Primorsk (russian: Примо́рск; fi, Koivisto; sv, Björkö) is a coastal
town
A town is a human settlement. Towns are generally larger than villages and smaller than cities, though the criteria to distinguish between them vary considerably in different parts of the world.
Origin and use
The word "town" shares an ori ...
in
Vyborgsky District
Vyborgsky District is the name of several administrative and municipal districts in Russia.
*Vyborgsky District, Leningrad Oblast, an administrative and municipal district of Leningrad Oblast
*Vyborgsky District, Saint Petersburg, an administrati ...
of
Leningrad Oblast
Leningrad Oblast ( rus, Ленинградская область, Leningradskaya oblast’, lʲɪnʲɪnˈgratskəjə ˈobləsʲtʲ, , ) is a federal subjects of Russia, federal subject of Russia (an oblast). It was established on 1 August 1927, a ...
,
Russia
Russia (, , ), or the Russian Federation, is a List of transcontinental countries, transcontinental country spanning Eastern Europe and North Asia, Northern Asia. It is the List of countries and dependencies by area, largest country in the ...
and is the second largest Russian
port on the Baltic, after
St. Petersburg. It is located on the
Karelian Isthmus
The Karelian Isthmus (russian: Карельский перешеек, Karelsky peresheyek; fi, Karjalankannas; sv, Karelska näset) is the approximately stretch of land, situated between the Gulf of Finland and Lake Ladoga in northwestern ...
, west of St. Petersburg, at the northern coast of 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 ...
, near
Beryozovye Islands
Beryozovye Islands (russian: Берёзовые острова, Finnish: Koivisto, Swedish: Björkö; literally: "Birch Islands"), alternatively spelled Berezovye Islands, is an island group in Leningrad Oblast, Russia. The islands are situated at ...
( fi, Koivusaari (Koivistonsaari), Tiurinsaari ja Piisaari; sv, Björkö) which are protected as a sea bird sanctuary. Population:
History
It was first mentioned in Russian chronicles as Beryozovskoye (, lit. ''birch settlement'') in 1268, when the Hanseatic merchants from
Gotland
Gotland (, ; ''Gutland'' in Gutnish), also historically spelled Gottland or Gothland (), is Sweden's largest island. It is also a province, county, municipality, and diocese. The province includes the islands of Fårö and Gotska Sandön to the ...
petitioned the
Novgorod Republic
The Novgorod Republic was a medieval state that existed from the 12th to 15th centuries, stretching from the Gulf of Finland in the west to the northern Ural Mountains in the east, including the city of Novgorod and the Lake Ladoga regions of m ...
to secure their passage to the
Neva River
The Neva (russian: Нева́, ) is a river in northwestern Russia flowing from Lake Ladoga through the western part of Leningrad Oblast (historical region of Ingria) to the Neva Bay of the Gulf of Finland. Despite its modest length of , it i ...
.
The original Finnish name Koivisto means "a group of birch trees", "a birch forest". Swedish name Björkö means "birch island". Swedes annexed the region during the
Third Swedish Crusade. The Russians retook the islands at the close of the
Great Northern War
The Great Northern War (1700–1721) was a conflict in which a coalition led by the Tsardom of Russia successfully contested the supremacy of the Swedish Empire in Northern, Central and Eastern Europe. The initial leaders of the anti-Swedi ...
in 1721. This was confirmed by the
Treaty of Nystad
The Treaty of Nystad (russian: Ништадтский мир; fi, Uudenkaupungin rauha; sv, Freden i Nystad; et, Uusikaupunki rahu) was the last peace treaty of the Great Northern War of 1700–1721. It was concluded between the Tsardom of ...
in 1721.
In 1710, during the
Great Northern War
The Great Northern War (1700–1721) was a conflict in which a coalition led by the Tsardom of Russia successfully contested the supremacy of the Swedish Empire in Northern, Central and Eastern Europe. The initial leaders of the anti-Swedi ...
, the troops of
Tsar
Tsar ( or ), also spelled ''czar'', ''tzar'', or ''csar'', is a title used by East Slavs, East and South Slavs, South Slavic monarchs. The term is derived from the Latin word ''Caesar (title), caesar'', which was intended to mean "emperor" i ...
Peter the Great
Peter I ( – ), most commonly known as Peter the Great,) or Pyotr Alekséyevich ( rus, Пётр Алексе́евич, p=ˈpʲɵtr ɐlʲɪˈksʲejɪvʲɪtɕ, , group=pron was a Russian monarch who ruled the Tsardom of Russia from t ...
included the whole area of the modern
Vyborgsky District
Vyborgsky District is the name of several administrative and municipal districts in Russia.
*Vyborgsky District, Leningrad Oblast, an administrative and municipal district of Leningrad Oblast
*Vyborgsky District, Saint Petersburg, an administrati ...
to Russia. In the course of Peter's
second administrative reform, the area became a part of
Vyborg Province
Viipuri Province ( fi, Viipurin lääni'', commonly abbreviated'' Vpl, sv, Viborgs län or Wiborgs län, russian: Выборгская губерния) was a historical province of Finland from 1812 to 1945.
