The territory of Karelia is the place of traditional residence of Russians, Finns, Karelians and Vepsians. Russians lived mainly in the eastern part of Karelia, Karelians - in the western and south-eastern part, Vepsians - in the Onega region. According to the first All-Russian Census (1897), Russians, Karelians and Vepsians made up almost the entire permanent population of the region - 98.7%.
For the diagram, we selected those counties that are today located on the territory of the Republic of Karelia.
During the twentieth century, the population of Karelia increased almost 4 times, the ethnic composition became noticeably more complex. Immigration played a major role in this: the government purposefully attracted people from other parts of the country to the republic.
According to the 2002 All-Russian Population Census:
The population of the Republic of Karelia is 716 thousand people.
The urban population is 75% (537 thousand people), the rural population is 25% (179 thousand people), 37% of the population lives in the capital of the Republic - Petrozavodsk.
The population density of the republic is 4 people per 1 sq. km.
The average age of the republic's population, according to VPN-2002, is 37.1 years. The population of working age is 450 thousand people, over working age - 137 thousand people.
More than 90 nationalities live on the territory of the republic: Russians - 73.6%, Karelians - 10%, Belarusians - 7%, Ukrainians - 3.6%, Finns - 2.3%, Vepsians - 0.8%.
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Karelia entered the 21st century with an unfavorable trend toward population decline.
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This circumstance has a particularly negative impact on the Baltic-Finnish population: Finns, Karelians and Vepsians.
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The reasons for the negative dynamics are not only natural decline, migration and mixing of ethnic groups. For example, the number of Vepsians was influenced by the fact that the territory of their traditional settlement was dismembered by including it in various administrative-territorial entities; during the period of liquidation of “unpromising” villages, Vepsian villages, as outlying ones, were the first to be doomed to liquidation and resettlement. During the 1970 and 1979 censuses. There are known cases of authorities refusing to record Vepsian nationality in official statistics. Naturally, a feeling of the unprestige of the Vepsian nationality was formed in the public consciousness.
At the end of the 20th century, Karelians inhabited the extreme south of the republic, as well as its northwestern part. Russians lived mainly along the line of the Oktyabrskaya Railway and to the east of it: the White Sea coast and the northeastern shore of Lake Onega, as well as in the Northwestern Ladoga region. The Finns settled mainly in the southern part of Karelia. Almost all Vepsians (84%) lived in the Prionezhsky region and Petrozavodsk.
Used reference materials “On the historical, cultural, demographic and national characteristics of the regions of the Republic of Karelia”
At the beginning of this year, Rosstat released data on the number of people in Karelia living below the poverty line. Let me make a reservation right away - the data is not the most recent and covers only the period from 2012 to 2016, but it very clearly demonstrates how rapidly the residents of the republic became poor under the former governor Alexander Khudilainen, who, let me remind you, was appointed to this post by the country’s President Vladimir Putin.
Take a look at this table:
In 2012, when Mr. Khudilainen headed Karelia, the number of citizens with incomes below the subsistence level, i.e. those below the poverty line amounted to 86.7 thousand people, or 13.6% of the total population of the republic. With each subsequent year, these numbers grew, and according to the preliminary results of 2016 (these are the statistics! Even in 2018, these data are preliminary) there were already 108.9 thousand people below the poverty line in Karelia, or 17.3% of the region’s residents. In other words, during the five years of the leadership of the republic by presidential appointee Khudilainen, the number of poor people in it increased by 22.2 thousand people. This is more than, for example, the population of the city of Sortavala, it is even more than two Belomorsk.
As I already noted, there is no data for 2017, when Russian President Vladimir Putin appointed a new leader in Karelia - the former director of the Federal Bailiff Service Artur Parfenchikov. But I can imagine that the situation has only gotten worse. On what do I base these assumptions? Yes, based on the same figures from official statistics.
Judge for yourself. According to Rosstat, last year in Karelia there was again a decline in real disposable income of the population, and this decline has been observed in the region for several years. Based on the results of January-November (data for the entire year will be published later), the level of real disposable income of residents of the republic was only 98.7% compared to the level of the same period in 2016, and in January-November 2016 this level was generally 94.6% compared to level of eleven months of 2015.
After this, is it any wonder that the population of the republic is decreasing by several thousand people every year? If you call a spade a spade, people in Karelia are dying out and leaving in a constant stream. As they say, only numbers and only official data: by the beginning of this winter, i.e. By December 1, 2017, the number of permanent residents of the republic amounted to 623.1 thousand people and decreased by 4 thousand people compared to the beginning of the year. At the same time, as already in “Blueberry”, the migration population decline under the new Karelian governor has increased significantly.
