Ladoga Karelia ( fi, Laatokan Karjala, russian: Ладожская Карелия, Ladožskaja Karelija, Карельское Приладожье, ''Karelskoje Priladožje'' or Северное Приладожье, ''Severnoje Priladožje'') is a historical region of Karelia, currently largely in

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-eig ...

. Today, the term refers to the part of the Republic of Karelia in the

Russian Federation 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-eig ...

comprising the south-west part of the Republic, specifically Lakhdenpokhsky District,

Pitkyarantsky District Pitkyarantsky District (russian: Питкяра́нтский райо́н; krl, Pitkänrannan piiri; fi, Pitkärannan piiri) is an administrative district (raion), one of the fifteen in the Republic of Karelia, Russia.Constitution of the Repu ...

and Sortavala District. This region is on the northern littoral of Lake Ladoga, which borders Olonets Karelia to the East,

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 194 ...

(

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 ...

) to the south-west and the

North Karelia North Karelia ( fi, Pohjois-Karjala; sv, Norra Karelen) is a region in eastern Finland. It borders the regions of Kainuu, North Savo, South Savo and South Karelia, as well as Russia's Republic of Karelia. It is the easternmost region of Fin ...

region 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 B ...

to the west.

History

When state formation first began in the region, Ladoga Karelia belonged to 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 mod ...

; thereafter it came under Russian rule, as part of

Kexholm County Kexholm County (, ) was a county of the Swedish Empire from 1634 to 1721, when the southern part was ceded to the Russian Empire in the Treaty of Nystad. The capital of the county was Kexholm (), which today is Priozersk. History The county ...

. Along with Kexholm County, Ladoga Karelia was transferred to Sweden through the

Treaty of Stolbovo The Treaty of Stolbovo () was a peace treaty that ended the Ingrian War (), which had been fought between the Swedish Empire and the Russian Tsardom between 1610 and 1617. History After nearly two months of negotiations, representatives from Sw ...

in 1617. Sweden lost Ladoga Karelia to Russia in 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, after which the area became part of the Viborg Governorate, also known as

Old Finland Old Finland ( fi, Vanha Suomi; rus, Ста́рая Финля́ндия, r=Staraya Finlyandiya; sv, Gamla Finland) is a name used for the areas that Russia gained from Sweden in the Great Northern War (1700–1721) and in the Russo-Swedis ...

. Following the Russian conquest of the rest of Finland, this so-called "Old Finland" was united, under the name

Viborg 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 ...

, with the newly constituted

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 predecess ...

in 1812. The Ladoga Karelia was then divided into Central Karelia and Border Karelia. The area remained part of Finland following its independence from Russia in 1917. Ladoga Karelia was fought over by Finland and the

Soviet Union The Soviet Union,. officially the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics. (USSR),. was a List of former transcontinental countries#Since 1700, transcontinental country that spanned much of Eurasia from 1922 to 1991. A flagship communist state, ...

during the 1939–40

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 ...

(ended with 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 ...

) and the 1941–44

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 ...

. Following these conflicts, only small parts of Ladoga Karelia remained in Finland. Some form part of the South Karelia region: the Finnish parts of

Parikkala Parikkala () is a municipality of Finland located in the province of Southern Finland and is part of the South Karelia region, from Lappeenranta and from Joensuu. The town center of Parikkala is about from the Russian border. The municipality ...

, Saari and

Uukuniemi Uukuniemi is a former municipality of Finland. It was located in the province of Southern Finland and was part of the South Karelia region. The municipality had a population of 516 (2003) and it covered an area of 156.58 km² of which 54.8 ...

municipalities are now part of Parikkala municipality; the former Simpele municipality is now part of the current

Rautjärvi Rautjärvi () is a municipality of Finland. It is located in the province of Southern Finland and is part of the South Karelia region. The municipality has a population of () and covers an area of of which is water. The population density is . M ...

municipality. Meanwhile, Kolkka, the westernmost part of the former Korpiselkä municipality that remained in Finland, was joined to

Tuupovaara Tuupovaara (''Kovero'' until 1913) is a former municipality of Finland, located in the province of North Karelia. It was consolidated, together with Kiihtelysvaara, into the municipality of Joensuu on January 1, 2005. The municipality had a popu ...

municipality, which in turn is now part of

Joensuu Joensuu (; krl, Jovensuu; ) is a city and municipality in North Karelia, Finland, located on the northern shore of Lake Pyhäselkä (northern part of Lake Saimaa) at the mouth of the Pielinen River (''Pielisjoki''). It was founded in 1848. The ...

and

province.

Central Karelia

The historic region of Central Karelia ( fi, Keski-Karjala) was divided into the following municipalities and hundreds (''kihlakunnat''): * Harlu ( Sortavalan kihlakunta) * Jaakkima ( Kurkijoen kihlakunta) * Kurkijoki ( Kurkijoen kihlakunta) * Lahdenpohja ( Kurkijoen kihlakunta) * Lumivaara ( Kurkijoen kihlakunta) *

( Kurkijoen kihlakunta) * Ruskeala ( Sortavalan kihlakunta) * Saari ( Kurkijoen kihlakunta) * Simpele ( Kurkijoen kihlakunta) * Sortavala * Sortavalan maalaiskunta, including Valamo ( Sortavalan kihlakunta) *

( Sortavalan kihlakunta)

Hiitola Khiytola (russian: Хийтола; fi, Hiitola) is a rural locality (a settlement) in Lakhdenpokhsky District of the Republic of Karelia, Russia. History The Finnish name of the settlement (Hiitola) derives from "Hiisi", the name of a forest spi ...

was also sometimes read as belonging to Ladoga Karelia. Pälkjärvi belonged to the parish of

Ilomantsi Ilomantsi ( krl, Il'manči or Ilomančči, sv, Ilomants) is municipality and a village of Finland. It is located in the North Karelia region. The municipality has a population of () and covers an area of of which is water. The population densi ...

and thus to the county of Kuopio. Because of its geographical position and historical background, however, it could also be connected to Laatokan Karjala.

Border Karelia

In Border Karelia ( fi, Raja-Karjala), the majority language was Karelian and most of the people were Orthodox Christians. Most Karelians in the area spoke South Karelian (''suvikarjala'', not to be confused with the southeastern dialects of Finnish), while Livvi was spoken in Salmi and the Hyrsylä salient of Suojärvi. The historic region of Border Karelia was divided into the following municipalities (all belonging to Salmin kihlakunta): * Impilahti * Korpiselkä * Salmi * Soanlahti * Suistamo * Suojärvi

References

{{reflist Karelia Geography of Finland Divided regions Historical regions Fennoscandia

History

Central Karelia

Border Karelia

Further reading

References