History
The predecessor of the ...
of
St. Petersburg Governorate. The 1721
Treaty of Nystad
The Treaty of Nystad (russian: Ништадтский мир; fi, Uudenkaupungin rauha; sv, Freden i Nystad; et, Uusikaupunki rahu) was the last peace treaty of the Great Northern War of 1700–1721. It was concluded between the Tsardom of ...
, which concluded the war with Sweden, finalized the transfer of this part of
Old Finland
Old Finland ( fi, Vanha Suomi; rus, Ста́рая Финля́ндия, r=Staraya Finlyandiya; sv, Gamla Finland) is a name used for the areas that Imperial Russia, Russia gained from Sweden in the Great Northern War (1700–1721) and in ...
to Russia.
In 1744,
Vyborg Governorate
The Vyborg Governorate was a Russian Governorate 1744–1812, which was established in territories ceded by the Swedish Empire in the Great Northern War. By the Treaty of Nystad in 1721, Sweden formally ceded control of the parts of the Viborg a ...
, with the seat in
Vyborg
Vyborg (; rus, Вы́борг, links=1, r=Výborg, p=ˈvɨbərk; fi, Viipuri ; sv, Viborg ; german: Wiborg ) is a town in, and the administrative center of, Vyborgsky District in Leningrad Oblast, Russia. It lies on the Karelian Isthmus ne ...
, was established.
After several changes, Vyborg Governorate was renamed Finland Governorate in 1802.
In 1811, it was renamed back and included in the
Grand Duchy of Finland
The Grand Duchy of Finland ( fi, Suomen suuriruhtinaskunta; sv, Storfurstendömet Finland; russian: Великое княжество Финляндское, , all of which literally translate as Grand Principality of Finland) was the predecessor ...
, which was previously ceded to Russia by Sweden.
In Finland, it became known as the
Viipuri Province
Viipuri Province ( fi, Viipurin lääni'', commonly abbreviated'' Vpl, sv, Viborgs län or Wiborgs län, russian: Выборгская губерния) was a historical province of Finland from 1812 to 1945.
History
The predecessor of the ...
.
On July 24, 1905 Wilhelm II of the German Empire and Tsar Nicholas II of Russia signed the
Treaty of Björkö
The Treaty of Björkö, also known as the Treaty of Koivisto, was a secret mutual defense accord signed on 24 July 1905 in Björkö between Wilhelm II of the German Empire and Tsar Nicholas II of Russia. Wilhelm was the chief author, but he acted ...
(Treaty of Koivisto) as a secret mutual defense accord.
In 1918, the Viipuri Province became a part of independent
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 B ...
.
Koivisto, together with the rest of the Karelian Isthmus, was ceded by
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 B ...
to the
Soviet Union
The Soviet Union,. officially the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics. (USSR),. was a transcontinental country that spanned much of Eurasia from 1922 to 1991. A flagship communist state, it was nominally a federal union of fifteen national ...
by 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 ...
as a result of 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 ...
. It was recaptured by Finns in early September 1941 following the Soviet defeat at the
Battle of Porlampi
The Battle of Porlampi, also known as the Battle of Porlammi, was a military engagement fought between the Finnish Army and Red Army from 30 August to 1 September 1941 on the Karelian Isthmus. The battle was fought near the town of Porlampi duri ...
. The Finns held Koivisto during
Continuation War
The Continuation War, also known as the Second Soviet-Finnish War, was a conflict fought by Finland and Nazi Germany against the Soviet Union from 1941 to 1944, as part of World War II.; sv, fortsättningskriget; german: Fortsetzungskrieg. A ...
but again ceded the town to the Soviet Union after the
Moscow Armistice
The Moscow Armistice was signed between Finland on one side and the Soviet Union and United Kingdom on the other side on 19 September 1944, ending the Continuation War. The Armistice restored the Moscow Peace Treaty of 1940, with a number of modi ...
. This secession was formalized after signing
Paris Peace Treaty
The Paris Peace Treaties (french: Traités de Paris) were signed on 10 February 1947 following the end of World War II in 1945.
The Paris Peace Conference lasted from 29 July until 15 October 1946. The victorious wartime Allied powers (princi ...
in 1947. The population was resettled to Finland and population from Central Russia was moved to populate the Karelian Isthmus.
On May 16, 1940, Koivisto became the
administrative center
An administrative center is a seat of regional administration or local government, or a county town, or the place where the central administration of a commune
A commune is an alternative term for an intentional community. Commune or comună or ...
of the newly established
Koyvistovsky District in
Leningrad Oblast
Leningrad Oblast ( rus, Ленинградская область, Leningradskaya oblast’, lʲɪnʲɪnˈgratskəjə ˈobləsʲtʲ, , ) is a federal subjects of Russia, federal subject of Russia (an oblast). It was established on 1 August 1927, a ...
