Viki

58.351389 22.077778Coordinates: 58 ° 21 ' N , 22 ° 5' E

Viki

Village view

Viki is a village ( Estonian küla ) on the largest Estonian island of Saaremaa . It belongs to the rural community of Saaremaa (until 2017: rural community of Kihelkonna ) in the Saare district .

Population, location and history

The place has 41 inhabitants (as of December 31, 2011). It is located two kilometers east of Kihelkonna .

The village was first mentioned in 1778 under the name Wicki .

Mihkli Farm Museum

founding

Viki is best known for the Mihkli farm ( Mihkli talu ), which has been converted into an ethnographic museum. Its founding goes back to the last active farmer from Mihkli, Jakob-Eduard Reht (1886–1969), who farmed it in the eighth generation and bequeathed it to the state after the Second World War. In February 1959 the farm was opened to the public as a museum. Today the farm is subordinate to the Saaremaa muuseum in the island's capital Kuressaare .

description

The spacious complex consists of numerous historical buildings that represent the traditional architecture of the region's farms. In addition, numerous original equipment and household items can be seen that clearly document the way of life and work of the rural population of West Saaremaa. The oldest date from the 18th century.

A wall surrounds the entire facility. Most of the buildings are grouped in a circle around the courtyard area. Much of the undeveloped area is used as a flower garden.

“In the family home, everyday objects are exhibited in the original place as examples of artistic farming. The forge (from 1854), the only stone building, was a must on every farm. It was used as a kitchen in the summer months; To make working with the huge saucepan easier, there is a construction above the fireplace that enables the saucepan to be moved without much effort. Since the room could also be used as a sauna and was also used for brewing beer, a kind of wooden water pipe is attached to the outer wall, which connected the room with the fountain. […] The large number of barns on Saaremaa is striking because one farm has several. There are two in Mihkli, with the older one dating from around 1700. The newer building with its U-shaped floor plan is not entirely new either, because the old beams of the house were reused for its construction. There were various chambers for storing grain, meat, fish and clothing. In the risalitartig connected Eckkammern the dormitories of the girls gefanden in the summer months. In 1991 the barns were provided with new thatched roofs , which, if the masters have mastered their craft, will last for 70 to 100 years. "

Thea Karin: Estonia. Cultural and scenic diversity in a historical borderland between east and west. Cologne 1994 (= DuMont art and landscape guide ) ISBN 3-7701-2614-9 , p. 324f.