And someone can say that this is not the result of the policy of the current leadership of the country and its “guides” in Karelia?
The Republic of Korea is a region located in the northwestern part of Russia. It was officially created in 1920, when the government of the USSR decided to form the corresponding autonomous region. Then it was called the Karelian Labor Commune. Three years later the region was renamed, and in 1956 it became
This is a unique region in cultural terms, in which the Western neighbors the Eastern, and the Catholic and the Orthodox. Nevertheless, the population of Karelia continues to decline. During the entire period after the collapse of the USSR, there was not a single year when positive growth was recorded. Young people are leaving the region in search of a better life, and nationalities are increasingly assimilated, losing their uniqueness.
Dynamics
In the early 1920s there were about 250 thousand people. Over the next 40 years it increased 2.5 times. According to the All-Union Population Census of 1959, the population of Karelia was already 651,346 people. In 1970, 713 thousand already lived in the Autonomous Soviet Socialist Republic in question. According to the 1989 All-Union Census, the population of Karelia was 791,317 people.
After the collapse of the USSR, the number of inhabitants in this region began to gradually decline. In the mid-1990s, the population of Karelia was already about 770 thousand. Over the next five years it decreased further. According to the All-Russian 2002, the population of Karelia was 716,281. After four years, the number of inhabitants became less than 700 thousand. In 2010, the population of Karelia was 643,548 people, which is less than in 1959.
Current demographic situation
As of January 1, 2017, the population of Karelia is 627,083 people. About 56.1% of the total population are of working age, another 17.9% are younger, and 26% are older. There are 1,193 women per 1,000 men. Expected life at birth is about 70 years. The urban population of the Republic of Karelia prevails over the rural population. About three-quarters of the region's residents live in large populated areas. The population of Petrozavodsk is 278.6 thousand people.
National composition
According to the 2010 All-Russian Census, the majority of residents of the region are Russian. Their share is 78.88% of the total population of Karelia. It should be noted that about 4% of respondents refused to indicate their nationality. About 7.08% consider themselves Karelians, another 3.63% - Belarusians, 1.97% - Ukrainians, 1.33% - Finns. Also represented in the region are such ethnic groups as Vepsians, Tatars, Poles, Azerbaijanis, Armenians, Gypsies, Chuvashs, Lithuanians and others.
Culture
About a hundred different nationalities live in Karelia. And they all have their own traditions and customs. The majority of the region's population today considers themselves Russian, but this does not negate the fact that national languages are taught in schools and universities. Newspapers are published on them and television programs are broadcast. More than 60 different public organizations are registered in Karelia. Perhaps this is why all peoples manage to coexist quite peacefully, despite differences in traditions. The “Karelia - Territory of Harmony” program being implemented in the region also plays a positive role. The official language is Russian. Karelian does not have such status, but this issue is low priority, which is due to its low prevalence.
Traditional Karelian crafts differed from Central Russian ones. However, they did not gain all-Union fame. Today in Karelia there is only one enterprise that deals with traditional crafts. As for literature, it was formed on the basis of Russian and local folklore. The development of painting in the region is closely connected with the traditions of icon painting. However, the nature of the region has become an inspiration for many famous Russian artists. Among them are such masters as Shishkin, Roerich, Kuindzhi.
Farm
The main goal of the region's development is to increase the quality of life, achieve balanced growth and create the potential for active participation in the system of domestic and international division of labor and exchange. The Governments of the Russian Federation and Karelia have adopted relevant regulatory and legal acts establishing these tasks. Among them are the “Strategy and Concept of Socio-Economic Development”, as well as the “Territorial Planning Scheme”.
There are many industrial enterprises operating in the Republic, most of which are focused on local natural resources. The region is dominated by industries such as metallurgy, woodworking and paper production. As for agriculture, there are no natural and climatic conditions for its successful development in the region. Only 1.2% of all land is arable. About 60% of arable land is located on podzolic soils of varying composition. However, livestock farming has developed in Karelia. The volume of commercial fish farming products exceeds 120 thousand tons. As for the service sector, tourism plays the largest role.
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Republic of Karelia (Help on the scheme)
Republic of Karelia located in the north-west of the Russian Federation. The total area is 180.5 thousand square meters. km (1.06% of the territory of Russia). The length from north to south is 660 km, from west to east – 424 km. In the north, Karelia borders on the Murmansk region, in the south – on the Vologda and Leningrad regions, in the east – on the Arkhangelsk region. In the northeast, Karelia is washed by the White Sea. The western border of Karelia coincides with the state border of Russia and Finland and has a length of 723 km.
