Tapa, Estonia

Infobox Settlement
subdivision_type = Country
subdivision_name = EST
subdivision_type1 = County
timezone=EET
utc_offset=+2
timezone_DST=EEST
utc_offset_DST=+3
map_caption = Location of Tapa, Estonia
|official_name=Tapa linn
other_name=Tapa


image_shield=Tapa_coatofarms.pngsubdivision_name1=Lääne-Viru County
area_total_km2=17.36
population_total=6607|population_footnotes=
population_as_of=2004
population_density_km2=380.6
coor=59°16' N 25°57' E
latd=59|latm=16|latNS=N|longd=25|longm=57|longEW=E

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Tapa is a town in Lääne Viru County, Estonia. It is located at the junction of the country's Tallinn-Narva (west-east) and Tallinn-Tartu (north-south) railroad lines, making it an important centre of transit for freight (mainly Russian oil and timber) as well as rail passengers. With the former Tapa air base, and, today, the Tapa Central Training Center (Estonian: "Tapa Väljaõppekeskus") on the edge of town, Tapa continues to be an important centre for training young men and women in the Estonian defence forces.

Tapa owes its existence to the railway. (The three white rectangles on Tapa's flag represent the three branches of the railroad that meet here.) More than 130 years ago, there were only native meadows where Tapa sits today. Forests of fir trees were chopped down during the construction of railroad tracks from Paldiski (in northern Estonia) to St. Petersburg, Russia. The opening ceremony for the Baltic railway was held on October 24, 1870. Construction of the Tapa-Tartu branch began in 1875, and on August 21, 1876, the first train left Tallinn for Tartu, passing through Tapa. From that day on, Tapa grew quickly as a railroad town. From the estate of Tapa manor was purchased land to build a railroad station, which inherited the name Taps. The town got its name from the station.

According to Harri Allandi's "The Armoured Train Regiment's Base in Tapa in Words and Pictures: 1923-1940" ("Tapal Paiknenud Soomusrongirügement Sõnas ja Pildis 1923-1940"), Tapa has been known as a railway and military town throughout its history. On August 1, 1923, an armoured train regiment (Estonian: "soomusrongirügement") was formed with the "Kapten Irv", an armoured train that served in the Estonian Liberation War, and armoured train No. 3. On November 30, 1934, the regiment from Valga (in southern Estonia) was moved to Tapa. The regiment's base, located at Tapa's manor house, was active until January 1941 when the Soviet occupation force dissolved the Estonian defence forces. During its existence, Tapa's armoured train regiment played a considerable role in the town's life and contributed to the town's development.

On August 14, 1941, German troops took Tapa. According to Allandi's "Armoured Train Regiment's Base", during the German occupation, German military things were housed where the armoured train regiment once was. During the years of Soviet power, there was an engineering-technical training center on the site. After the Soviet troops departed, Tapa was left with a poorly-built military district. Eventually, life as a military town with the Estonian defence forces resumed. Since January 1, 2002, following changes in the structure of Estonian defence units, Tapa has been the home of one troop composed of the training center, an artillery group, a pioneer battalion, and an anti-aircraft division.

Today, on the north wall of Tapa's train station, there is a bronze plaque, originally dedicated on January 9, 1934 and re-dedicated on February 20, 1993, that commemorates the Estonian War of Independence. On the plaque is the symbol of Tapa's armoured train regiment. Called "Flying Death on the Railway", the symbol is a skeleton's skull with a pair of angel wings and wagon train wheels behind it.

Harri Allandi is the founder and curator of the Tapa Museum, which was opened on June 10, 2004. The museum, in a 1934, two-storey house at 1 Mai Street, collects and exhibits objects, including photos and documents, related to the history and culture of Tapa. All of the objects in the museum reflect the soul of Tapa's citizens. The permanent collection presents Tapa as a railway, military, "and sausage" town. Temporary exhibits celebrate notable days in the city's history and share the hobbies and exhibits of its residents.

In October 2005, the municipalities of Lehtse, Saksi, and Jäneda merged with Tapa to form Tapa Commune.

Trivia

* In the Estonian language, "Tapa" is also the imperative of "kill". This has led to an urban legend stating that during Soviet times the town had a newspaper called "Tapa Kommunist", which could mean either "Communist of Tapa", or "kill the communist". Later the name was changed to "Tapa Edasi", which could mean either "Tapa Forward", or "Keep killing".
* Tapa's sister city is Cumberland, Maryland, United States. [http://www.ci.cumberland.md.us/citygovt/minutes/min2000-list/2000minutes/2000minutes_27.html]

External links

* [http://www.tapa.ee Official site of Tapa Commune]
* [http://www.tapa.ee/muuseum Tapa Museum]
* [http://www.tapa.ee/muusikakool Tapa Music School]