Naistevälja
Naistevälja | |
|---|---|
Village | |
| Country |  Estonia |
| County | Lääne-Viru County |
| Parish | Tapa Parish |
| Time zone | UTC+2 (EET) |
| • Summer (DST) | UTC+3 (EEST) |
Naistevälja is a village in Tapa Parish, Lääne-Viru County, in northeastern Estonia. It lies within the historical region of Virumaa and is part of Estonia’s administrative structure established after the 2017 municipal reform. The settlement is located in a rural area characterised by farmland, small forests, and dispersed homesteads, with local governance provided by Tapa Parish authorities.
As of the 2011 census, Naistevälja had a population of 31 residents. The village is accessible via local roads that connect it to nearby settlements and to the parish centre of Tapa, which serves as a hub for commerce, education, and public services in the area.
Naistevälja is notable as the birthplace of **Verner Hans Puurand** (1904–1983), an Estonian naval officer and politician regarded as the founder of the country’s submarine fleet. Puurand graduated from the Tondi military school in 1928 and, in the 1930s, was sent to the United Kingdom to oversee the construction of the submarines *Lembit* and *Kalev* for the Estonian Navy. He later commanded the *Kalev* and served in various military and political roles, including as a minister in the Estonian government-in-exile. A monument in his honour was unveiled in Naistevälja on 25 June 2014.
