History Karelian Isthmus

1 history

1.1 archaeology
1.2 prehistory , medieval
1.3 17th–20th centuries
1.4 world war ii
1.5 after war

history
archaeology

vyborg castle

apart old towns of vyborg , priozersk, , churches on konevets island of lake ladoga, since late 19th century number of other archaeological sites have been discovered on isthmus. numerous archaeological remnants of mesolithic, neolithic, copper age , bronze age occur on isthmus. eastern part of karelian isthmus hosts number of medieval remnants. there many grave pits of karelians of 10th–15th centuries metal , ceramic artifacts along northern armlet of vuoksi, near lake sukhodolskoye , in few other places in priozersky district. on southern shore of lake sukhodolskoye small medieval burial mounds abundant well. lot of large cult stones have been found along these bodies of water, agglomerations of cairns. remnants of several rural settlements discovered there on shore of lake ladoga. remnants of tiuri (tiversk) town (10th–15th centuries) excavated on former island in northern vuoksi armlet near tiuri village (now vasilyevo). few treasures of silver adornments , medieval arabian , western european coins have been found, isthmus laid on volga trade route (at time, vuoksi river had distributary emptying bay of vyborg).

prehistory , medieval

ancestors of finnic people wandered karelian isthmus possibly around 8500bc.

in 11th century, sweden , novgorod republic started compete tax holding rights. treaty of nöteborg of 1323 established border between them along rivers known sestra , volchya

17th–20th centuries


rajajoki, finnish-soviet border in 1920s

during 17th century sweden gained whole isthmus , ingria. in time many karelians escaped tver s karelia.

from 1721–1812 isthmus belonged russian empire, won in great northern war started russian conquest of ingria new imperial capital, saint petersburg, founded (1703) in southern end of isthmus, in place of old swedish town nyenskans. in 1812, northwestern half transferred, part of old finland, autonomous grand duchy of finland, created in 1809 , in personal union russia.

due size, favorable climate, rich fishing waters , proximity saint petersburg, capital of russian empire, karelian isthmus became wealthiest part of finland once industrial revolution had gained momentum in 19th century. railroads saint petersburg–vyborg–riihimäki (1870), vyborg–hiitola–sortavala (1893), saint petersburg–kexholm–hiitola (1917) crossed isthmus, contributing economic development. end of 19th century nearby areas along saint petersburg–vyborg section had become popular place of summer resort wealthy saint petersburgers.

ingrian flag

when finland declared independence in 1917, isthmus (except territory corresponding present-day vsevolozhsky district , districts of saint petersburg) remained finnish, part of viipuri province center in viipuri, second largest finnish city. considerable part of remaining area populated ingrian finns seceded bolshevist russia finland-backed republic of north ingria, reintegrated russia in end of 1920 according conditions of treaty of tartu. in 1928–1939 parts of isthmus belonged russia constituted kuivaisi national district center in toksova, finnish official language, according policy of national delimitation in soviet union. however, in 1936 entire finnish population of parishes of valkeasaari, lempaala, vuole , miikkulainen along finnish border deported soviet government.

world war ii

mannerheim line of winter war

















december 1939. soviet tanks advancing



december 1939. karelian evacuees muolaa municipality on way west-finland

a number of defensive lines crossed isthmus during soviet-finnish hostilities in world war ii, such mannerheim line, vkt-line, vt-line, main line (finnish) , kaur (soviet), , fronts moved , forth on it.

in november 1939, soviet union staged shelling of mainila , invaded finland in became known winter war, took disproportionally heavy death toll on red army. in february 1940 did soviet forces manage penetrate mannerheim line across isthmus, strength of exaggerated. finland ceded karelian isthmus , ladoga karelia soviet union in peace of moscow of march 12. according protocol appended moscow peace treaty, fighting ended @ noon (leningrad time), march 13, , march 26 finnish troops had been withdrawn. entire karelian population of ceded areas of 422 thousand people evacuated other parts of finland (see evacuation of finnish karelia). on march 31 of ceded territories incorporated karelo-finnish ssr decision of supreme council of soviet union (in karelian isthmus districts of jääski, kexholm , vyborg). districts of kanneljärvi, koivisto , rautu town of terijoki were, however, included leningrad oblast.

finnish defensive lines of continuation war

in 1941, during world war ii, germany invaded soviet union in operation barbarossa. few days later continuation war known in finland (it considered front of great patriotic war in soviet union , russia) started. finland regained lost territory, reaching russian side of border of 1939 , seen russians indirectly contributing siege of leningrad (see finnish reconquest of karelian isthmus (1941)). 260,000 karelian evacuees returned home.

on 9 june 1944, strong soviet forces opened vyborg offensive , pushed front pre-1939 border vyborg in ten days. returned karelians evacuated finland again. in battle of tali-ihantala, 25 june–9 july, finns concentrated military strength , brought offensive halt @ river vuoksi, in northwesternmost part of isthmus, @ closest point 40 kilometres border of 1940. moscow armistice ending war signed on september 19, 1944. entire isthmus became soviet, although of has never been captured soviets in battles. time ceded territories of karelian isthmus (including districts of jääski, kexholm , vyborg) incorporated leningrad oblast (unlike ladoga karelia, remained within karelo-finnish ssr). border of moscow peace treaty (1940) recognized finland again in peace of paris, 1947.

after war

sestroretsk

as result of war, population of karelian isthmus has been replaced. after war isthmus included leningrad oblast , people other parts of soviet union, russian, settled here. vast majority of old finnish toponyms in conquered territories renamed invented russian ones government around 1948. finnish toponyms of territories included within karelo-finnish ssr , of southern part of isthmus (albeit assimilated) remained. lot of youth summer camps built on isthmus during time of soviet union. of them still exist.