The Kollaa (russian: Колласйоки, fi, Kollaanjoki or ') is a long river in the

Republic of Karelia The Republic of Karelia (russian: Респу́блика Каре́лия, Respublika Kareliya; ; krl, Karjalan tašavalta; ; fi, Karjalan tasavalta; vep, Karjalan Tazovaldkund, Ludic: ''Kard’alan tazavald''), also known as just Karelia (rus ...

, Russia. It starts from Lake Kollasjärvi in the Suoyarvsky District and flows to Lake Tulmozero ( fi, Tulemajärvi) in the

Pryazhinsky District Pryazhinsky District (russian: Пря́жинский райо́н; krl, Priäžän piiri) is an administrative district (raion), one of the fifteen in the Republic of Karelia, Russia.Constitution of the Republic of Karelia It is located in the ...

. Before

World War II World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposin ...

, the source of the river was a part of the Finnish municipality Suistamo and it flowed further through

Suojärvi Suoyarvi (russian: Суоя́рви; krl, Suojärvi; fi, Suojärvi) is a town and the administrative center of Suoyarvsky District of the Republic of Karelia, Russia, located northwest of Petrozavodsk. Population: History It is known tha ...

to Tulemajärvi on the Russian side.

Battle

During 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 ...

in 1939, the area was a scene of the

Battle of Kollaa The Battle of Kollaa was fought from December 7, 1939, to March 13, 1940, in Ladoga's Karelia, Finland, as a part of the Soviet-Finnish Winter War. Description and outcome Despite having far fewer troops than the Soviets, the Finnish forces ...

. The river became part of

Finnish history The history of Finland begins around 9,000 BC during the end of the last glacial period. Stone Age cultures were Kunda, Comb Ceramic, Corded Ware, Kiukainen, and . The Finnish Bronze Age started in approximately 1,500 BC and the Iron Age star ...

, as the

Red Army The Workers' and Peasants' Red Army (Russian: Рабо́че-крестья́нская Кра́сная армия),) often shortened to the Red Army, was the army and air force of the Russian Soviet Federative Socialist Republic and, after ...

failed to break through there. A memorable quote, "Kollaa holds" ('), became a legendary motto for the Finns. The river and area are associated with the exploits of the Finnish marksman

Simo Häyhä Simo Häyhä (; 17December 1905 1April 2002), often referred to by his nickname, The White Death ( fi, Valkoinen kuolema; russian: Белая смерть, Belaya smert’), was a Finnish military sniper in World War II during the 1939–1940 Wi ...

, dubbed "the White Death", the gunman with the highest number of confirmed kills in any major war. Captain

Aarne Juutilainen Aarne Edward Juutilainen (; 18 October 1904 – 28 October 1976), nicknamed "The Terror of Morocco", was a Finnish army captain who served in the French Foreign Legion in Morocco between 1930 and 1935. After returning to Finland, he served ...

, dubbed "the Terror of Morocco", was also remarkable figure in the battle. The battle areas around the river are a preserved monument and tourist site. The asteroid

1929 Kollaa 1929 Kollaa, provisional designation , is a stony Vestian asteroid from the inner regions of the asteroid belt, approximately 7 kilometers in diameter. It was discovered by Finnish astronomer Yrjö Väisälä at Turku Observatory in Southwest Fin ...

is named after the river.

References

Rivers of the Republic of Karelia {{Russia-river-stub