Climate of Karelia temperate continental with marine characteristics. Its formation is influenced by air masses from the Arctic and North Atlantic, which creates high air humidity (up to 80%). The average temperature in winter months is minus 13C, in summer - plus 13C. The amount of annual precipitation is up to 740 mm. The average annual atmospheric pressure is up to 758 mm Hg, which is lower than in Russia as a whole.
More than 49% of the area of Karelia is covered with forest, 25% is covered with water, and 21% is covered with swamps. In taiga forests, predominantly coniferous (up to 90%), there are 17 species of wild berries and 300 species of medicinal plants. Karelia is rich in such minerals as iron ore, titanium, vanadium, molybdenum, diamonds, mica, building materials (granite, diabase, marble), ceramic raw materials (pegmatites, spar), etc. The only natural deposit in Russia of shungite - a unique mountain mineral raw materials are located on the territory of Zaonezhye, Medvezhyegorsky district of the Republic of Karelia.
There are more than 60 thousand lakes and 23 thousand rivers in Karelia. The total length of the water network is approx. 83 thousand km. The largest lakes in Europe are located on the territory of the republic: Ladoga (area 17.7 thousand sq. km) and Onega (9.9 thousand sq. km).
According to the territorial body of the Federal State Statistics Service for the Republic of Karelia “Kareliastat”, Population of the republic as of January 1, 2017 amounted to 627.1 thousand people. (as of January 1, 2016 – 629.9 thousand people), of which 80.2% lived in the city, 19.8% in rural areas. Population density - 3.5 people. per sq. km. The average age of a resident of the republic is 39.6 years. Life expectancy is 69.78 years.
According to the results of the 2010 All-Russian Population Census in national composition Russians make up 78.8% of the republics, Karelians – 7%, Belarusians – 3.6%, Ukrainians – 1.9%, Finns – 1.3%, Vepsians – 0.5%.
In accordance with the Constitution of the Republic of Karelia, approved by the House of Representatives of the Republic of Kazakhstan on February 7, 2001, the highest official in the region is Head of the Republic of Karelia. The term of office is 5 years. According to the Constitution, the Head of the Republic of Kazakhstan cannot hold this position for more than 2 consecutive terms.
From May 24, 2012 to February 15, 2017, the Head of the Republic of Kazakhstan was Alexander Petrovich Khudilainen, born in 1956. By Decree No. 66 of February 15, 2017, the President of the Russian Federation V.V. Putin accepted the resignation of A.P. Khudilainen at his own request and appointed the director of the Federal Bailiff Service-Chief Bailiff of the Russian Federation, a native of Karelia, as the acting Head of the Republic of Karelia, Artur Olegovich Parfenchikov, born in 1964.
On September 10, 2017, on the Unified Voting Day, the acting Head of the Republic of Karelia A.O. Parfenchikov received more than 61% of the votes and became the elected leader of the region for the first time in 15 years. On September 25, 2017, he took office as Head of the Republic of Karelia.
As of January 1, 2018, the structure of executive authorities of the Republic of Karelia, approved by Decree of the Head of the Republic of Kazakhstan No. 107 dated September 25, 2017, is presented as follows:
First Deputy Head of the Republic of Karelia - Prime Minister of the Government of the Republic of Kazakhstan - Chepik Alexander Evgenievich (previously served as Deputy Head of the Republic of Buryatia for economic development);
Deputy for Internal Policy - Vladimir Konstantinovich Lyubarsky (prior to his appointment, he held the post of head of the Department of Anti-Corruption, Human Resources and Security Issues of the FSSP of the Russian Federation; worked in various positions in law enforcement agencies of the Republic of Karelia);
Head of the Administration of the Head of the Republic of Kazakhstan - Tatyana Pavlovna Ignatieva (worked in senior positions: Minister of Justice of the Republic of Kazakhstan, Head of the Office of the Federal Registration Service for the Republic of Karelia, Head of the Office of the Ministry of Justice of the Russian Federation for the Republic of Karelia; last place of work: Deputy Director of the FSSP - Deputy Chief Bailiff of the Russian Federation) ;
Deputy Head of the Republic of Kazakhstan for interaction with law enforcement agencies - Pshenitsyn Alexander Nikolaevich (worked as Deputy Head of the FSB Directorate for the Republic of Karelia, Head of the Federal Drug Control Service Directorate for the Republic of Kazakhstan);
Deputy Head of the Republic of Kazakhstan - Permanent Representative of the Republic of Karelia to the President of the Russian Federation - Timofeev Vladimir Vladimirovich (prior to his appointment he worked as Director of the Department of Administration and Organizational Work of the Ministry of Agriculture of the Russian Federation);
In accordance with the approved structure, the Chairman of the Government of the Republic of Kazakhstan has four deputies:
Deputy Prime Minister of the Government of the Republic of Karelia for Social Issues - Larisa Anatolyevna Podsadnik (prior to appointment - deputy of the Legislative Assembly of the Republic of Kazakhstan);
Deputy Prime Minister of the Government of the Republic of Karelia for infrastructure development - Oksana Ivanovna Chebunina (prior to appointment - Deputy Minister of Economic Development and Industry of the Republic of Buryatia).
