Setomaa Parish (Estonian:Setomaa vald) is a rural municipality of Estonia, in Võru County. Setomaa Parish was formed in 2017 during the administrative reform by merging Mikitamäe, Meremäe and Värska parishes and some parts of Misso parish.

Demographics

The area has experienced a significant decline in population in recent decades, although in the past the region has been one of the most densely populated areas in Estonia.

Population in the municipality:

  • 2000: 4,206
  • 2011: 2,990
  • 2022: 2,849

Settlements

There is one small borough (alevik) Värska and 156 villages (küla) in Setomaa Parish.

The villages are: Ala-Tsumba, Antkruva, Audjassaare, Beresje, Ermakova, Helbi, Hilana, Hilläkeste, Hindsa, Holdi, Härmä, Ignasõ, Igrise, Jaanimäe, Juusa, Jõksi, Järvepää, Kahkva, Kalatsova, Kangavitsa, Karamsina, Karisilla, Kasakova, Kastamara, Keerba, Kiiova, Kiislova, Kiksova, Kitsõ, Klistina, Koidula, Kolodavitsa, Kolossova, Koorla, Korela, Korski, Kossa, Kostkova, Kremessova, Kriiva, Kuigõ, Kuksina, Kundruse, Kusnetsova, Kõõru, Käre, Küllätüvä, Laossina, Leimani, Lepä, Lindsi, Litvina, Lobotka, Lutepää, Lutja, Lütä, Lüübnitsa, Maaslova, Marinova, Martsina, Masluva, Matsuri, Melso, Merekülä, Meremäe, Miikse, Mikitamäe, Miku, Mokra, Määsi, Määsovitsa, Napi, Navikõ, Nedsaja, Niitsiku, Obinitsa, Olehkova, Ostrova, Paklova, Palandõ, Palo, Paloveere, Pattina, Pelsi, Perdaku, Pliia, Podmotsa, Poksa, Polovina, Popovitsa, Pruntova, Puista, Puugnitsa, Põrstõ, Raotu, Rokina, Ruutsi, Rõsna, Rääptsova, Rääsolaane, Saabolda, Saagri, Saatse, Samarina, Selise, Seretsüvä, Serga, Sesniki, Sirgova, Sulbi, Säpina, Talka, Tedre, Tepia, Tessova, Teterüvä, Tiastõ, Tiilige, Tiirhanna, Tiklasõ, Tobrova, Tonja, Toodsi, Toomasmäe, Treiali, Treski, Triginä, Tserebi, Tsergondõ, Tsirgu, Tsumba, Tuplova, Tuulova, Tääglova, Ulaskova, Ulitina, Usinitsa, Uusvada, Vaaksaarõ, Vaartsi, Varesmäe, Vasla, Vedernika, Velna, Veretinä, Verhulitsa, Vinski, Viro, Voropi, Võmmorski, Võpolsova, Võõpsu, Väike-Rõsna, Väiko-Härmä, Väiko-Serga, Õrsava.

Geography

The shape of Setomaa parish is narrow and elongated. The parish consists of the main territory and the Luhamaa exclave located a few kilometers away.

The nature of Setomaa parish is characterized by a hillier landscape in the south and a lowland located by Lake Peipus in the north. The forests are mostly dry and luminous pine forests. The Piusa River flows through the rural municipality.

There is no weather station with long-term observation data in the municipality, however, the Environmental Agency has compiled the climate data for the municipality based on estimates.

Climate data for Setomaa parish 1991–2020
MonthJanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDecYear
Mean maximum °C (°F)5.0 (41.0)5.0 (41.0)11.5 (52.7)21.5 (70.7)26.3 (79.3)28.2 (82.8)29.9 (85.8)28.8 (83.8)23.5 (74.3)16.4 (61.5)10.2 (50.4)6.1 (43.0)17.7 (63.9)
Daily mean °C (°F)−4.2 (24.4)−4.5 (23.9)−0.5 (31.1)6.0 (42.8)11.7 (53.1)15.7 (60.3)18.2 (64.8)16.7 (62.1)11.8 (53.2)6.1 (43.0)1.3 (34.3)−2.0 (28.4)6.4 (43.5)
Mean minimum °C (°F)−21.0 (−5.8)−20.5 (−4.9)−14.5 (5.9)−5.8 (21.6)−1.7 (28.9)3.2 (37.8)7.3 (45.1)5.3 (41.5)0.2 (32.4)−5.2 (22.6)−10.1 (13.8)−14.9 (5.2)−6.5 (20.3)
Average precipitation mm (inches)47.1 (1.85)37.6 (1.48)35.3 (1.39)35.5 (1.40)52.7 (2.07)83.3 (3.28)71.3 (2.81)79.2 (3.12)55.5 (2.19)65.8 (2.59)52.7 (2.07)47.5 (1.87)663.5 (26.12)
Source 1: Keskkonnaagentuur.ee
Source 2: Keskkonnaagentuur.ee

There is a hydrometric weather station of the Environmental Agency in Korela.

Religion

  1. Unaffiliated (53.8%)
  2. Orthodox (37.8%)
  3. Lutheran (6.40%)
  4. Unknown (2.00%)
  5. 0.00%
  6. 0.00%

Gallery

  • Mineral water production plant in the parish
  • Church in Saatse
  • Small chapel in Treski
  • Mikitamäe
  • The Russian border seen from a distance in Vinski

Notable people

57°58′00″N 27°37′00″E/57.96667°N 27.61667°E/ 57.96667; 27.61667