Jõhvi

Jõhvi is a town in northeastern Estonia. It serves as the administrative center for both Ida-Viru County and Jõhvi Parish. The town is situated approximately 50 km west of the Estonia–Russia international border. While Jõhvi is a notable town, there is also a smaller village named Jõhvi in the same parish.

History

Jõhvi was first mentioned as a village in 1241 when it was ruled by Denmark. Back then, it was known by names like Gewi and Jewe. In the 13th century, a church was built there, and Jõhvi became an important place for the local church community.

Later, on May 1, 1938, Estonia officially made Jõhvi an independent town. During the time when the Soviet Union controlled the area from 1944 to 1991, Jõhvi was part of the larger city of Kohtla-Järve. In 2005, Jõhvi joined back with the Jõhvi parish.

Demographics

During the time when Estonia was occupied by the Soviet Union, many workers came from other parts of the Soviet Union to help grow the nearby city of Kohtla-Järve, including the area of Jõhvi. Because of this, Estonians became a smaller part of the local population.

Ethnic composition 1922-1959, 2000-2021
Ethnicity	1922		1934		1941		1959		2000		2011		2021
Ethnicity	amount	%	amount	%	amount	%	amount	%	amount	%	amount	%	amount	%
Estonians	1472	90.9	1874	91.7	1822	89.8	3838	36.5	4022	33.2	3718	34.5	3635	34.7
Russians	106	6.54	124	6.07	85	4.19	-	-	6482	53.5	6004	55.7	5797	55.3
Ukrainians	-	-	1	0.05	-	-	-	-	395	3.26	289	2.68	285	2.72
Belarusians	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	543	4.48	344	3.19	279	2.66
Finns	-	-	2	0.10	104	5.13	-	-	240	1.98	135	1.25	118	1.13
Jews	4	0.25	8	0.39	0	0.00	-	-	23	0.19	17	0.16	13	0.12
Latvians	-	-	4	0.20	4	0.20	-	-	39	0.32	21	0.19	32	0.31
Germans	15	0.93	14	0.69	-	-	-	-	34	0.28	16	0.15	24	0.23
Tatars	-	-	8	0.39	-	-	-	-	29	0.24	30	0.28	34	0.32
Poles	-	-	2	0.10	0	0.00	-	-	51	0.42	33	0.31	32	0.31
Lithuanians	-	-	0	0.00	1	0.05	-	-	39	0.32	27	0.25	28	0.27
unknown	1	0.06	2	0.10	3	0.15	0	0.00	122	1.01	17	0.16	39	0.37
other	22	1.36	4	0.20	9	0.44	6664	63.5	93	0.77	124	1.15	166	1.58
Total	1620	100	2043	100	2028	100	10502	100	12112	100	10775	100	10482	100

Climate

Jõhvi experiences a humid continental climate, which means its weather can change a lot throughout the year. Winters are cold with snow, while summers are warm and pleasant. This type of climate is common in many parts of Estonia and influences the daily life and activities of its residents.

In cinematography

In 2024, a teaser for the Estonian-American film Juvenile Inspektor: The Shadow Over Jõhvi was filmed in Jõhvi. The movie featured actors like Oleksiy Gorbunov, Alexander Ivashkevich, Ella Bardot, and Maxim Pokrovsky, with Pavel Gavrilin as the producer and director.