100 stories from the hiking route

1938 – Massiaru schoolhouse is built

Information

Topic

Village life and society work

Coordinates

Long-Lat WGS 84

Latitude: 57.9979833

Longitude: 24.587056

L-EST 97

x: 6428662.3
y: 534715.8

Location

Ikla-Aegviidu Hiking route

Architect Joonas Kinnunen drew up the first project for the Massiaru schoolhouse, which was planned as a wooden building, in 1933. The Laiksaare Rural Municipality decided to add a community centre to the schoolhouse in 1935 and the project was sent to be revised by architect Märt Merivälja. Merivälja recommended that the building be built in stone and came up with a new project in 1936.
“May this building here on the border of our country act as a fortress in the battle against intellectual stagnation and as a statement for our neighbouring Latvians, who often visit us and brag about their grand constructions, that we too have buildings and that they are better than theirs,” said Nikolai Talts, the Minister of Rural Affairs, native to Massiaru, at the laying of the schoolhouse’s cornerstone in 1937. The schoolhouse was finished in the autumn of 1938.
Two schools operated in the building at the same time from 1973: the Massiaru Primary School and the specialised Massiaru Boarding School. The school was closed down in 1976 and reopened again in 1983. The school was once again closed down in 2014 due to the lack of students. The Olympic winner Jaan Talts studied at the Massiaru School. Jaan Talts won a silver medal in Mexico in 1968 and a gold medal in Munich in 1972. Talts set 41 world records during 1967–1972. He was the first light heavyweight (up to 90 kg) who lifted above 500 kg at an eventing.