Bolshoi Tyuters (russian: Большой Тютерс; fi, Tytärsaari; et, Suur Tütarsaar; sv, Tyterskär) is an

island An island (or isle) is an isolated piece of habitat that is surrounded by a dramatically different habitat, such as water. Very small islands such as emergent land features on atolls can be called islets, skerries, cays or keys. An island ...

in the

Gulf of Finland The Gulf of Finland ( fi, Suomenlahti; et, Soome laht; rus, Фи́нский зали́в, r=Finskiy zaliv, p=ˈfʲinskʲɪj zɐˈlʲif; sv, Finska viken) is the easternmost arm of the Baltic Sea. It extends between Finland to the north and E ...

of the

Baltic Sea The Baltic Sea is an arm of the Atlantic Ocean that is enclosed by Denmark, Estonia, Finland, Germany, Latvia, Lithuania, Poland, Russia, Sweden and the North and Central European Plain. The sea stretches from 53°N to 66°N latitude and from ...

, located away from the coast of

Finland Finland ( fi, Suomi ; sv, Finland ), officially the Republic of Finland (; ), is a Nordic country in Northern Europe. It shares land borders with Sweden to the northwest, Norway to the north, and Russia to the east, with the Gulf of Both ...

, to the south-east from Hogland. The island is a part of the

Leningrad Oblast Leningrad Oblast ( rus, Ленинградская область, Leningradskaya oblast’, lʲɪnʲɪnˈgratskəjə ˈobləsʲtʲ, , ) is a federal subject of Russia (an oblast). It was established on 1 August 1927, although it was not until ...

Russia Russia (, , ), or the Russian Federation, is a transcontinental country spanning Eastern Europe and Northern Asia. It is the largest country in the world, with its internationally recognised territory covering , and encompassing one-eight ...

. The area is approximately . There are no permanent inhabitants, save for a lighthouse keeper.

History

The island was populated by Finns from the 16th century to 1939. After the Soviet Union attacked Finland in the

Winter War The Winter War,, sv, Vinterkriget, rus, Зи́мняя война́, r=Zimnyaya voyna. The names Soviet–Finnish War 1939–1940 (russian: link=no, Сове́тско-финская война́ 1939–1940) and Soviet–Finland War 1 ...

, the island, along with other Finnish islands in the

and communities in Finnish Karelia, was ceded to the Soviet Union under the

Moscow Peace Treaty The Moscow Peace Treaty was signed by Finland and the Soviet Union on 12 March 1940, and the ratifications were exchanged on 21 March. It marked the end of the 105-day Winter War, upon which Finland ceded border areas to the Soviet Union. The ...

of 1940. Islanders were among the Finnish evacuees, and after World War II they were not permitted to return to their homes. Before the war, the island was a lively Finnish fishing and trading community, with a population of 436 in 1939. Many cargo and fishing ships were registered to the island. It had a wooden church built in 1772, a Finnish graveyard, a school, a lighthouse built in 1904, a Finnish Coast Guard station and a weather forecast station. Tourism was a growing business in 1920–39. The name Tytärsaari means "Daughter Island" in Finnish. Bolshoi Tyuters is sometimes referred to as the "mined island" because its World War II minefields have not been cleared. Thousands of rusting pieces of German equipment and weaponry, including artillery and ammunition, are scattered on the island.

References

External links

The Mined Island

{{in lang, fi Russian islands in the Baltic Islands of Leningrad Oblast