16th century, Peter the Great got the idea to “open a window to Europe,” that is, get access to the sea. As a result, a series of wars broke out with the Turks over the Sea of Azov, and with the Swedes over the Gulf of Finland.
By 1714, the Russian Empire controlled already significant territories of Estonia and Ingermanland. The king persistently sought the most convenient place for the construction of the port. 07/23/1715 he personally visited the Bay of Rogervik and proclaimed: "I command the military ships to build here!" On July 20, 1718, the fortress and pier were solemnly commissioned. This date is considered the founding date of Paldiski. Estonia could become Russia's main outpost in the Baltic, however, for several reasons, Peter I decided to build a “gateway to Europe” - St. Petersburg - in a more protected mouth of the Neva.
Further development
On August 20, 1762, by decree of Catherine II, the harbor was renamed the Baltic. In 1770, a church school was opened, and in 1783 the settlement received the status of a city. At the beginning of the nineteenth century, the Baltic port was the center of the county, where the main activities were fishing, ship repair and maintenance. The settlement served as a place of exile for Pugachev’s associates. In particular, Salavat Yulaev, the national hero of Bashkortostan, spent 20 years here.
With the construction of the Baltic Railway in 1870, the city began to transform. Paldiski in Estonia has become one of the most important military trade ports. In particular, the battleships of the Baltic Fleet Naval Corps were stationed here. In 1876, the Paldiski Maritime School, which operated until 1915, was opened for the training of sailors. By the way, her graduate is the first Admiral of Estonia Johan Pitka.
Restless XX century
By the beginning of the 20th century, a third of the city’s population was still employed in agriculture, the second third worked in the port. However, a new direction gradually developed - tourism. In summer, Paldiski (Baltic) turned into a resort, where Tallinn residents liked to relax. By the way, here in 1912 a meeting was held between the last two Russian and German monarchs - Nicholas II and William II.
The First World War radically changed the balance of power in the Baltic states. During the hostilities in Estonia, the Baltic Fleet shunting base with a small garrison was located at the port of Paldiski. The city was subjected to shelling by the 10th German flotilla. In the winter of 1918, German troops occupied the territory. At the same time, the First Republic was formed. Estonia gained independence by repelling all the attacks of the revolutionary army of Petrograd, which sought to regain control of the region.
Soviet period
In the fall of 1939, the USSR concluded an agreement with the Estonian government to rent a naval base in Paldiski. On the eve of the war, the Red Army entered the Baltic states; coastal batteries were deployed on the peninsula. On 28/08/1941, the city was captured by the Germans, and released on 09/24/1944 during a naval landing operation.
The post-war period has become a time of intense growth. Infrastructure facilities, medical facilities, housing were built, and a military base was expanded. A sewage system, central water supply. Most of the population was represented by servicemen and their families, therefore army traditions were strong here. The celebration of May 9 in Estonia in Paldiski, as well as the day of the liberation of the city, took place in a particularly solemn atmosphere.
In 1962, the 93rd training center for nuclear submarine submariners with two operating reactors was built in the village - the largest of its kind. About 16,000 people served there.
After the Republic of Estonia gained independence, the Navy base was closed. The fleet left the water area on 08/30/1994, nuclear reactors were dismantled a year later, and a concrete sarcophagus was installed above their location. Most of the servicemen left for Russia under a resettlement program with housing.
sights
If you look at the photo of Paldiski in Estonia, you can see that it is a small town surrounded on three sides by the sea. Only the work of the port revives its measured life. Since the days of the USSR, interesting military installations have remained here, among which:
- former Pentagon training center;
- mothballed military town in the village of Klooga;
- sarcophagi over former nuclear reactors;
- a monument to the crew of the submarine "Revenge";
- lighthouse.
Among other attractions:
- Peter Fortress;
- Petrovsky Customs;
- bust to Salavat Yulaev;
- Orthodox and Lutheran churches;
- wooden railway station;
- Vorontsov estate;
- Adamson Museum Studio.
Among modern facilities, a sports center with a pool, a library, a hobby center, an ostrich farm stand out. Ecotourism, water sports are developed, tours are carried out on the Pakri landscape reserve.