Põlva Proclaimed a Town: The Story of the Long Table Feast
When speaking about Põlva’s birthday as a town, we should in fact remember two dates. On a Saturday in spring, the people of Põlva proclaimed their home town a town themselves; that summer, the Estonian state officially confirmed the decision.
In the spring of 1993, Põlva was still officially classified as a small borough, although locals had long regarded it as a proper town. It had schools, a hospital, a cultural centre, businesses and everything else expected of a county seat. Põlva had applied for town status, but the national decision kept being delayed. After nearly a year of waiting, the local council finally decided to act.
During Põlva Days, on 28 May 1993, the borough council made the bold decision to proclaim Põlva a town. The following morning, residents were invited to gather outside the cultural centre. At 11:06 a.m. on Saturday, 29 May, borough mayor Sirje Rooden stepped onto the cultural centre’s main staircase and announced: Põlva is a town.
This was not merely a fine phrase intended for a day of celebration. In the eyes of the state, the local council could not yet officially grant Põlva town status. It was, however, a clear message that the people of Põlva were no longer willing to wait indefinitely. If Põlva was already a town in the eyes of its residents and in terms of everyday life, then it was time to say so out loud.
Sirje Rooden’s courage lay precisely in her willingness to take responsibility and publicly express what local people already felt. She did not wait for someone farther away to recognise that Põlva was ready. Instead, she stepped onto the stairs and gave voice to her home town’s aspirations.
At the same time, Rooden announced that she was resigning as borough mayor—if Põlva was now a town, its leader could no longer be a borough mayor. It was a symbolic but characteristically Põlva-like act: once something has been decided, one must act accordingly.
News of Põlva’s independent step spread throughout Estonia and attracted considerable attention. Official confirmation arrived 73 days later. On 10 August 1993, the Riigikogu officially designated the borough of Põlva a town. This date became Põlva’s official birthday as a town, and Sirje Rooden became its first mayor.
Thus, the story of Põlva becoming a town has two equally important moments. The 29th of May commemorates the courage and initiative of local people, while the 10th of August marks the day on which Põlva also became a town in the eyes of the law.
Over the years, the long-table celebration has become the most homely of Põlva’s birthday traditions. The idea is simple: people come together, bring their own picnic baskets, sit down at one long table and celebrate the town’s birthday together.
The celebration has been held both on Kesk Street and in Intsikurmu. Long-time residents of Põlva sit side by side with people who have moved away, new residents and visitors. Old acquaintances meet, conversations are shared, people offer one another the food they have brought, and local singers and musicians perform. The festivities have included a birthday kringle, brass-band music, dancing, activities for children and, in some years, a shared bowl of soup at the end of the evening.
The long-table celebration suits Põlva well. It is not an elaborate reception for a select group of guests but a shared birthday celebration for the whole town. Everyone is welcome to come, take a seat at the table and feel that they, too, belong to this story.
In this sense, the long-table celebration carries forward the same spirit that prevailed outside the cultural centre in the spring of 1993. Even then, the people did not wait for someone else to come and give meaning to Põlva. It was the residents themselves who made their town important.
Sirje Rooden’s bold proclamation on the steps of the cultural centre and the long table set out each August are really expressions of the same idea: the town of Põlva is not merely its buildings, streets or the status recorded in official documents. Põlva is its people—those who live here, care about their home town and, when necessary, are prepared to stand up for it.
We can therefore say that Põlva was born as a town twice: first through the will of its people and then through a decision of the Riigikogu. Whenever we gather around the shared table for its birthday, we celebrate both—the courage of Sirje Rooden and the council of that time, and the sense of community that makes Põlva our home town.
Photos: Taavi Nagel
