Imatra is a town in Finland , located in the southeastern interior of the country. Imatra is located in the region of South Karelia , on Lake Saimaa , the River Vuoksi . The population of Imatra is approximately 25,000, while the sub-region has a population of approximately 37,000. It is the 42nd most populous municipality in Finland.
115-545: Imatra lies on the border with Russia . On the other side of the border, seven kilometres (4.3 mi) away from the centre of Imatra, lies the Russian town of Svetogorsk . The city of St. Petersburg is situated 210 km (130 mi) to the southeast, the Finnish capital Helsinki is 230 km (140 mi) away and Lappeenranta , the nearest Finnish town, is 37 km (23 mi) away. The main employers are
230-611: A false flag attack on Finland, shelling the village of Mainila , located on the Soviet side of the Finland–Russia border, and then accusing Finland of being the aggressor. The Soviets used this as a pretext to instigate the Winter War , which began four days later on November 30. On 27 December 2015, Finland blocked access to people crossing the border by bicycle at Raja-Jooseppi [ fi ] and Salla . According to
345-424: A sudden increase in asylum seekers entering Finland via Russia, all border crossings were closed in late 2023. The northern endpoint of the border between Norway , Finland, and Russia forms a tripoint marked by Treriksrøysa , a stone cairn near Muotkavaara ( 69°03′06″N 28°55′45″E / 69.05167°N 28.92917°E / 69.05167; 28.92917 ( Muotkavaara tripoint ) ). On
460-612: A beer brewery in Loviisa. According to historian Olle Sirén , Creutz's entry into the business was based on his need to secure the sales of barley at the Malmgård manor . In 1874 the brewery was transferred to the Bavarian Heinrich Lehmann, and his family continued to brew beer for almost a century. Industrialisation began in earnest in 1882 when the merchant Arseni Terichoff built a steam-operated sawmill at
575-542: A bit more than a week after that the whites controlled the eastern part of the Uusimaa region from Sipoo to Loviisa. From the whites' viewpoint it was important that the Uusimaa guards could hold their positions. They were far away from the main frontlione but could hold off against red troops. On 6 February the reds attacked Loviisa from Kotka. The attackers numbered almost 550, of which about 50 were Red Guard members from
690-469: A border zone, where entry is legal only with a permit. It is 50 m at its narrowest and 3 km at its widest on land, varying in width according to terrain features. It is up to 4 km at sea. In Virmajärvi in Ilomantsi , it is delineated so that the easternmost point in Finnish territory is accessible without permit. The zone is marked in terrain with yellow signs, yellow straps or yellow painted rings around
805-573: A decision by the European Union . Amid the worsening of relations between the two countries, on November 16, 2023, the Finnish Government announced the closure of four border crossings in the south-east (Vaalimaa, Nuijamaa, Imatra and Niirala), effective November 18, 2023. One week later, they announced the further closure of all other crossings (namely, Kuusamo, Salla and Vartius), effective November 24, 2023. The one exception
920-643: A few months. There were about 800 air strike alarms from 1939 to 1944, but the bombers mostly targeted Helsinki, Lahti or Kotka. During the Winter War Loviisa was bombed twice, and two citizens died. The bombings in the Continuation War were concentrated on the summers of 1941 and 1944, there were also two casualties. There is no record of the total number of Loviisa citizens killed during the wars. The new cemetery has 92 war hero graves, but not all of them were registered in Loviisa. In spring 1941
1035-651: A few of them (Malmgård, Labby, Suur-Sarvilahti and Kulla) are even partly open to the public. Of the tens of villages in Loviisa the Pernå parish, Fasarby, Horslök and Härkäpää are historically significant. Fasarby is a group village dating from the Middle Ages consisting of old business houses for soldiers. The village is located in the southwestern part of the municipality at the bottom of the Fasarbyviken bay, and its current buildings consist of paired houses built in
1150-526: A few years earlier. The two largest companies in Loviisa - the Nordström concern and Rauma-Repola - were under great difficulties in the middle 1960s, so building a nuclear power plant in the city was seen as important. In 1965 the city council received news of Imatran Voima's plans to build a nuclear power plant on the shores of the Gulf of Finland , and the mayor Gunnar Wahlström started proposing Loviisa as
1265-563: A period of six months. The measure was later removed. Finland began constructing a border barrier in 2023 due to the Russo-Ukrainian War . Russia introduced a bill on 21 May 2024, aiming to redefine its maritime boundaries in the Baltic Sea. The proposed changes would expand its territorial waters by altering the maritime borders it shares with Finland and Lithuania , effective from January 2025. Initially published on
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#17327799790191380-577: A restaurant lure both boaters and people travelling by the ferry boat, which does regular traffic between Loviisa centre and Svartholm. Loviisa is also renowned for its Old Town. The Old Town was spared from the great fire of 1855. An annex of the Degerby estate, dating from the 17th century, is located in the Old Town. The building is one of the oldest surviving wooden houses in Finland. In Loviisa there
1495-553: A result, border traffic has not yet returned to pre-COVID-19 levels, though it still remains significant. By July 2023, there had been 973,337 border crossings, most of which occurred over land borders. Most people crossing the border had multiple-entry visas issued before 2019 or Schengen visas issued by other member states. Entering Finland via Norway still remains legal, as Norway does not restrict tourist visas. On September 16, 2023, Finland banned vehicles with Russian license plates from entering their territory, in accordance with
1610-469: A rich cultural life particularly in terms of music. Up to the 1880s the most important sources of income in Loviisa were trade and handicraft. What little there was of industry was concentrated on seafaring (boat crafting) and stimulants. Loviisa had had a tobacco factory already since the 1750s, and in the late 1770s a state alcohol distillery was started in Loviisa (king Gustav III had forbidden home distillation). In 1858 count Carl Magnus Creutz formed