Member of the Government of the Republic of Kazakhstan, Deputy Prime Minister for Health and Social Protection - Igor Yuryevich Korsakov (before his appointment, he worked as the head of the FSSP Office for the Nizhny Novgorod Region - the chief bailiff of the Nizhny Novgorod Region);
Member of the Government of the Republic of Kazakhstan - Deputy Prime Minister of the Government of the Republic of Kazakhstan, Minister of Economic Development and Industry of the Republic of Kazakhstan Dmitry Andreevich Rodionov (prior to his appointment - head of the FSSP Office for the Vologda Region);
The representative of the Head of the Republic of Kazakhstan in the Legislative Assembly of the Republic of Kazakhstan is Shabanov Yuri Alekseevich (he was a deputy of the Legislative Assembly of the Republic of Kazakhstan, before his appointment he worked as the deputy of the former Head of the Republic of Kazakhstan on regional issues).
Structure of the executive power of the Republic of Karelia includes 13 ministries(Ministry of Finance of the Republic of Karelia, Ministry of Economic Development and Industry, Ministry of Culture, Ministry of Education, Ministry of Youth Affairs, Physical Culture and Sports, Ministry of Natural Resources and Ecology, Ministry of Agriculture and Fisheries, Ministry of Health, Ministry of National and Regional Policy, Ministry property and land relations, Ministry of Social Protection, Ministry of Construction, Housing and Communal Services and Energy, Ministry of Roads, Transport and Communications);
3 State Committees(State Committee of the Republic of Karelia for ensuring the livelihoods and safety of the population; State Committee for construction, housing and road supervision; State Committee for prices and tariffs).
The Administration of the Head of the Republic of Karelia is in charge of: the Office of the Republic of Karelia for ensuring the activities of justices of the peace, the Office of the Civil Registry Office of the Republic of Kazakhstan; under the jurisdiction of the Ministry of Finance of the Republic of Kazakhstan - Department of Public Procurement of the Republic of Kazakhstan; under the jurisdiction of the Ministry of Economic Development and Industry of the Republic of Kazakhstan - the Department of Labor and Employment of the Republic of Kazakhstan; under the jurisdiction of the Ministry of Culture of the Republic of Kazakhstan - the Office for the Protection of Cultural Heritage Objects of the Republic of Kazakhstan and the Tourism Administration of the Republic of Kazakhstan. The Permanent Mission of the Republic of Karelia to the President of the Russian Federation is still part of the structure of the executive power of the republic.
Legislature The region is represented by a unicameral parliament - the Legislative Assembly of the Republic of Karelia (LA RK). The term of office of deputies is 5 years. After amendments were made on October 20, 2015 to Art. 32 of the Constitution of the Republic of Karelia, the number of deputy seats in the Karelian parliament was reduced from 50 to 36.
On September 18, 2016, elections of deputies of the Legislative Assembly of the Republic of Kazakhstan of the sixth convocation took place. Voter turnout was 39%. (for comparison: 2006 - 33%, 2011 - 49%). According to the election results, 5 parties entered the regional parliament: United Russia received 24 seats; “A Just Russia”, Communist Party of the Russian Federation, Liberal Democratic Party of Russia, “Yabloko” - 3 each; non-party independent deputies did not receive seats in parliament. Eighteen deputies were elected from single-mandate constituencies and the same number from electoral lists.
The structure of the Legislative Assembly of the Republic of Karelia consists of the position of chairman (speaker), first deputy chairman (first vice speaker), the Apparatus of the Legislative Assembly of the Republic of Kazakhstan and 8 committees. Elissan Vladimirovich Shandalovich, born in 1964, was elected to the position of Chairman of the Legislative Assembly of the Republic of Kazakhstan; First Deputy Chairman - Olga Nikolaevna Shmaenik. In the structure of the parliament of the sixth convocation there is no position of deputy chairman (abolished on April 20, 2017). The apparatus of the Legislative Assembly of the Republic of Kazakhstan is subordinate to the chairman. On March 23, 2017, Vyacheslav Gennadievich Baev, who before his appointment was the deputy of the former Head of the Republic of Kazakhstan (A.P. Khudilainen) for regional policy, was appointed Chief of Staff of the Legislative Assembly of the Republic of Kazakhstan. 8 parliamentary committees are subordinate to the First Deputy Chairman.
