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Velikije Luki (Velikije Luki)
Вели́кие Лу́ки, City in Pskov Oblast, Russia (about 150 km SE of Estonia), where the Red Army wiped out a German force of some 7000 in the Battle of Velikiye Luki (1942-3). Also burial place of Matrossovi A.. Literally meaning ‘Great Meanders’ after the meandering Lovat River, but symbolized as longbows on the city’s coat of arms, Estonians ‘interpret’ it, inaccurately but humorously, as ‘Big Onions’ (onion is Лук). Soviet occupation renaming (1979-1995) of Virbi.
Liivakalmistu (Liivakalmistu)
Former (1966) streetname of Kalmistu, named after the Liiva Kalmistu.
Mügri (Mügri)
Water vole, aka tavamügri (common vole) or vesirott (water rat). Shockingly not only never used, but rejected by locals in favor of the glitzy manifestation of Eastern European slavish devotion to Hollywood and the American dream: Mingi… For those interested in this sort of thing, Eng. ‘vole’ (in its full name vole-mouse) comes from Old Norse völlr ‘field’, so ‘field mouse’.
Nooruse (Noorus)
Youth. Soviet occupation renaming (1950-1987) of Suur-Kloostri. The Soviets were not the first to understand the value of childhood propaganda, by far. See Pioneeride and Komsomoli.
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