1725-463: A rural village to a city district when it was annexed to Loviisa in 1924. On the other hand, the annexation of Valko, which had also belonged to Pernå, to Loviisa caused much controversy. The city of Loviisa had bought large areas of land from the Valko area already in the early 20th century, and the annexation had been under plans for half a century until it was finally decided in 1956. In the same year it
1840-506: A southern border crossing to the Soviet exclave . Border crossings were in Luoma (checkpoint) [ fi ] and Tähtelä [ fi ] . In 1947, Finnish trains were allowed to pass through the base, but the passenger car windows were blinded and the locomotives replaced while crossing through. Porkkala was returned to the Finnish government in 1956. During the Cold War ,
1955-450: A successful business career in the 1920s. In 1922 he founded a corporation named Lovisa Stevedoring, and during the next years he bought the majority of Lovisa Ångfartyg A.B. The company acquired its first steamship meant for international traffic in 1927. Around 1930 Nordström's shipping and cargo businesses started to form an entire concern. In spring 1931 he founded the company Loviisan Kalastus Oy and equipped his ships to catch herring at
2070-668: Is 1,340 km (830 mi) long and runs approximately north to south, mostly through taiga forests and sparsely populated rural areas . It does not follow any natural landmarks, such as mountains or rivers. It is also an external border of the European Union and NATO . It is patrolled by the Finnish Border Guard and the Border Guard Service of Russia , who also enforce border zones extending, respectively, up to 3 km (1.9 mi) on
2185-412: Is 9.5 meters deep. The city of Loviisa is the largest employer in the municipality. It has over a thousand employees and an annual budget of about 130 million euro. The income tax percentage in Loviisa is 20.25%. In 2019 the city received 59 million euro in tax income and 25 million euro in state subsidies. The largest expenses were personnel costs (49 million) and service purchases (47 million). In 2020
2300-609: Is a town in Finland , located in the southern coast of the country. Loviisa is situated in the eastern part of the Uusimaa region. The population of Loviisa is approximately 14,000, while the sub-region has a population of approximately 17,000. It is the 78th most populous municipality in Finland. Loviisa is located 90 kilometres (56 mi) from Helsinki and 38 kilometres (24 mi) from Porvoo . The municipality covers an area of 1,751.52 square kilometres (676.27 sq mi) of which 931.92 km (359.82 sq mi)
2415-589: Is a crossing point over the Russian border, which is also the ending point of primary road 62 from Mikkeli . The Kouvola–Joensuu railway passes through Imatra, and the Imatra railway station serves both passenger and freight transport. From the rail yard of this station is a fork onto the railway towards Kamennogorsk via Vyborg . The planning of the initiation of regular international passenger traffic between Imatra and Saint Petersburg has stopped due to Russia's war against Ukraine. The closest airport to Imatra
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#17327799790192530-425: Is also a high society clubhouse, the only one of its kind in Finland spared from fires. Having been restored it now is a library/mediatheque. The first church in Loviisa was destroyed during the fire. The current Neo-Gothic church was inaugurated in 1865. The German Brandenstein division landed in Valko in Loviisa on 7 April 1918. The division advanced as far as to Lahti , before returning to Loviisa in order to leave
2645-629: Is also a small industrial area in Koskenkylä. There are 13 primary schools in Loviisa, of which six are Finnish-speaking and seven are Swedish-speaking. Ten of the schools are located in village centres all around Loviisa. There are two gymnasiums, the Finnish-speaking Loviisan lukio and the Swedish-speaking Lovisa Gymnasium. There is a bilingual folk high school in Loviisa, holding classes both in
2760-472: Is both a residential district and a harbour and industrial district. The districts of Määrlahti, Rauhala, Eteläharju and Valko contain suburban apartment building areas. The western entrance area to the centre of Loviisa along the Finnish National Road 7 started to be called Kuningattarenportti ("Queen's gate") in the early 2010s, and developed into an area of shops and business buildings. At
2875-632: Is even larger but only a small part of it is located in Loviisa). Other large lakes include Lappominjärvi , Sarvalaxträsket , Särkjärvi and Teutjärvi . The rivers of Koskenkylänjoki , Loviisanjoki and Taasianjoki , as well as the western branches of the Kymi river run through Loviisa. The Finnish Museum Board has declared the Esplanadi area in Loviisa around the market square as a nationally significant cultural area. Esplanadi has also been chosen as
2990-578: Is the Lappeenranta Airport , which is used by Ryanair on several routes as well as irregular passenger flights to the Canary Islands and cargo flights to Russia. The Immola Airfield is also present, serving the Finnish Border Guard as well as hobbyist aviation activities. Twin towns: Sister cities: Co-operation cities: Finland%E2%80%93Russia border The international border between Finland and Russia
3105-611: Is the largest island in Loviisa, with a permanent connection to the mainland. Other large islands include Gäddbergsö, Kampuslandet and Keipsalo. The island of Hästholmen is known for the Loviisa nuclear power plant, and the Svartholm fortress is one of the most famous tourist destinations in Loviisa. After the Crimean War the fortress was left to decay, but it has been restored led by the Finnish Museum Board since
3220-439: Is water. The population density is 17.51 inhabitants per square kilometre (45.4/sq mi). The neighboring municipalities of Liljendal , Pernå and Ruotsinpyhtää were consolidated with Loviisa on 1 January 2010. Loviisa is a bilingual municipality with Finnish and Swedish as its official languages. The population consists of 55% Finnish speakers, 39% Swedish speakers, and 6% speakers of other languages. Loviisa