In the Federal Assembly of the Russian Federation, the Republic of Karelia is represented by federal deputies: Deputy of the State Duma of the Russian Federation from the Republic of Kazakhstan - Valentina Nikolaevna Pivnenko; Member of the Federation Council of the Federal Assembly of the Russian Federation from the Legislative Assembly of the Republic of Kazakhstan - Zubarev Igor Dmitrievich; Member of the Federation Council of the Federal Assembly of the Russian Federation from the executive body of state power of the Republic of Kazakhstan - Alexander Vasilievich Rakitin.
The capital of the republic is Petrozavodsk. The status of Petrozavodsk as the capital is stated in the Constitution of the Republic of Karelia, but it is not fixed at the level of the relevant law. This hinders the performance of capital functions, infrastructure development, and the implementation of improvement measures by attracting funds from federal programs, including the Federal Target Program of Karelia.
On March 22, 2018, deputies of the Legislative Assembly unanimously adopted the Law on the capital status of Petrozavodsk in the first reading. The amendments are currently being considered within the working commission. The second reading of the law is scheduled for May 11, 2018.
According to the city charter, the Head of the Petrozavodsk urban district is the highest official of the district. The term of office is 5 years. The representative body of local self-government of the district is the Petrozavodsk City Council (Petrosovet). It includes 27 city deputies. Since September 18, 2016, the Chairman of the Petrosoviet is Gennady Pavlovich Bodnarchuk, born in 1972.
In June 2015, deputies of the Legislative Assembly of the Republic of Karelia introduced amendments to the Constitution of the Republic of Karelia abolishing the direct election of the head of the capital of Karelia. In July 2015, deputies of the Petrograd Council made corresponding changes to the city Charter. In December 2015, the Petrograd Soviet expressed no confidence in the former head of the capital, G.I. Shirshina. and removed her from office.
From this period, the duties of the head of the Karelian capital were temporarily filled by the deputy chief of staff of the Petrozavodsk City Council, Irina Yuryevna Miroshnik, born in 1971. On April 19, 2016, the Petrozavodsk City Council approved her as the Head of the Petrozavodsk City District.
Petrozavodsk is the City of Military Glory (Decree of the President of the Russian Federation of April 6, 2015 No. 178).
By administrative-territorial division The republic consists of 2 urban districts: Petrozavodsk and Kostomuksha, 16 municipal districts, 808 settlements.
According to Kareliastat, as of January 1, 2017, the population of the capital of Karelia was 278.5 thousand people. (as of January 1, 2016 - 277 thousand people), Kondopogi - 30.8 thousand people. (2016 - 31.2), Segezha - 34.7 thousand people. (2016 - 34.4), Kostomuksha – 29.5 thousand people. (2016 - 29.5), Sortavala - 24.3 thousand people. (2016-24.8), Medvezhyegorsk - 20.6 thousand people. (2016 - 20.6).
Heraldic paraphernalia
The flag of the Republic of Karelia is a rectangular panel with equal horizontal stripes: the top stripe is red, the middle stripe is blue, the bottom stripe is green. The ratio of the width of the flag to its length is 2:3 (Constitution of the Republic of Karelia, Art. 12).
The state emblem of the Republic of Karelia is presented in the form of a rectangular shield, rounded in the lower third, crossed three times in equal parts by the colors of the state flag of the Republic of Karelia, with the profile of a standing black bear depicted on it. The golden frame of the shield turns into a stylized image of a spruce on the left side and a pine tree on the right. At the top of the shield there is an eight-pointed star (double cross) of gold color (Constitution of the Republic of Karelia, Art. 13).
