Everything about Priozersk totally explained
Priozersk (before 1948 Кякисалми or Кексгольм, ; ) is a
town on the
Karelian Isthmus, in
Leningrad Oblast,
Russia, centered on an island at the southwestern shore of
Lake Ladoga, at the estuary of the northern armlet of
River Vuoksi. It is served by a station of the
Saint Petersburg-Kuznechnoye railroad with the same name. Population: 20,506 (
2002 Census).
History
The main landmark of Priozersk,
Korela Fortress, has historically been the center for the
Karelians of the Karelian Isthmus; and from time to time been the northwestern outpost of the
realm of the
Russians or the eastern outpost of the
realm of the Swedes.
From the
Middle Ages, Priozersk was known as
Korela to Russians and
Käkisalmi to Karelians and Finns. Taxlation book from Novgorod from year 1500 lists 183 houses in Korela - so estimated population 1500-2000. The Swedes captured Korela twice: in 1578 for seventeen years and in 1611 for one hundred years. In the
Swedish Empire, the fortress was called
Keksholm/Kexholm and the whole district became known as the
Kexholm County. Russia definitively secured the area during the
Great Northern War; the town's Swedish name was retained, however, as Keksgolm . But wars and devastating fires 1300, 1580, 1634, 1679 had taken its toll to civilian population. When the city gained its first court house in 1800 population was only 400.
In 1812, as the
Grand Duchy of Finland three years earlier had been formed within Russian Empire,
Alexander I of Russia incorporated Kexholm with the rest of
Old Finland into the autonomous region. Käkisalmi was the smallest city in
Viipuri province. City's growth was boosted by construction of the
Saint Petersburg-Hiitola railway in 1917 and establishing two big saw mills and a big Ab Waldhof Oy's
Wood pulp mill in 1929.
The
Winter war On 30 November 1939 began the
Winter War began with the Soviet attack. Eventually after hard fighting Finland was forced to cede Käkisalmi as whole
Finnish Karelia to the
Soviet Union in the 13.3.1940
Moscow Peace Treaty. During the
Continuation War 1941 - 1944 Finland gained back
Käkisalmi and other 1940 Soviet ceded territories, the population returned to rebuild the town, but were again evacuated in
Evacuation of Finnish Karelia at the close of the WWII. In the last Finnish year 1939 Käkisalmi had a population of 5083. Around the town there was the
rural municipality of Käkisalmi with a population of 5100. Minorities were Orthodox 946 persons and about 100 habitants announced to speak as native language; Swedish, Russian or German. Total population was 11 129 in 1939.
In 1948, Käkisalmi was renamed to Priozersk like names all cities and communities annexed from
Finland to
Leningrad Oblast 1947. The new given names of 1948 had no ties to historic names except
Vyborg. New Priozersk was settled with a totally new population of people (mainly Russians, Belorussian, Ukranians) from the Soviet Union, who remain the majority of the local population. The ruined ramparts and towers of the old
Korela Fortress are situated on the bank of the Vuoksi, still visible when traveling to the town from Saint Petersburg. The town is an excursion resort popular with St. Petersburgers, many of whom have
dachas in the vicinity (see
Ozero).
Pictures
Image:Kexholm.jpg|In the fortress
Image:Prio church.jpg|Orthodox church
Image:Prio kircha.jpg|Former lutheran church
Further Information
Get more info on 'Priozersk'.
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