3335-549: The Arctic region, Russia maintains its 500-year-old border patrol, with plans to upgrade Soviet -era technologies to reduce costs and improve efficiency by 2020. The border can be crossed only at official checkpoints, and at least one visa is required for most people. Major border checkpoints are found in Vaalimaa and Nuijamaa , where customs services on both sides inspect and levy fees on imported goods. In an attempt to curb
3450-617: The Continuation War (1941–44), the land border was demarcated in the Treaty of Paris (1947). As a result, approximately half of Finnish Karelia (including Finland's fourth-largest city Vyborg ), parts of Salla , and all of Petsamo were ceded to the Soviet Union. The new border cut through what was previously Finnish territory, severing many rail lines and isolating many Karelian towns from Finland. The Soviet Union demanded
3565-543: The Finns Party noted that the influx of immigrants was causing disturbances for Finns driving to the Russian side to purchase petrol, as the border was being held up by lengthy immigration proceedings. In March 2016, Finland and Russia temporarily closed the Raja-Jooseppi and Salla border crossings to third country nationals . Only Finnish, Russian and Belarusian citizens were allowed to use these crossings for
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3680-490: The Icelandic waters. In August the first shipment of herring reached Valko. Except for the war years, the catch of herring on Nordström's ships continued for over twenty years. The Nordström concern was at its largest in the 1950s when it employed 1700 people, of which over 700 lived in Loviisa. The land surface area of Loviisa grew to over two times its size from 1920 to 1970. Antinkylä had already practically changed from
3795-549: The October Revolution in 1917, but the spa still had 250 to 400 annual visitors in the early 1920s. In 1926 a fashionable beach life became accessible by transporting large amounts of sand to the Plagen beach. However, visitor numbers decreased in the late 1920s. An announcement about discontinuing the spa was made in 1929 when the city decided to continue operations in the spa. Loviisa failed to restore its reputation at
3910-504: The Olkiluoto Nuclear Power Plant . The town of Degerby was founded on the grounds of the Degerby horse stable in Pernå in 1745 as a frontier and fortress town. Eastern Finland needed a new staple town because the eastern border had shifted in the 1743 Treaty of Åbo . The only staple town in eastern Finland, Hamina , was left beyond the border. King Adolf Frederick of Sweden visited Degerby in 1752 and renamed
4025-588: The Superpesis national league, playing at Ukonniemi Stadium . Imatra is the birthplace of National Hockey League players Jussi Markkanen and Petteri Nokelainen . In motorsport history, Imatra is best known for its road races (former TT-race) from 1963 to 1986. From 1962 to 1982 it was the home of the Finnish motorcycle Grand Prix . Racing on the Imatra road circuit ended after fatal accident during
4140-521: The Winter War , leading to the signing of the Moscow Peace Treaty the following year. The treaty had Finland cede several border areas to the USSR. The naval border was established in 1940 and more accurately defined in 1965. Between 1940 and 1941, the Soviet Union rented Hanko Peninsula as a military base , thereby creating an additional border crossing leading to the exclave. After
4255-477: The Winter War . Jääski lost 85% of its territory and it was decided that a new municipality, Imatra, should be established on the remaining 15% of Jääski and some areas of Ruokolahti and Joutseno. This is why the Imatra coat of arms has three flashes – in honour of those previous municipalities that granted areas to it. It gained its municipal charter in 1971. PaSa Bandy is a bandy club in Imatra. The men's pesäpallo club Imatran Pallo-Veikot competes in
4370-540: The 18th and 19th centuries and mansard roof villas built in the 1920s. The archipelago villages of Horslök and Härkäpää (Swedish: Härpe) are located in Sarvisalo. Both villages date from the Middle Ages, and they have exceptionally well preserved their appearance from the early 20th century. There is a windmill built in the 19th century in Härkäpää. The island of Sarvisalo has a surface area of 27.4 square kilometres and
4485-495: The 1950 has been renovated and there are new exercise opportunities for the students, such as ball game fields. Most of the school buildings are made of wood. Koskenkylä received a new bilingual central school when a new log school building was built next to the Forsby skolan building. The old school building is also made of logs and was renovated at the same time. The central school was completed in autumn 2020. The construction of
4600-701: The 1960s. There is a pilot station in Orrengrund and a lightouse in Tiiskeri (Swedish: Digskär). There has previously been pilot activity in Boistö and the neighbouring island of Lehtinen (Swedish: Lövö), but they now host accommodation services and meeting facilities. Boistö hosted secret negotiations between Russia and the United States about the situation in Ukraine in summer 2014. Distances from
4715-643: The 1986 European Championship event. Racing resumed in 2016 as an International Road Racing Championship event. There is an annual indoor rowing race at Imatra, which attracts competitors from across Finland. The Black & White Theatre has produced more than 20 performances, the movie "Murderer" and organized from 2004 Black & White Theatre Festival in Imatra. More information https://blackandwhitetheatre.fi/ . The national road 6 , running from Koskenkylä in Loviisa to Kajaani via Kouvola , Lappeenranta , and Joensuu passes through Imatra. Also in Imatra
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4830-583: The Cold War, they did not protect illegal border crossers and instead returned them to the Soviet authorities if captured. As a result, illegal border crossers had to arrive in a third country, for example Sweden, in order to defect to the West . Both states verified the inviolability of borders and territorial integrity in the first Conference on Security and Co-operation in Europe in 1975. The Finnish side has