.
At the same time, Koivisto was granted town status. On October 1, 1948, the town was renamed Primorsk and the district was renamed Primorsky.
On April 3, 1954, Primorsky District was abolished and merged into
Roshchinsky District, with the administrative center in
Roshchino
Roshchino (russian: Рощино) is the name of several types of inhabited localities in Russia, inhabited localities in Russia.
Modern localities
;Urban localities
*Roshchino, Leningrad Oblast, an urban-type settlement under the administrative ...
.
On January 4, 1957, Primorsk was transferred to Vyborgsky District.
Primorsk evolved in the 20th century as an
outport
An outport is any port considered secondary to a main port (including a provincial one as opposed to a capital one), and often (especially) a small port built to support the commercial operations of a large port. The Port of Tilbury from the Port ...
for the town of Vyborg.
Administrative and municipal status
Within the
framework of administrative divisions, it is, together with twenty
rural localities, incorporated within
Vyborgsky District
Vyborgsky District is the name of several administrative and municipal districts in Russia.
*Vyborgsky District, Leningrad Oblast, an administrative and municipal district of Leningrad Oblast
*Vyborgsky District, Saint Petersburg, an administrati ...
as Primorskoye
Settlement Municipal Formation.
[Oblast Law #32-oz] As a
municipal division, Primorskoye Settlement Municipal Formation is incorporated within Vyborgsky Municipal District as Primorskoye Urban Settlement.
[Law #17-oz]
Economy
The town is the site of the largest
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 ...
oil terminal. It was developed as a terminus of the
Baltic Pipeline System
The Baltic Pipeline System (BPS) is a Russian oil transport system operated by the oil pipeline company Transneft. The BPS transports oil from the Timan-Pechora region, West Siberia and Urals-Volga regions to Primorsk oil terminal at the eastern ...
at a cost of two billion US dollars. The terminal started to operate in December 2001, supplanting
Ventspils
Ventspils (; german: Windau, ; see other names) is a state city in northwestern Latvia in the historical Courland region of Latvia, and is the sixth largest city in the country. At the beginning of 2020, Ventspils had a population of 33,906. It ...
and other foreign rivals within one year. In 2006, Primorsk was ranked first in Russia in crude oil export, with the export volume of 5,863,000
metric tons
The tonne ( or ; symbol: t) is a unit of mass equal to 1000 kilograms. It is a non-SI unit accepted for use with SI. It is also referred to as a metric ton to distinguish it from the non-metric units of the short ton ( United States ...
.
In the wake of the
2022 Russian invasion of Ukraine
On 24 February 2022, in a major escalation of the Russo-Ukrainian War, which began in 2014. The invasion has resulted in tens of thousands of deaths on both sides. It has caused Europe's largest refugee crisis since World War II. An ...
, on April 29, 2022,
Rosneft
PJSC Rosneft Oil Company ( stylized as ROSNEFT) is a Russian Vertical integration, integrated energy company headquartered in Moscow. Rosneft specializes in the exploration, Extraction of petroleum, extraction, production, refining, Petroleum t ...
was not scheduled to export any diesel from Primorsk in May, as demand from Europe dropped off due to sanctions.
Transportation
The town is on the railway line linking
St. Petersburg to
Vyborg
Vyborg (; rus, Вы́борг, links=1, r=Výborg, p=ˈvɨbərk; fi, Viipuri ; sv, Viborg ; german: Wiborg ) is a town in, and the administrative center of, Vyborgsky District in Leningrad Oblast, Russia. It lies on the Karelian Isthmus ne ...
. There is suburban train service to
Finland Station
St Petersburg–Finlyandsky (russian: Станция Санкт-Петербург-Финля́ндский ''Stantsiya Sankt-Peterburg-Finlyandskiy'', in spoken language usually just russian: Финля́ндский вокзал ''Finlyandskiy ...
in St. Petersburg.
The town is connected by roads with Vyborg and with
Zelenogorsk Zelenogorsk (russian: Зеленогорск) is the name of several inhabited localities in Russia.
;Urban localities
*Zelenogorsk, Krasnoyarsk Krai, a closed town in Krasnoyarsk Krai
*Zelenogorsk, Saint Petersburg, a municipal town in Kurortny ...
and is also linked by bus to other localities nearby.
Notable people
*
Eino Kirjonen
Eino Kirjonen (25 February 1933, in Koivisto – 21 August 1988, in Kouvola) was a Finnish ski jumper who competed from 1954 to 1962. He finished seventh in the individual large hill event at the 1956 Winter Olympics in Cortina d'Ampezzo.
Kirjon ...
, Olympic ski jumper
*
Voitto Soini, professional ice hockey player
References
Notes
Sources
*
*
{{Authority control
Cities and towns in Leningrad Oblast
Populated coastal places in Russia
Port cities and towns in Russia
Port cities and towns of the Baltic Sea
Karelian Isthmus
Oil terminals
Naukograds