Mustvee


Mustvee is a town in Estonia. It lies on the west coast of Lake Peipus, and is administratively part of the Mustvee Parish in Jõgeva County. Ethnic Estonians and Russians both make up around half of its current population of approximately 1,600.

Name

Mustvee was attested in historical sources as Mustut in 1493; as folwark Mostfersth alias Czarny, Mosthffer, and wioska Musth alias Czarne in 1599; and as Mustvett in 1601, among other variations. The name literally means 'black water', from must 'black' + vee. It is believed that *Mustvesi 'black water' was probably a parallel name for Lake Peipus. Another possibility is that 'black water' referred to a river rather than the lake. In Estonian toponyms, the final element vesi 'water' is infrequent, but it is found in the names of some Finnish lakes, such as Enonvesi and Toisvesi.

History

The beginning of continuous ethnic Russian settlement in what is now Estonia dates back to the late 17th century when several thousand Eastern Orthodox Old Believers, escaping religious persecution in Russia settled in Mustvee and other safe haven areas then ruled by Kingdom of Sweden on the west coast of Lake Peipus.
Mustvee has held fairs for the past two centuries. Due to its position at the broadest part of the lake, this traditional fishing town is increasingly popular as a tourist centre. The new was opened on 18 December 2014.

Demographics

Climate

Mayors of Mustvee

*OfficeNameNotes
11938–1939Valter KulliMayor, first mayor of Mustvee
21939–1940Mihkel KoppelMayor
31940–1941Nikifor SemjonovChairman of Executive Committee
41941Nazar LizarovChairman of Executive Committee
51941–1944Mihkel OtsMayor
61944–1945Sergei KaimovChairman of Executive Committee
71945–1947Nikolai KussovChairman of Executive Committee
81947–1948Vassili TchernyshevChairman of Executive Committee
271948–1950Hariton BezzubovChairman of Executive Committee
281950–1952Tihon KlimovChairman of Executive Committee
291952–1957Luka UleksinChairman of Executive Committee
301957–1959Ivan StoroskoChairman of Executive Committee
311959–1982Elmar PetersonChairman of Executive Committee
311982–1984Vello MäeseppChairman of Executive Committee
311984–1996Andres RebaneChairman of Executive Committee; Mayor
341996–1997Aare UleksinMayor
341997–2002Pavel KostrominMayor
352002–2007Gennadi KulkovMayor
362007–2009Mati KeppMayor
372009Lembit KivimurdMayor
382009–2010Mati KeppMayor
392010–2011Urmas LaurMayor
402012–2013Pavel KostrominMayor
432013–2017Max KaurMayor, last mayor of Mustvee