4945-518: The English fleet had started firing at Svartholm, and on the day of the fire the fortress had exploded into ruins. The gunfire from the English warship was not actually connected to the fire in the town, and the actual cause of the fire remains a mystery. The events of summer 1855 are depicted in Runar Schildt 's 1916 novel Sateenkaari ( Regnbågen ), with certain artistic liberties. After
5060-493: The Finnish Border Guard, this measure was to limit illegal immigration and ensure safety on slippery roads. The Finnish Border Guard stated that organized traffickers were making their clients cross the border by bike in order to avoid being captured on the Finnish side and prosecuted for organizing illegal immigration, which is a felony in Finnish law. In response to the prohibition, asylum seekers started to cross
5175-579: The Finnish Brother-in-Arms Association started to produce a Military Village project to the southwestern side of Myllyharju together with Ragnar Nordström . About 20 residential buildings were built at the Military Village, of which Nordström financed the most. The 200th anniversary of Loviisa was celebrated in 1945 with President of Finland Carl Gustaf Emil Mannerheim attending. Nordström had already started
5290-404: The Finnish government announced an extension. The Finnish government said the measures were taken to curb the influx of illegal entries into the country, which they claim is being "aided and encouraged" by Russia. The Finnish government has also accused Russia of deliberately using refugees as weapons as part of its hybrid warfare strategy. On 26 November 1939, the Soviet Union carried out
5405-408: The Finnish side and at least 7.5 km (4.7 mi) on the Russian side . A permit is required for entry to these border zones. Electronic surveillance on the Finnish side is concentrated most heavily on the southernmost 200 kilometers (125 miles). In addition, the Finnish Border Guard conducts irregularly scheduled dog patrols multiple times daily to catch illegal entries into the border zone. In
5520-402: The Finnish side is mostly not fenced. It is marked by a border vista and two or three boundary markers. The Finnish side has blue and white striped poles, tall enough to be visible in deep snow, displaying a Finnish coat of arms. Russians have a corresponding pole in red and green. A short white pole marks the actual border. In 2023, Finland began constructing a Finland–Russia border barrier at
5635-572: The Grand Duchy of Finland so-called " Old Finland " territories previously held by Sweden. In the period following Finland's declaration of full independence in 1917, during the Finnish Civil War and Russian Civil War , Finnish activists often crossed the border into Soviet territory in order to fight in the " heimosodat " wars surrounding Finnish ethnic self-determination and possible annexation into Finland. This ended in 1920 when
5750-497: The Loviisa area. After receiving news of the advance of the reds the whites in Loviisa moved about three kilometres east from the centre. There was an armed battle, after which the whites - threatened by a blockade - retreated to the Rosen and Ungern fortresses. There was another battle in the evening, where the whites lost ten men (there are no records of the reds' losses). The whites ran nearly out of ammunition and thus they retreated to
5865-611: The Peace Forum and the horse trotting contests. Loviisa has many companies related to the local tourism. The port in Valko and the Loviisa Power Plant bring industry to Loviisa. There is also an industrial park in the Uusikaupunki district, housing many smaller companies, for instance mechanical shops and retail sellers of spare parts. There is a harbour for cargoes such as timber, bulk and parcelled goods in
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#17327799790195980-588: The Russian–Finnish Treaty of Tartu in 1920 defined Finland as an independent country and established the border between the two countries. Despite this, Finnish fighters took part in the East Karelian uprising and Soviet–Finnish conflict of 1921–22 . In 1922, the Finnish government closed the border to volunteers and food and munitions shipments. In 1939, the Soviet Union invaded Finland in
6095-654: The Schengen area. In 2015, 9.1 million individuals crossed the border, half of which went through Vaalimaa and Nuijamaa . Traffic across the border was interrupted during the COVID-19 pandemic . In 2023, Finland stopped issuing new tourist visas to Russians due to the Russo-Ukrainian War , and downgraded their travel advisory for Russia to "avoid all travel". New Finnish visas can only be issued for travelers in certain categories, such as people with family in Finland or people who currently reside or work in Finland. As
6210-660: The Timberpoint wood element factory and the boat outfitter Boomerang Boats. The Liljendal industrial area includes several successful businesses such as the healthcare product manufacturer Teampac, the packaging company Liljendalin Tehdas, the screw spool manufacture Topcore and the hydraulics company Mecanil. Companies in the Tesjoki industrial area include Kuusisen Kala (Disa's Fish), Eltete (wood and paper refinery) and Nalco Finland Manufacturing producing special chemicals. There
6325-507: The accused were sentenced to civil service and/or fines, so the reds would benefit financially. At the start of April, Mannerheim 's troops occupied Tampere , and the German Detachment Brandenstein numbering 3000 men landed in Valko, advancing to Uusikylä and Lahti . The detachment left Loviisa on 16 December 1918 after Germany had lost World War I. The spa reopened in 1919. The Russians had gone way after
6440-541: The air conditioning) and an elevator shaft was built outside the additional wing built in the 1950s. After the 2019 renovation, the Evangelical Lutheran Church of Finland in Loviisa has split into two congregations, the Finnish and Swedish Agricola congregations, which are also active in Lapinjärvi . The two congregations form the congregation association in the Loviisa area. In 2023, 68.2% of
6555-612: The battlements of the island during the naval warfare in the Gulf of Finland . No longer fit for use the fortress was left to decay. As of the 1960s the fortress has been restored led by the Finnish Heritage Agency . The restoration was brought to a conclusion in time for the 250th jubilee of the fortress in 1998. During the summers various programmes are arranged on the island of Svartholm for both locals and tourists. The guided tours , an exciting adventure for juniors and
