Narva (Narva)
Town on Russian border. Earliest records of present name (as Narvsche Straße, Нарвская ул, etc.) date back to 1872, before which it shuttled back and forth between St. Peterburgsche Straße / Петербургская дорога and Catharinenthalsche Straße (passing, as it did, by present-day Kadrioru). Oldest known names include Wierscher Weg (1743), German for Viru road, leading to the former county of Viru, now split into Ida-Viru (Eastern Vironia) and Lääne-Viru (Western Vironia), and Wesenbergsche Straße (1801), leading to Rakvere, formerly known by its German name Wesenberg, following its historical name of Tarvanpää (pää being the old spelling of pea [see Oti], ‘head’, ‘on’ or ‘on top of’), town in Lääne-Viru, and home, too, of the impressive, 7-meter, 7-ton, 7-leggèd (I jest) ‘Tarvas’ statue of an auroch by Estonian ‘Leatherman’ (my nickname) sculptor Tauno Kangro. Which only goes to show that roads lead to wherever you like. Most recently, however, during the German occupation of 1941-1944, part of it was baptized Adolf Hitleri, a detail which later Soviet censors omitted to recall in their records... NB: tarvas, is cognate with Latin taurus (bull), English steer, Swedish djur (animal), Prussian tauris (European bison), and French taureau (bull). The Russian musical association, Гусли, or Gusli (1864-1940), was founded at No.26 (building still there). Trivia: in 1891, its chairman was Anatoly Ilyich Tchaikovsky, vice-governor of Estonia and Peter’s bro. For information, a gusli is another member of the zither/psaltery family like the kannel (see Kandle), dating back to the days of Novgorodian Rus (11-15th C) and possibly ultimately related to the Greek kithara (κιθάρα) which also gives us guitar. See Kalevipoja. This street is part of the E67 6 from Helsinki to Prague, see also .