Brief historical background
7-6 thousand years BC – the beginning of the process of settlement of Karelia in the post-glacial period; VII-IX centuries AD - formation of the ethnic composition of the population - tribes of the Finno-Ugric group: Karelians, Vepsians, Sami; 9th century – entry of the territory of Karelia into the sphere of influence of the Old Russian state of Kievan Rus; X-XI centuries – resettlement of some Karelians to the shores of the Gulf of Bothnia and the White Sea. The Slavic population moved to the northern and eastern coasts of Lake Onega and the coast of the White Sea; XII century – Karelia becomes part of the Novgorod feudal republic after the collapse of Kievan Rus; XII-XIII centuries – the city of Korela (now Priozersk, Leningrad region) becomes the administrative center of Karelia; XII-XV centuries – transition from tribal to feudal relations, completion of the process of formation of the Karelian people; 1227 is the accepted date for the baptism of Karelians into the Orthodox faith. The ancestors of the Vepsians, known from the chronicles of Chud and Ves, were tribes that formed a tribal union together with Russia. They took part in joint long-distance military campaigns with Russia, and at the same time adopted Christianity. One of the most revered saints of the Orthodox Church - Alexander Svirsky - was a Chudian, that is, a Vepsian from the Oyat River; 1323 - the main part of the territory of Karelia, together with the city of Korela, remained with the Novgorod Republic after the conclusion of the Orekhovets Treaty; 1478 – annexation of Karelia along with other lands of Veliky Novgorod to the Russian centralized state; 1617 - Russia leaves the Karelian Isthmus and the southwestern part of the modern territory of the region for Sweden under the Treaty of Stolbovo. Mass resettlement of Karelians to the border and central regions of the Russian state. A significant part (25-30 thousand people) moved to the territory of the Tver region, as a result of which the ethnic group of Tver Karelians was formed; XVII century – the fortified city of Olonets (founded in 1649) becomes the administrative and commercial center of Karelia due to the loss of the Karelian Isthmus; 1703 - in connection with the Northern War of 1700-1721. Petrovsky foundry (cannon) plant was founded. A settlement appears next to the plant - Petrovskaya Sloboda, later - the city of Petrozavodsk; 1721 – return of the Karelian Isthmus to Russia under the terms of the Nystad Peace Treaty; May 20, 1784 - the formation of the Olonets province on the territory of the south-eastern part of modern Karelia with the center in Petrozavodsk, the rest of the territory remained part of the Vyborg and Arkhangelsk provinces;
June 8, 1920 - The All-Russian Central Executive Committee adopted a decree on the transformation of the Olonets and Arkhangelsk provinces into an autonomous region within the RSFSR - the Karelian Labor Commune (KTK);
July 25, 1923 – transformation of the Karelian labor commune into the Karelian Autonomous Soviet Socialist Republic; March 31, 1940 – transformation of the Karelian Autonomous Soviet Socialist Republic into the Karelo-Finnish SSR at the end of the Soviet-Finnish War (“Winter War”) of 1939-1940; July 16, 1956 – change in the status of a union republic to an autonomous one within the RSFSR; November 13, 1991 – renaming of the Karelian Autonomous Soviet Socialist Republic into the Republic of Karelia.
International regional connections
Karelia has been interacting with the Republic of Belarus since 1999, has established international regional ties with the administrative-territorial units of Finland, Sweden and Norway, there are corresponding agreements with the regions of the USA and Greece, and contacts between the local government of Karelia through sister cities continue.
A cooperation agreement with the Finnish province of Oulu was signed on September 20, 1996. Since November 2006, a Memorandum of Cooperation has been in force between the Republic of Karelia and the province of Oulu. The validity period of the Memorandum is extended annually. The result of the administrative reform in Finland was the abolition of provinces as territorial units (20), their unification into regions (6) and the transfer of the powers of provincial boards to Regional Management Agencies from January 1, 2010. Taking this into account, a Memorandum of Cooperation for 2010-2011 was signed in May 2010. On the Finnish side, the memorandum was signed by the head of the Regional Administration Agency of Northern Finland (regions of Kainuu and Northern Pohjanmaa) T. Savolainen. In 2016, new memorandums of cooperation were signed. In some areas, for example in the field of culture, citizens and organizations of Karelia and Oulu have already established strong bilateral ties and have almost no need for administrative intermediation.
The cooperation agreement between Karelia and the Swedish province of Västerbotten was concluded in 1994. In September 2014, the parties signed a Protocol on cooperation for 2014-2020. In June 2014, an official delegation from the province of Västerbotten, headed by the governor of the province, Magdalena Anderson, visited Petrozavodsk. The priority areas in the strategy for the development of bilateral relations are housing and communal services and energy efficient technologies. In November 2016, the Days of Swedish Culture, organized on the occasion of the 40th anniversary of sister city relations between Petrozavodsk and Umeå, were successfully held.
A cooperation agreement with the province of Troms of the Kingdom of Norway was concluded on June 21, 2000. In May 2007, relations were formalized by a Protocol on cooperation until 2009. In May 2010, the parties signed a Protocol for 2010-2012. The contract is currently in need of extension.