6670-507: The border by car, often using dilapidated cars purchased in Russia. On 23 January 2016, Finnish Foreign Minister Timo Soini , member of the Finns Party , visited the Salla border crossing, where he talked about human smuggling across the border and claimed that there was "probably" an entity on the Russian side that was organizing the inflow of immigrants. Furthermore, a representative of
6785-469: The border constituted part of the perimeter of the Iron Curtain . Crossing the border was not possible for much of its length. Only a very limited number of border crossing points existed, and the Soviet government permitted only escorted trips to select cities; border zones were off limits to tourists. There was little contact between cities that were relatively close to each other on opposite sides of
6900-413: The border eastward. As a result of the Ingrian War and the resulting Treaty of Stolbovo (1617), Sweden gained a large tract of land through the acquisition of the Nöteborg fortress , Kexholm and its large province, southwest Karelia and the province of Ingria . The Treaty of Nystad in 1721 and the Treaty of Åbo in 1743 moved the border westward. Generally, the native populations on both sides of
7015-407: The border were ethnically Finnish. However, the border region was marked by religious differences, with the Russian side being predominantly Orthodox , while the Swedish side was initially Catholic , and later, Lutheran Protestant . After the peace of Stolbovo in 1617, the Orthodox population faced persecution and many fled to the Russian side or converted to Lutheranism. The displaced population
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#17327799790197130-428: The border, Russian tourists are a common sight in the town, and Russian tourism is a boon to the local economy. Most people shop in Imatra, and Imatra's tax-free sales are the third largest among Finnish cities (only Helsinki and Lappeenranta are ahead). The name of Imatra is thought to derive from a pre-Finno-Ugric language . The lightning symbols on Imatra's coat of arms refer to the power plants that were built in
7245-488: The border, such as Imatra and Svetogorsk . The Soviet side maintained extensive electronic systems and patrols to prevent illegal crossings. Soviet border surveillance began at a great distance from the actual border, and was as extensive as elsewhere along the Iron Curtain. The first surveillance systems were installed in railway stations in cities, where the militsiya monitored potentially suspicious traffic. The border zone began at 120 kilometres (75 mi) from
7360-477: The border. A special permit was required for entry, and the first line of control was equipped with electronic alarms. At 60 kilometres (37 mi), there was a raked sand strip (to detect footprints) and a thin alarmed tripwire . At 20 kilometres (12 mi), there was a 3 metres (9.8 ft) tall barbed wire fence, with a top that curved inwards towards their own territory to prevent Soviet citizens from leaving. The fence had an electronic alarm system. However, it
7475-417: The central conurbation, the largest conurbations in the municipality are Koskenkylä and Tesjoki , both with about a thousand inhabitants. In late 2019 Loviisa had 14,772 inhabitants, of which 10,904 lived in conurbations, 3,728 in dispersed settlements and 140 at unknown locations. Of the population of Loviisa, 74.5% lived in conurbations. There are numerous manors in Loviisa, of which the most are located in
7590-424: The central conurbation. Of these three are parishes: Liljendal, Pernå and Ruotsinpyhtää. The St. Michael's church built in Pernå in the 15th century is the oldest building in Loviisa. Two of the conurbations - Koskenkylä and the Ruotsinpyhtää parish - have been built around ironworks areas. The Koskenkylä ironworks area is mainly closed to visitors, whereas Strömfors in Ruotsinpyhtää is open for tourism. Other than
7705-402: The centre and in the villages, also active in the areas of Lapinjärvi and Pyhtää . In the 2010s and early 2020s the city of Loviisa invested in new school buildings. A new building for the junior stage primary school was built in 2014. Because of indoor air problems the building was intermittently out of use from 2018 to 2019. The old part of the Harjurinne school and Loviisan lukio built in
7820-500: The centre. Fortum employs over 500 people in Loviisa. The central conurbation hosts a factory building Loval electroni components. It employs about 300 people making Loval the third largest employer in the city. There are industrial areas all over the municipality. The areas of Uusi teollisuusalue and Vanha teollisuusalue are located near the centre, including small businesses such as repair shops and spare parts shops. The area of Valko includes harbour activity and other industry, including
7935-400: The citizens of Loviisa belonged to the Evangelical Lutheran Church. After the 2010 annexation there were five Evangelical Lutheran congregations in Loviisa: the Liljendal congregation, the Finnish congregation in Loviisa, the Pernå congregation, the Ruotsinpyhtää congregation and the Swedish congregation in Loviisa. The congregation of south-eastern Finland of the Orthodox Church of Finland
8050-569: The city centre and the districts of Alakaupunki, Garnisoni and Uusikaupunki. Alakaupunki was spared in the 1855 fire, and it contains the auxiliary building of the Degerby horse stead dating from the 1690s. It is one of Finland's oldest wooden buildings. Uusikaupunki was built as a workers' district to the west of the railway station in the early 20th century. Other districts include Uusi teollisuusalue, Vanha teollisuusalue, Pohjoistulli, Panimonmäki, Hakalehto, Ulrika, Määrlahti, Rauhala, Eteläharju, Antinkylä, Bella, Haravankylä, Köpbacka and Valko. Valko
8165-430: The city centre of Loviisa to other localities along the shortest routes with their approximated driving times: The building of the sea fortress of Svartholm , located to the south from the city, was begun at the same time as the fortification of Loviisa. The purpose of the sea fortress was to protect the city from the sea, as well as to offer safe haven for the Swedish coastal navy. A joint Anglo-French navy unit destroyed
