Koguva | |
---|---|
Coordinates: 58°35′44″N 23°04′50″E / 58.59556°N 23.08056°E | |
Country | Estonia |
County | Saare County |
Municipality | Muhu Parish |
First mentioned | 1532 |
Population (01.01.2000[1]) | |
• Total | 30 |
Koguva is a village on the Estonian Baltic Sea island of Muhu.[2] Administratively, it belongs to Muhu Parish, Saare County. Koguva is located on the western tip of the island, and the small islet of Kõinastu is located just 2 km (1.2 mi) northwest in the Väinameri Sea. In 2000 Koguva had a population of 30.[1]
Koguva was first mentioned in 1532 by Wolter von Plettenberg in a document to grant freedom to a peasant called Hansken and his son and their descendants. Later, Hansken's descendants came to be called by the surname Schmuul.[1]
Koguva is a small rural village. There are many buildings that are centuries old, dating back to feudal times under Swedish rule, and still in use today. The northern shore of Muhu, which is claimed to have the clearest water anywhere in the Baltic Sea, is only a short distance away. Koguva has two large rural places of accommodation right next to each other and some smaller ones too.
The writer Juhan Smuul (1922–1971) was born in Koguva and owned his father's farm there until his death. He was a descendant of Hansken; his surname was initially Schmuul, but he later simplified it to Smuul. The Juhan Smuul museum was established in Koguva in the 1970s and was converted to the Muhu Museum in the 1990s.