Site of the Treaty of Tartu Memorial site
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This building is situated at Vanemuise 35 in the centre of Tartu. It is of great importance in the history of Estonia: it was here that the Tartu Peace Treaty between Estonia and Russia was signed, ending the War of Independence.
The building was constructed in 1859 as the residence of one Baron Nolcken before being purchased by the Russian Ministry of War in the late 19th century. Among other things, the building accommodated the Red Army Latvian Riflemen. Following the declaration of independence it was acquired by the Supreme Court of Estonia, and the Treaty of Tartu was signed there on 2 February 1920. During the German occupation the building housed the local Sicherheitsdienst (Security Service) and Sicherheitspolizei (Security Police). The building was badly damaged during World War II, with only the outer walls and vaulted cellar surviving. After the war it was restored and turned into a vocational school; today an upper secondary school operates there.
The façade is adorned with a memorial tablet dedicated to the Treaty of Tartu in both Estonian and Russian.
Used sources and references:
Eesti sõjaajaloo teejuht, Tallinn 2010. Compiled by K. Luts.
National Heritage Board registry of cultural monuments. https://register.muinas.ee/public.php?menuID=monument&action=view&id=4371
Jaan Poska Gymnasium. https://jpg.tartu.ee/meie-kool/ajalugu/
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10 facts about how the peace of Tartu was born
One of the most striking stories about the birth of the peace of Tartu is how young soldiers were made to march around the city in the winter of 1919/1920. It probably started with the failure of the border negotiations. estap Colonel Viktor Puskar, Commander of the Second Division, ordered the Tartu School Students' Battalion to march around the city in such a way as to repeatedly pass from Aia (now Vanemuise) Street near the conference house as well as Veski Street, where the Russian delegation stopped