8280-675: The country on 16 December 1918, as Germany had lost World War I . The summers are lively in Loviisa. The most popular summer events are the Historical Houses of Loviisa (an event for traditional house building and renovating), the Sibelius Days, the Loviisa Day on 25 August and the King Arrives in Loviisa (a weekend in the spirit of the 18th century), Small Ships' Race (festival for traditional small sailing ships),
8395-554: The cultural landscape of the year in the Western Kymi cultural road in 2019. The principal buildings in the area include the pink city hall ( Georg Theodor Chiewitz 1862), the Neo-Gothic Loviisa church (Georg Theodor Chiewitz and Julius Basilier 1865) and Finland's oldest surviving wooden social club (Georg Theodor Chiewitz 1863 and Selim A. Lindqvist 1907). Historical districts in the central conurbation include
8510-472: The current site of Sahaniemi. In the 1890s the sawmill had about fifty employees, and over a hundred in the early 1900s. A cardboard factory started in 1912 and soon became the second largest employer in the city. At the turn of the century a railway connection from Loviisa to Vesijärvi in Lahti was completed, and the cardboard factory was the first significant industrial company founded in Loviisa to make use of
8625-603: The early 1920s at the Tainionskoski and Imatrankoski rapids. The coat of arms was designed by Olof Eriksson [ fi ] and approved by the Imatra Town Council on 9 August 1950. The Ministry of the Interior approved the coat of arms for use on 25 October of the same year. An Art Nouveau or Jugend style castle, currently known as Imatran Valtionhotelli ( Imatra State Hotel ), was built near
8740-411: The east. Of the surface area of the municipality of Loviisa, 819.81 square kilometres are land, 25.83 square kilometres are inland waters and 905.88 square kilometres are sea. The land area of Loviisa is larger than that of Porvoo or Kotka, and even larger than those of Helsinki, Vantaa and Espoo put together. There are about forty lakes in the municipality, of which the largest is Hopjärvi ( Tammijärvi
8855-539: The fire there was a proposal to move the town to the south, but the Imperial Senate decided in April 1856 to rebuild Loviisa at its original site. The reconstruction was done according to Ernst Lohrmann 's zoning plan, which was largely based on Georg Theodor Chiewitz 's proposal made before the fire. At the same time, in the early 1860s, Loviisa started to consciously develop into a spa town. The main building of
8970-514: The fortress surrendered to the Russians almost without resistance. The year 1855 during the Crimean War was a dramatic time in Loviisa. Late in the evening on 5 July a fire broke out in the town, which destroyed a large part of the old town blocks in the centre. As well as about 70 residential buildings, the wooden church of Loviisa was also destroyed in the fire. During the previous day,
9085-402: The jobs were in primary production, 32.7% in refinery and 59.4% in services. The employment rate was 73.8%, the highest since 1989. In November 2021 11.4% of the population in Loviisa were unemployed when the average rate in Uusimaa was 10.0%. The largest individual employer in Loviisa is Fortum Power and Heat Oy and its nuclear power plant on the island of Hästholmen, 15 kilometres south from
9200-483: The loans of the municipality concern amounted to 7158 euro per citizen, which was smaller than the average in Uusimaa. The 2021 financial statement of the city of Loviisa had a surplus of 4.6 million euro. The city owns significant minority shares of Loviisan Satama Oy and Kymenlaakson Sähkö Oy. In 2019 the rate of self-sufficiency in the jobs in Loviisa was 82.0%. According to the Statistics Centre, 5.4% of
9315-459: The main building of the spa was completely destroyed in a fire. The spa was not rebuilt. The land fronts in the Winter War and the Continuation War were a safe distance away from Loviisa. Nevertheless there was fear of an enemy landing, and the archipelago had guard stations and cannons. After the end of the Winter War there was a Danish battalion of 600 volunteer men on the archipelago for
9430-556: The new Swedish-speaking senior stage primary school in the centre of Loviisa - Lovisavikens skola - used slightly more modern wood materials, cross-laminated timber elements and laminated beam bars. The two-story school building was completed in late 2020, and the Lovisa Gymnasium next to it was renovated at the same time. The house technics in the Art Nouveau building from the early 20th century were renovated (including
9545-571: The official website of the Registry of Laws, the text of the bill was later taken down. Regular border checkpoints, ordered from north to south, are as follows: In addition, there are provisional border crossing points: The following are Finnish ink passport stamps issued at the Finnish–Russian border. Loviisa Loviisa ( Finnish: [ˈloʋiːsɑ] ; Swedish : Lovisa [luˈviːsɑ] ; formerly Degerby )
9660-501: The outer battlements were constructed. The bastions Rosen and Ungern to the east of the current city centre serve as reminders of the history of the fortress town. The Svartholm fortress to the south of the town was built at the same time as the Loviisa fortress. This marine fortress was meant to protect the town from the seaside and provide a safe harbour for the coastal fleet of Sweden. The Swedish era in Svartholm ended in 1808 when
9775-488: The part of the highway between Porvoo and Koskenkylä had been changed to a motorway. In the early 2010s the motorway was extended from Koskenkylä to Kotka and Hamina (the current motorway reaches up to the Vaalimaa border station against Russia ). In 1995 the city of Loviisa celebrated its 250th anniversary and professor Sirén's history of the city was published in Finnish and Swedish. Pernå, Liljendal and Ruotsinpyhtää were annexed to Loviisa on 1 January 2010. The annexation
9890-468: The pulp and paper manufacturer Stora Enso Oyj , the town of Imatra, the engineering steel manufacturer Ovako Bar Oy Ab and the Finnish Border Guard . As of October 2003, the total number of employees was 12,423. As of December 2004, 1,868 people were employed by the City of Imatra. The town's nicknames include Imis, Ibiza and Nahkalippis City (leather baseball cap city). Due to its location close to
