Sillamäe is a city in Estonia, one of the main industrial centers in Ida-Viru County. Sillamäe is located in northeastern Estonia, in Ida-Virumaa County, on the shores of the Gulf of Finland, at the confluence of the Sytke River, not far from the Estonian-Russian border. The distance from Sillamäe to Tallinn is 186 km, to Narva - 25 km, to St. Petersburg - 170 km. The Tallinn - Narva - St. Petersburg highway passes through the city.
The first mention of Sillamäe as a settlement where
the Tor Bryggen tavern was located dates back to 1502. In 1700 a
mill and a good bridge over the river were built here. After joining
Russia, the settlement belonged to the Vesenberg district of the
Estland province. For some time, the lands of the present city
belonged to the possession of Vaivara Manor, from which the Sillamäe
half-mine subsequently emerged. It became a completely separate farm
in 1849.
Since the end of the 19th century, Sillamäe and
nearby Tursamäe have become resort villages popular with the
Petersburg intelligentsia. In 1869, the Russian composer Pyotr
Tchaikovsky rested here. In 1891, the scientist-physiologist Ivan
Pavlov came here to rest and went here to rest every summer for 25
years.
In 1898, the Orthodox Church of the Kazan Icon of the
Mother of God was built in Sillamäe (destroyed in 1944, restored in
1990).
But industrial life also invaded the resort lands. In
1928, the Estonian Oil Consortium built an oil shale processing
plant, a power plant and a small port here with the help of Swedish
capital. In 1940, there were 2,600 inhabitants in Sillamäe.
During the Second World War, the plant was destroyed. In 1946, it
was decided to establish a large metallurgical plant here for the
processing of shale ores in order to obtain uranium oxides. Viktor
Russkikh was the chairman of the village council at that time.
Initially, the company used local shale ore. Since the 60s, uranium
concentrates from Eastern Europe have become the main raw materials.
In 1957, Sillamäe received city status. During the Soviet era, a
huge number of families from other republics moved to the city. From
1947 to 1991, Sillamäe remained closed (Narva-10, Leningrad-1).
After the termination of uranium ore processing in 1990, the plant
completely switched to the production of rare earth products.
Sillamae is located in northeastern Estonia, on the shore of the Gulf
of Finland, at the confluence of the Sytke River, near the
Estonian-Russian border. Pyaite Nature Park stretches from the west
along the coast to Sillamae, in the south the city borders the protected
area of Langevoy Waterfall.
The distance from Sillamae to Tallinn
is 186 km, to Narva — 25 km, to St. Petersburg — 170 km. The
Tallinn—Narva — Saint Petersburg highway passes through the city.
Coat of arms of Sillamae: on a blue background, a golden stepped
structure resembling a rafter. The "rafters" connecting the edges of the
coat of arms symbolize both the bridge and the mountain, thereby
indicating the name of the city (sild — "bridge", mägi — "mountain").
The stepped shape of the "rafters" indicates one of the features of the
city — stepped streets and stair ensembles. The colors of the coat of
arms symbolize the sea, the sandy shore, and golden sunsets.
The
flag is an image of the coat of arms and has a width-to-length ratio of
7:11, the normal size is 105 x 165 cm.
The motto of Sillamae is
"the city of fresh sea winds" (est. värskete meretuulte linn). The motto
reflects:
the location of the city is on the seashore;
climate
features — mostly windy weather;
the fact that, in connection with
the construction of the port of Sillamae, it has turned from a closed
one into a sea city open to the whole world and ready for cooperation;
the word "fresh" — an antonym for the words "stagnant, musty, decrepit"
— means readiness for change and renewal.
Sillamäe Gümnaasium (former School No. 4 and former Astangu School)
Sillamäe Vanalinna kool (Sillamäe Vanalinna School, former school No. 3)
Sillamäe Muusikakool (Music School)
Sillamäe Kannuka kool (Sillamäe
Kannuka Basic School)
Sillamäe Eesti Põhikool (Sillamäe Estonian
Basic School)
Sillamäe branch of the Ida-Virumaa Vocational Education
Center
From 1993 to 2013, the Institute of Economics and Management
(Ecomen) worked in Sillamae.
As of the beginning of 2021, there
were 4 kindergartens in the city (the Ladushki kindergarten was closed
in 2001).
The economic development of this region began at the end of the XIX
century, when Sillamae became a resort village. At the beginning of the
20th century, a factory was built here, and later a uranium ore
processing plant. This plant has become a city-forming enterprise. In
1991, Silmet was redesigned for the production of rare earth metals. In
2011, the plant was acquired by the American corporation Molycorp.
Today, industry is the most important factor in the development of the
city.
The main industrial enterprises:
NPM Silmet OY —
production of basic inorganic chemicals (420 employees as of
12/31/2020);
Ökosil AS — management of the environmental protection
project for the rehabilitation of the radioactive waste storage of
Sillamae; provision of services related to environmental management and
monitoring (23 employees as of 12/31/2020);
Silpower AS — Sillam
Thermal Power Plant (136 employees as of 12/31/2020);
Polyform AS —
manufacture of plastic products (liquidated on 19.10.2011);
Altt AS —
concrete plant (liquidated on 08/07/2014);
Ecometal AS — recycling of
used lead-acid batteries (56 employees as of 12/31/2020);
Sillamäe-Veevärk AS — water collection and treatment, water supply (44
employees as of 12/31/2020);
Sillamäe Ölletehas OY is a Sillamäe beer
factory.
Since the early 2000s, the role of the port of Sillamae in
the economy of not only the city, but also the region has increased. The
port of Sillamae is the closest port of the European Union to the
Russian border, and in 2012 it was one of the five largest ports in the
Baltic States. The number of port employees as of 12/31/2020 was 147
people.
Sillamae's major employer is the city council: the number
of its staff as of 12/31/2020 was 94 people.