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History of Polva


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The first mention of Põlva as a settlement dates from 1452, in the 13th century. The name originates from the Estonian word for knee (põlv), although its origin is not entirely clear. Legend has it that a girl was immured in a kneeling position in St. Mary's Church to keep the devil away. This is reputedly how the town was named.

Põlva was an old military crossroad between the north and south of Livonia. Around 1240, shortly after the Christianization of Estonia, the Bernardine monks built a church order, which they dedicated to the Virgin Mary. The village church was subordinate to the Bishopric of Dorpat. The same parish was the result of the Livonian war under Russian domination in the 16th Century. In 1582 it became part of the southern Estonia under Polish sovereignty, and later it belonged to Sweden. In 1721, in the Treaty of Nystad, Estonia and Livonia were then ceded to Russia.

Only with the political independence of Estonia in 1918 Põlva gained national importance. The town grew larger around the artificial lake Põlva, whose sandy shores are crowded with vacationers during summertime. The town was developed around St. Mary's Church, which lay in ruins for a long time until it was rebuilt after the Northern War. In 1931 the railway from Tartu–Põlva to St. Petersburg was completed. On 10 August 1993 Põlva awarded its town charter. Partner city is the Swedish Vårgårda in Västergötland
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