The implementation of the Agreement between the Republic of Kazakhstan and the Republic of Belarus of 1998 continues. In 2015, a new protocol on cooperation for the period 2016-2019 was signed. In 2016, a meeting of the Working Group on the development of cooperation between the Republic of Kazakhstan and the Republic of Belarus was held in Petrozavodsk.
On February 24, 2000, representatives of the Republic of Karelia and the Union of Communes of North Karelia, Kainuu (province of Eastern Finland), Northern Ostrobothnia (province of Oulu) signed an Agreement on the creation of the Euroregion “Karelia” (EK). On December 9, 2015, in Petrozavodsk, to commemorate the 15th anniversary of the forum, an anniversary meeting of the EC Executive Committee was held. Since 2000, the EC has financed more than 200 projects. The last meeting of the executive committee took place in Petrozavodsk in November 2017.
Karelia interacts with the regional authorities of Sweden, Finland and Norway through the Barents Regional Council, of which it has been a member since 1993.
In 2015, the implementation of the cross-border cooperation program between Russia and the EU “Karelia” was completed; 61 projects were implemented together with Finnish organizations for a total amount of more than 31 million euros. Meetings of the Program's Joint Monitoring Committee are held on a regular basis. The next meeting is scheduled for April 25-26, 2018 in Oulu.
On January 1, 2017, the work of the new Cross-Border Cooperation Program until 2020 began, with a total program budget of 43 million euros.
As part of Russia's chairmanship of the Barents/Euro-Arctic Council, a large-scale international exercise "Barents Rescue 2017" was held on the territory of the Republic of Karelia on September 5-7, 2017 with the participation of rescue services of Russia, Norway, Sweden and Finland. More than 700 people took part in the exercises.
Twin cities of Petrozavodsk:
Since 1965 - Varkaus (Finland), since 1973 - La Rochelle (France), since 1976 - Umeå (Sweden), since 1983 - Neubrandenburg (Germany), since 1987 - Duluth (USA) ), since 1989 - Tübingen (Germany), since 1992 - Mo i Rana (Norway), since 1994 - Joensuu (Finland), since 2002 - Brest (Belarus), since 2004 - Vagharshapat (Armenia), since 2005 - Narva (Estonia).
Science and education
One of the structural divisions of the Russian Academy of Sciences in the north-west of Russia is located in Karelia - the Karelian Scientific Center (KarRC RAS). It consists of 7 institutes: Institute of Biology, Institute of Water Problems of the North, Institute of Geology, Institute of Forestry, Institute of Applied Mathematical Research, Institute of Economics, Institute of Language, Literature and History. The Center employs approx. 1000 people, half of them are researchers.
There are 2 higher educational institutions in the republic: Petrozavodsk State University (PetrSU) and Petrozavodsk State Conservatory. In February 2013, the Minister of Education and Science of the Russian Federation Dmitry Livanov signed an order on the reorganization of Petrozavodsk University and the Karelian Pedagogical Academy. According to this document, the Karelian State Pedagogical Academy is annexed to the university as a structural unit.
Main NGOs: Karelian Resource Center of Public Organizations, Association of Trade Union Organizations in the Republic of Kazakhstan, Chamber of Commerce and Industry of the Republic of Kazakhstan, Karelian Regional (Republican) Branch of the All-Russian Organization "Russian Red Cross", NP "North-Center", ANO "Center for Educational Development", ANO "Art-Tent", KROO "Young Karelia".
Economy of the region
According to the North-West Customs Administration and the territorial body of the Federal State Statistics Service for the Republic of Karelia “Kareliastat”, in 2017 the foreign trade turnover of the Republic of Karelia amounted to 1,301.7 million US dollars. Compared to January-December 2016, the foreign trade turnover of the Republic of Karelia increased by 53.2%, the value of exports increased by 58.3%, and the volume of imports increased by 34.2%.
The total volume of exports of the Republic of Karelia in terms of value for January-December 2017 compared to January-December 2016 increased by 58.3% and amounted to 41,249.8 million US dollars. In January-December 2017, the total volume of import supplies by value compared to January-December 2016 increased by 34.2% and amounted to USD 35,946.6 million.
The value volumes of mineral products, which occupy first place in the commodity structure of exports, increased by 2 times, and the share increased by 10.4 percentage points due to an increase in the export of iron ore pellets. The value of wood and pulp and paper products, which rank second in the commodity structure of exports, increased by 23.8%, their share decreased by 11.7 percentage points. The value of food products increased 2.4 times due to an increase in fish exports to the Netherlands. The value of machinery, equipment and vehicles increased by 1.7 times.
