Johan Pitka

In 1936, Admiral Johan Pitka purchased a 7.33-hectare plot of land for Lilleoru Farm from the Estonian government, situated on the slope of Ebavere Hill and separated from Vao Manor’s lands. That same year, he also acquired an additional 2.93 hectares of land for the farm. The house’s interior resembled a ship’s interior, with a round window on the front door. Pitka’s study was accessible directly from the main staircase through the vestibule. The room was square, with walls and ceiling covered in dark plywood.

On the wall opposite the door was the coat of arms of the Estonian Republic, with a sword crossed with a rifle from the Arsenal arms factory above it. Below these were a map of Estonia and, to the right, a sea chart with navigational routes. Under the window stood a 1.5-meter-long model of the sailing vessel with which the admiral first went to sea. The opposite wall featured floor-to-ceiling bookshelves and, in the center of the room, a large table covered with a green felt cloth under glass, displaying Pitka’s awards, decorations, medals, certificates, and other honors. Behind the table was a swivel chair where he wrote his books. A made, known as Silla Meeta, lived in the house year-round.

During the German occupation (1941-1944), Johans wife Helene Pitka and his daughters lived at Lilleoru Farm. In September 1944, Helene Pitka and her daughters fled to Sweden. That fall, the Red Army occupied Lilleoru Farm, and due to their activities, Pitka’s house was destroyed by fire in the spring of 1945. Today, only the foundation, cellar, and stairs of the building remain.