10005-409: The railroad. The sea lane underneath the bridge was not deep enough for steamships, so harbour activity was moved first to Tullisilta and then to Valko upon the completion of the railroad. World War I affected Loviisa as unemployment and rising food prices. The activity of the sawmill ended in 1914, and the activity at the harbours decreased. In 1917 the Loviisa workers' association made demands about
10120-476: The railway station. The city council held a meeting in the evening, deciding to form a guard. On 19 August 150 citizens of Loviisa signed up for the guard, received white arm ribbons and marched onto the city square. The strikers retreated to Uusikaupunki . The socialists tried in vain to seek Russian military help from Helsinki , and during the same evening there was an attempt at the Workers' House to declare
10235-476: The rapids in 1903 as a hotel for tourists from the Russian Imperial capital Saint Petersburg . During the Continuation War , Carl Gustaf Emil Mannerheim met with Adolf Hitler in secrecy near the town for the former's 75th birthday. Imatra was founded in 1948 on the territory of three municipalities – Jääski , Ruokolahti and Joutseno . Finland ceded 9% of its territory to the Soviet Union after
10350-718: The same time, a new large residential area was planned to the Harmaakallio area to the west of the central conurbation, but only a small part of it has been completed. A new residential area named Kuningattarenranta is being built on the eastern shore of the Loviisanlahti bay, which will host the 2023 event of the Asuntomessut fair. According to the definition given by the Finnish Statistics Centre, Loviisa has seven conurbations in addition to
10465-490: The seating of the important food committee. Despite amends made by the city council a political strike started in August. Socialist workers demanded properly paid jobs for all citizens of Loviisa as well as at least half of the seats in the food committee. In its meeting on 18 August the city council only agreed to the first demand. On the same day the workers declared a "state of full strike", cut of telecommunications and occupied
10580-569: The site of the plant. Because of political reasons, the decision to build the plant was delayed, and construction only started in 1970. The machinery installations in autumn 1975 raised employment in Loviisa to its top figure at 3900 people. In March 1977 President of Finland Urho Kekkonen and Premier of the Soviet Union Alexei Kosygin inaugurated the first nuclear power plant unit. The deal of building another similar unit in Loviisa had been signed in August 1971. The unit
10695-583: The son of a doctor in Loviisa. Other Jaegers included Ragnar Nordström , the son of a customs officer. The guards at the Loviisa region were organised at New Year and at the end of January the guards numbered almost 200 people. Their armament left much to desire. At the start of February the Red Guard in Loviisa numbered almost a hundred men. They had received weapons from the Red Guard in Kotka and from Russian soldiers. The civil war broke out on 27 January, and
10810-567: The south, the boundary is on the shore of the Gulf of Finland , in which there is a maritime boundary between the respective territorial waters , terminating in a narrow strip of international waters between Finnish and Estonian territorial waters. The first treaty concerning the border was signed in Nöteborg in 1323 between Sweden (to which Finland belonged) and the Novgorod Republic . The Treaty of Teusina in 1595 moved
10925-406: The southern city district of Valko. From the harbour there is a traffic connection to Route 7, the major highway between Helsinki and St Petersburg. Loviisa centre is located immediately by Route 7, equally close to Helsinki and the Russian border. There is also a train connection from the harbour to Lahti, from where the carriages can reach other destinations in the country. The route into the harbour
11040-400: The southernmost part of the border. Little reliable information is available on the status of the infrastructure on the Russian side after the Cold War. However, it is known that the border zone is much deeper on the Russian side, and that patrolling against genuinely unpermitted traffic is efficient. In 2011, Finland issued the most Schengen visas to Russians out of all the countries in
11155-488: The strike as finished. But inspired by the Russian Revolution , a new strike began in Loviisa on 15 November, and only three days later the socialists called Russian soldiers for help. In addition to them, Red Guard members from Kotka arrived in Valko, and on 19 November 200 to 300 armed men marched from Valko to Loviisa. The police station, the telephone centre and the railway station were occupied. The red flag
11270-537: The territories be emptied , and Finns were subsequently evacuated from the area and resettled in Finland. The areas that they left were then settled by Soviet immigrants. In the Moscow Armistice signed in 1944 between Finland, the Soviet Union and the United Kingdom, a small peninsula towards the Gulf of Finland, Porkkala , was rented to the Soviet Union as a military base. This created in effect
11385-462: The town as Loviisa after his wife, Queen Louisa Ulrika of Prussia . The first mayor of Loviisa from 1747 to 1765 was Jacob af Forselles , who had fled from Hamina and bought the Petjärvi (Strömfors) ironworks together with Anders Nohrström. In 1748 construction of the Loviisa fortress started, but it soon ground to a halt because of financial difficulties in the kingdom of Sweden. Only part of
11500-424: The trunk of a tree, and in waters, with buoys, signs and placards. The zone is not always uninhabited; inhabitants obtain permanent permits. Entering the border zone without permit is an offence punished with fines. In minor cases, foreigners are deported without punishment. Roads pass through the border zone to the border, and leaving the road is not permitted. Although there are fences near major border crossings,
11615-472: The turn of the century, the spa had become badly deteriorated and there was intense competition from Hanko . In 1931 visitor numbers dropped below a hundred, and finally the city council decided in January 1935 not to open the spa any more. The women working at the spa protested and received permission to continue work under their own responsibility. The spa season in 1935 was a huge success, but in January 1936
