Welcome to Karula!

Below is a summary in English of what to see and visit in Karula rural area.

LÜLLEMÄE COMMUNITY CENTRE

The mid-1980s marked the building of the Karula sovkhoz centre. On the ground floor, there were hairdresser’s and laundry services. Some space was designed for a wrestling hall and airgun shooting gallery but they were never finished. On the 1st floor, there was the sovkhoz canteen and a grocery store and on the second floor, a small hostel.

After Estonia regained its independence, Karula rural municipality government moved into the hostel rooms whereas „Kuke” grocery store and bar moved into the canteen rooms. The shop operates to this day although it has changed owners three times since.

In 2017-2018, the community centre building underwent major renovation. Today, the building hosts the following list of companies and organisations.

Lüllemäe Library

Every community centre used to have a library. Libraries were small and could be housed in a single room. Lüllemäe Library moved into a two-bedroom flat in 1996. Since spring 2018, the library operates on the first floor of Lüllemäe Community Centre. At the library, visitors can use The Guide’s information screen. The library keeps Jaan Lattik’s memory alive, introducing his life and work to those interested.

Librarian: Triinu Rätsepp

Tel: +372 769 7292

E-mail: lullemae@valgark.ee

Website: http://www.lyllemaerk.ee

Karula Open Youth Centre

Youth Worker: Siret Kõrge

Tel: 5569 9888

E-mail siret.korge@gmail.com

Valga rural municipality, Karula service centre

Tel: 767 9054, 5887 1391

Office hours: Fri 9 am – 2 pm

Social work specialist Õnneke Hermaste, tel. 7679055, 5309 0670

E-mail: onneke.hermaste@valga.ee

Office hours: Mon-Tue 9-11 am, 1-3 pm, Fri 9-11 am

Maintenance specialist Margus Viks, tel. 5388 3601

E-mail: margus.viks@valga.ee

Office hours: Tue 9-12 am, Wed 4-6 pm

MTÜ Karula Muinsuskaitse Selts (NGO Karula Heritage Society)

Karula Heritage Society was founded on 10 June 1989. It unites people interested in history and endeavors to preserve local culture, folk memory and history. It also teaches people about heritage, helps maintain and preserve historical sites and monuments, collects and preserves spoken folklore and memories and issues heritage publications. The Society organises conventions, exhibitions, heritage days, commemorations and other heritage-related events.

Contact person Vaike-Hele Puudersell, tel: 521 6386, e-mail: vaike.puudersell@mail.ee

Office hours Fri 10 am – 3 pm

Lüllemäe shop

Open daily 10 am – 5.15 pm

MTÜ Karula-Lüllemäe Tervise- ja Spordikeskus (NGO Karula-Lüllemäe Health and Sports Centre)

Climbing wall and shooting range on the ground floor of the community centre.

Manager Valev Sisov, tel. 526 9020, e-mail: valev@karulatsk.ee

Website: www.karulatsk.ee

MONUMENT TO THE ESTONIAN WAR OF INDEPENDENCE

The granite monument was erected by Karula municipality upon suggestion by the Estonian Defense League to commemorate the heroes who died in the Estonian War of Independence. The monument was inaugurated on Victory Day, 23 June 1936. Festive annual gatherings followed on Independence Day and Victory Day. On 19 June 1941, the monument was taken apart by the Communists. On 12 July 1942, the monument was restored and reinaugurated. As the Communists returned, they once again destroyed it on 10 Dec 1944 and replaced it with a bus stop and an outdoor public toilet that remained there until the end of the Soviet period. The monument was restored in its original location on the initiative of the Karula Heritage Society in 1992 and opened on Victory Day.

KARULA WOMEN’S SOCIETY BUILDING

The house was given to Karula municipality between the two wars by Ülo Kompus, son of Jaan Kompus, the heart and soul of culture in Karula. The one condition was to use the building for promoting social life in Karula. The municipality gave the house in turn to Karula Women’s Society. Jaan Kompus was partner and trainee in the Lüllemäe apothecary, later merchant and house owner. He led an active part in Karula social life, especially improving the local performing arts. Aside from acting, he was the founder of people’s education society „Ärka” (Awaken), committee chairman of the monument for the Estonian War of Independence, and board member of Karula Parish Organisations Union. His work ended as Estonia was occupied by the Soviet Union in 1940. Jaan Kompus escaped to Munich, Germany where he remained until his death.

MTÜ Karula Naisselts (NGO Karula Women’s Society)

Karula Women’s Society was founded in 1928 to continue the work of Karula Housewives’ Society (founded in 1928). The activities include improving the society members’ crafts and home economy skills as well as offering possibilities to fill their leisure time. Homemade crafts have been displayed and sold in various exhibitions, fairs and expositions. Lately, the work has focused on weaving rugs, linen and woollen items on looms. Reviving the national craft traditions also includes making national costumes.

Contact person: Eha Kotov, tel: 5344 6407, e-mail: eha.kotov@gmail.com;

Õnneke Hermaste, tel. 5309 0670

KARULA NURSING HOME

The house was built by Gerhard Anderson who worked as a doctor in Karula in 1928-1940. Prior to that, the doctor’s office was in the same house as the apothecary. During the Soviet regime, the building housed various medical institutions. In 1996, Karula Nursing Home was opened in the doctor’s office. Twenty-four-hour general care service is offered to people who need help coping with daily life.

Manager: Sirje Tann, tel: 53 090 755, e-mail: sirje.tann@valga.ee

LÜLLEMÄE CULTURE CENTRE

In 1927, community centre hall was opened in the renovated tavern. Above all, that enabled the local acting community to practice all year round. Today, the culture centre boasts a much wider range of activities.

