Two hundred years of galactic studies in Tartu Observatory

An overview is provided for 200 years of galactic studies at the Tartu Observatory. Galactic studies have been one of the main topics of studies in Tartu over the whole period of the history of the Observatory, starting from F.G.W. Struve and J.H. M"adler, followed by Ernst "Opik and Grigori Kuzmin, and continuing with the present generation of astronomers. Our goal was to understand better the structure, origin and evolution of stars, galaxies and the Universe.