11730-478: The vicinity of the city. But there was a civil war going on in Loviisa right from the start: part of the population supported a socialist revolution. Agitation played a part, but according to Sirén, in Loviisa lack of food and unemployment played the most important role. Preparation for the civil war included Jaeger training in Germany , and the first Finn to travel there was Georg Öhman , referred to as "Jäger Eins",
11845-407: The waterworks was built in 1865 at the site of the current Kappelinpuisto park. A restaurant was founded in the same greenspace, and the local "health springs" were put back into use. In the 1880s Georg Öhman, the senior doctor at the spa, recommended Myllyharju as a suitable walking site for spa guests. A viewing pavilion was built in the early 1890s at the hill (at the site where the last windmill
11960-485: The west. The reds moved to Pyhtää . On the next day on 7 February the reds marched to Loviisa, hoisted a red flag at the city hall and founded their headquarters at the City Club. The reds engaged in violence resulting in more deaths of the whites than in the armed battles on 6 February. The revolutionary court of the reds issued over 70 sentences to members of the guard and to other "counter-revolutionaries". Many of
12075-609: The western part of the municipality. The manor concentration of Sjögård, Tervik and Tjusterby in Pernåviken dating from the Middle Ages forms a nationally significant cultural area. Other historically significant manors include the Suur-Sarvilahti manor near the central conurbation, the Malmgård manor in the northwestern part of the municipality and the Kulla manor in the east. The manors are in private ownership, only
12190-695: Was Raja‑Jooseppi, located in the Arctic Circle , through which asylum seekers could still cross. Additionally, on November 23, Frontex announced that the EU would help Finland secure its eastern border by deploying more personnel. Only five days after the closure of Kuusamo, Salla and Vartius, the last remaining crossing, Raja-Jooseppi, was temporarily closed for a period of two weeks. The closures, which apply to all traffic, including Finnish citizens, will last until April 14, 2024. Initially, they were slated to reopen on February 11, 2024, but on February 8,
12305-498: Was completed in 1980. The power plants had utilised large amounts of western technology right from the start, and their usage levels have reached international top rankings. From 1983 to 1985 a state granary was built in the Valko harbour, containing sixteen silos slightly over 80 metres tall. The bypass to the north of the city centre could be taken into use in 1989. The extension of the highway between Porvoo and Koskenkylä to Loviisa had been completed five years earlier. In 1999
12420-429: Was confirmed that the state would take care of the railway between Valko and Lahti and widen its tracks (the railway has only served cargo traffic since 1981). The island of Hästholmen which had belonged to Ruotsinpyhtää was annexed to Loviisa in 1969 because of the upcomin nuclear power plant. The city of Loviisa had owned the lands of the island and its surrounding, and sold them to the nuclear power company Imatran Voima
12535-476: Was disagreement with the city council. In December 2017 Kaleva was succeeded by Jan D. Oker-Blom for a fixed term of seven years. In October 2018 the board of the Suomen Asuntomessut cooperative decided to award the 2023 event to Loviisa. Loviisa is located 77 kilometres to the east of Helsinki (as the crow flies). The closest neighbouring municipalities are Porvoo to the west and Kotka to
12650-459: Was done according to the municipalities' own proposals, Lapinärvi had decided not to undergo annexation. At the same time, the area of Haavisto-Vastila which had belonged to Ruotsinpyhtää was annexed to the municipality of Pyhtää. The annexation was led by Loviisa mayor Olavi Kaleva . The new municipality received an annexation grant of about 6.2 million euro from the state. Kaleva resigned from his post in spring 2017. The reason for his resignation
12765-524: Was founded in 1745, as a border fortress against Russia . Most of the fortifications have been preserved. Loviisa was originally called Degerby , but king Adolf Frederick of Sweden renamed the city after his spouse Lovisa Ulrika after visiting the town in 1752. Loviisa is the site of two of Finland's nuclear reactors , two VVER units each of 488 MWe, at the Loviisa Nuclear Power Plant . The other operating reactors are at
12880-418: Was hoisted at city hall, and 20 to 30 executive members of the city council were taken to Uusikaupunki as prisoners. A compromise about the police station was reached at the end of the year, and the situation calmed down. Loviisa was among those places in Finland that the battles of the year 1918 affected closely. At the start the whites fought a freedom war against Russia: there were violent Russian troops in
12995-681: Was largely replaced by immigrants from Finland, most of whom were Savonians who spoke Finnish instead of the closely related Karelian . After the Finnish War , the Treaty of Fredrikshamn transferred Finland from Sweden to the Russian Empire with the establishment of the Grand Duchy of Finland , an autonomous state ruled by the Russian Czars. In 1812, the Finnish–Russian border reverted to its pre-1721 location, granting
13110-424: Was not protected underground and tunnelling under it was possible. At the international border, there was a border vista . On the Finnish side, there was a border zone where entry was allowed only with a permit. In Northern Finland, there was a reindeer fence intended to stop crossing by privately owned reindeer , but this was not designed as an obstacle to persons. Since Finland was a neutral country for most of
13225-477: Was transferred to in the 1920s). At the end of the decade the Mossebacken pension and the summer restaurant Casino, both designed by Lars Sonck , were built near Kukkukivi. The wooden pavilion at Kukkukivi was replaced with the current cast iron tower in 1906. Loviisa remained a popular spa town up to World War I . The spa activity had a significant effect on the economy of the town, and the town also developed
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