Send Gift Baskets to Kohtla Jarve, Estonia

Estonia’s history as a country is also inextricably connected to the history of oil shale extraction. Oil shale has been mined in Estonia since 1879 and the country continues to be one of the world’s largest companies mining this valuable resource.

There is evidence that several settlements existed on the territory of present-day Kohtla-Järve since the High Middle Ages. In the Danish Land Book, Järve and Kukruse villages were first mentioned in 1241 by the names Jeruius and Kukarus respectively, and Sompa village was first mentioned in 1420 by an unknown (as of yet) name. It’s German name was Kochtel-Türpsal.

In ancient times, locals knew oil shale was flammable, but not until the 20th century did Estonia begin to benefit from it. In 1916, research showed that oil shale could be used to fuel and feed the chemical industry. Oil shale mining started near Järve village in 1919 and the State Oil Shale Industrial Corporation was formed in 1919. Settlements for workers began to open near the oil shale processing factory. It was built in 1924 and was then named “Kohtla-Järve” and is now a thriving metropolis.

The value of the Estonian oil shale deposit grew during the years of World War II. Germans who occupied Estonia considered it to be an important source of fuel. However, they failed to start extracting it completely until 1953.

After the war, the Soviet Union came to occupy Estonia and required oil shale for its industries. Because of these increased demands, Kohtla-Järve was designated as a city. During the next 20 years, Kohtla-Järve took administrative control of neighboring settlements that existed before 1947. Jõhvi and Ahtme were added in 1949; Sompa in 1960. Kiviõli and towns of Oru, Püssi and Viivikonna were subordinated to city of Kohtla-Järve in 1964. This allowed the city to grow with a unique layout as it remains scattered throughout its parts among woods, agricultural areas, and lots of water. The city’s population increased mainly due to workers from different parts of the Soviet Union being sent there. It reached 90,000 people in 1980 and included the subordinate settlements.

After the Soviet Union broke up and Estonia regained independence in 1991, Kiviõli, Jõhvi, and Püssi were all made into separate towns. The volume of oil shale extraction and processing decreased dramatically during the 1990s, and many Kohtla-Järve citizens moved to Tallinn or Russia. Due to high unemployment in Ida-Viru County, they left their town in search of a better life.