Happy TravellerWelcome to Kohtla-Järve, a city located in northeastern Estonia. Founded in 1924, Kohtla-Järve was incorporated as a town in 1946. This highly industrial city is known for its oil shale processing and petrochemical production. During the Soviet occupation from 1944 to 1991, the city saw a large influx of immigrant workers from Russia and other parts of the former USSR, resulting in a shift from a population that was predominantly ethnic Estonian to one that is now overwhelmingly non-Estonian. Despite its industrial nature, Kohtla-Järve has a unique layout, with its territory made up of several discontiguous parts, the two main ones being Järve (Kohtla-Järve proper) and Ahtme. Both parts have populations of around 20,000 and are located about 10 km apart. Several other settlements in the northeastern Ida-Viru county, connected to oil shale mining, are administered as districts of Kohtla-Järve.
The history of Kohtla-Järve is closely tied to the extraction of oil shale, the main mineral of Estonia. Settlements on the territory of modern Kohtla-Järve have existed since the High Middle Ages, and Järve and Kukruse villages were first mentioned in the Danish Land Book in 1241. Mining of oil shale in the area started in 1916 and the Estonian State Oil Shale Industrial Corporation was formed in 1919. The nearby settlement of Kohtla-Järve began to grow with the building of an oil shale processing factory in 1924. During World War II, the value of the Estonian oil shale deposit grew and after the war, the Soviet Union required constantly increasing quantities of oil shale for its industries, resulting in a significant expansion of extraction.
Kohtla-Järve is known for its chemical industry and is the headquarters of Viru Keemia Grupp, an Estonian holding group of oil shale industry, power generation, and public utility companies. Eastman Chemical Company also has a manufacturing site located in Kohtla-Järve. The Ukrainian DF Group has owned a fertilizer plant in Kohtla-Järve since 2006.
Despite its industrial nature, Kohtla-Järve has some interesting sights to offer visitors. The city is home to the Kohtla-Järve Museum, which showcases the history of oil shale mining in the area. The Kohtla-Järve Mining Park offers visitors the opportunity to see the former mining sites and learn about the mining process. For outdoor enthusiasts, the Kohtla-Järve Järveküla Disc Golf Park offers a fun and challenging course to play. The city also has several parks and green spaces to explore.
Kohtla-Järve is the fifth-largest city in Estonia in terms of population and is well-connected by road and rail to other parts of the country. If you’re looking for a unique destination that offers an insight into Estonia’s industrial heritage, then Kohtla-Järve should definitely be on your list of places to visit!
