“Lüganuse parish is an Estonian place in terms of both language and mentality, even though the town of Püssi has both Estonian and Russian communities,” Rauam added. “I do not want to be the man who gets paid a year's salary for restoring the Kiviõli district.”
Third participant, Sonda parish, originally wanted an entirely new name. “The agreement states that we have a new device and flag, and we proposed taking a new name as well,” said parish elder Andreas Eiche. “In a situation where we are not taking anything from the old parishes, the local government could also have a new name.”
And so the sides discussed the names of Kesk-Viru and Virumäe for a time.
Eiche admitted that while the discussion initially concentrated more on the name of Lüganuse, the final decision was different. Eiche now asks which name is better known in Estonia and abroad, Kiviõli or Lüganuse?
“I dare say Kiviõli is better known, from the oil mill to motocross – Kiviõli is world famous in the latter aspect,” he said.
Võnnu in Tartu County is the center of an old civil parish of the same name and a parish today. However, a merger with the parishes of Mäksa and Haaslava will now cost Võnnu its historical name.