Director: Ene Kaas

Open: Mon-Fri 8 am – 4 pm (plus events)

Tel. 5330 1511, e-mail enekaas@gmail.com

Website: https://www.facebook.com/karula.kultuur

The building also houses MTÜ Lüllemäe Rahvaõpistu (NGO Lüllemäe Centre of Popular Education)

Lüllemäe Centre of Popular Education offers informal education courses for adults. It has been active since 1995.

Contact person: Ene Kaas tel. 5330 1511; e-mail: enekaas@gmail.com

Lüllemäe küla, Karula vald, 68116 Valgamaa, tel: 769 7245, 520 5072; e-mail: opistu@gmail.com;

Website: www.opistu.net.ee

KARULA NEW CEMETERY

In 1775, Catherine II banned burials next to churches and ordered new cemeteries to be built outside villages. In 1904, Lüllemäe new cemetery on the village’s steep northern slope was inaugurated and burials started.

Cemetery guard: Lembit Kuntus, tel 53053855

FORMER LÜLLEMÄE SCHOOL HOSTEL

MTÜ Karula-Lüllemäe Tervise- ja Spordikeskus (NGO Karula-Lüllemäe Health and Sports Centre)

The aim of Karula-Lüllemäe Health and Sports Centre is to promote healthy lifestyle and enable practicing recreational sport. Indoors facilities include accommodation, gym, conference room and winter sports equipment rental. Outdoors facilities include ski slope, snowtubing track, cross-country skiing and running tracks.

Manager Valev Sisov, tel. 526 9020, e-mail: valev@karulatsk.ee

Web page: www.karulatsk.ee

Lüllemäe Basic School Kindergarten

Headmistress: Jana Tiits, tel: 530 83117

E-mail: jana.tiits@karula.edu.ee

Web page: http://www.karula.edu.ee/

Lüllemäe Basic School canteen

Chef: Alesja Arikainen

Tel: 767 9046

LÜLLEMÄE BASIC SCHOOL

There is an engraved stone on the grounds of Lüllemäe school, stating “A. 1687 hariduselu algus Karulas” (Year 1687 Beginning of Education in Karula). A Forselius school was opened here with five students. Literacy got a strong headstart in Karula after the Livonian General Governor issued a school order on 18 Apr 1765, stating that every manor was to open a village school. Nowadays, Lüllemäe Basic School continues to provide education as the descendant of several small schools of the Karula area (Kaagjärve, Jakobi, Pikkjärve (Vissi), Tüüra, Peetri, Madsa et al).

Today’s Lüllemäe Basic School is a small innovative school that offers excellent contemporary education. The school has a wide range of extracurricular classes and values individual growth, healthy lifestyle and regional heritage. Along with its Kindergarten groups, Lüllemäe Basic School strives to preserve the region’s sustainability.

Headmistress: Jana Tiits, tel: 53 083 117, e-mail: jana.tiits@karula.edu.ee

School telephone: 76 79045

E-mail: kool@karula.edu.ee

Website: http://www.karula.edu.ee/

NATIONAL GEOGRAPHIC YELLOW FRAME

The yellow frames were installed in the most beautiful places of South-East Estonia and are a very likeable tourist attractions where people like doing photos besides beautiful views opening through the yellow square.

The frame in Lüllemäe is close to the start of running and skiing tracks of NGO Karula-Lüllemäe Health and Sports Centre, more info at www.karulatsk.ee, as well as Orienteering Club Juku-Peedu permanent tracks, more info at www.jukupeedu.ee

KARULA MAARJA CHURCH RUINS

The story behind Karula old church

According to sources, the church existed as early as 1318 AD. In the course of history, the church has suffered a lot during wars. Jaan Lattik, the writer, politician and pastor from Karula has written about this period, “Armies have passed through Karula numerous times. On their way from Pskov, the Russians always directed their ways and war horns towards Karula. That is the most straightforward route to Valga. There is no denying that all of these enemies not only left the dust from their feet on our ground but brought us also destruction, ruins and blood… Burning the church was the smallest matter. One of the bloody battles of the Great Northern War was also fought next to the church of Karula…”

(“Tell Me a Story”, 1946)

In 1944, the church was burnt to the ground and is still in ruins.

Karula new church

After World War II, schoolmaster Aksel Kripsaar proposed rebuilding the church but the plans did not come true. In 1949, a smaller church bell was procured. It is now located in the tower of the new church. During the difficult postwar years between 1945 and 1948, the congregation was served by Robert Kannukene and Jaan Maior who were succeeded by Jaan Audova and Artur Raibakas.

In 1992, Enno Tanilas started restoring the church and congregation. During the first five years, services had to be held in Lüllemäe Culture Centre but soon, the idea of building a new church emerged. Considering the actual circumstances, renovating the historical Maarja church was not an option. However, the church manor’s former granary, later used as a barn, seemed suitable. As a result of two years of hard work, archbishop Jaan Kiivit was able to inaugurate the new Karula church on 10 May 1997.

Pastor: Enno Tanilas, tel: 529 6516, e-mail: enno.tanilas@eelk.ee

Congregation e-mail: lullemae@gmail.com

Website: www.eelk.ee/karula

Jaan Lattik’s Memorial Bench

On 23 June 2018, memorial bench to Jaan Lattik was opened in the courtyard of Karula church to celebrate his 140th anniversary.

LÜLLEMÄE BUS STATION

More info on bus traffic can be found at www.peatus.ee

Lüllemäe pood