Machinery, equipment and vehicles are in first place in the commodity structure of imports, their value volumes increased by 86.7%, and their share increased by 15.9 percentage points due to the import of components for papermaking machines from Germany. The value of chemical industry products increased by 17.7%. The value of food products and agricultural raw materials increased by 1%.
During January-December 2017, enterprises and organizations of the Republic of Karelia maintained trade and economic relations with 100 countries. The largest trading partners are Finland (25.0%), Germany (12.3%) and Turkey (11.7%), their total share in trade turnover was 49.0%. During the mentioned period, foreign trade operations were carried out by 393 participants in foreign trade activities of the Republic of Karelia (goods were exported - 286, goods were imported - 162).
Positive dynamics are observed in trade with non-CIS countries, including those that are the main trading partners of the Republic of Karelia. Foreign trade turnover with Finland reached 325.4 million dollars. USA, with Germany - $159.8 million. USA, with Turkey $152.4 million. USA. With these countries, there was an increase in both export and import supplies of goods. The trade balance with them is positive: with Finland – 195.2 million US dollars, Germany – 30.6 million US dollars, Turkey – 148.9 million US dollars.
Local media represented by 3 TV channels: State Television and Radio Broadcasting Company "Karelia", Nika+, Petronet; (“Sampo” became part of the Internet news agency “Respublika”); 9 radio stations: Europe+, Our Radio, Russian Radio, Melodiya, Autoradio, Police Wave, Mayak, Maximum, Retro FM; 12 printed publications, of which: the newspapers “Karelia” and “Northern Courier” - the main republican newspapers, the newspaper of the capital of the republic “Petrozavodsk”; Republican newspapers are published in Finnish - "Karjalan Sanomat" (News of Karelia), Karelian - "Oma mua" (Own Land), in Vepsian and Russian - "Kodima" (Native Land).
Transport and tourism
The republic has a relatively developed network of roads, railways, and water communications that provide transport links between Karelia and other regions of Russia, as well as Finland.
The federal highway "Kola" (St. Petersburg - Murmansk; route M-18) runs from north to south through the territory of Karelia. The total length of the Karelian section of the route, passing through nine regions of the republic, is 969 km.
The route of the international tourist route “Blue Road” runs from west to east - Norway, Sweden, the Gulf of Bothnia, Finland, the Vyartsilya checkpoint, Sortavala, Pitkäranta (ring through Suoyarvi), Olonets, Pryazha, Petrozavodsk, Medvezhyegorsk, Pudozh, Arkhangelsk region.
On the Karelian section of the Russian-Finnish state border there are 7 checkpoints that serve cargo and passenger flows, of which: 3 multilateral automobile ones (“Vyartsilya”, “Lyuttya”, “Suoperya”); 2 simplified two-way automobiles (“Inari”, “Syväoro”); 2 multilateral railway checkpoints (Lyuttya, Vyartsilya), as well as an air checkpoint (Petrozavodsk (Besovets).
In April 2017, the access road to the Vyartsilya checkpoint was transferred to federal jurisdiction and became part of the A-121 Sortavala federal highway. The project for the reconstruction of the Vyartsilya international checkpoint is included in the list of large infrastructure projects (LIPs) of the Karelia PPS Program (2014-2020). The development of road infrastructure and the reconstruction of the checkpoint will increase the flow of tourists from Finland, including those who travel by car along the federal highway A-121 Sortavala from the state border to the popular tourist complex Ruskeala.
In accordance with the target program “Development of the Republic of Karelia for the period until 2020” approved by the Government of the Russian Federation, measures are being taken to equip the Syväoro checkpoint in the Lakhdenpokhsky district in order to assign international status to the simplified checkpoint “Syväoro-Parikkala”. In November 2015, a section of the Ihala-Raivio-state border highway (“Syväoro”) was opened. A representative delegation from Finland took part in its opening ceremony.
The length of the republic's railways is more than 2000 km. The Oktyabrskaya Railway (formerly the Murmanskaya Railway) runs almost parallel to the Kola federal highway, which creates the possibility of an alternative choice of mode of transportation.
In December 2012, a “test” train flight was carried out between Petrozavodsk and the Finnish city of Joensuu, which showed that the technical capabilities (the same gauge) allow for international railway operations. message along this route.
The distance from Petrozavodsk to St. Petersburg is 420 km, Moscow – 925 km, Murmansk – 1000 km, to the state border with Finland – 400 km. The Lastochka train runs twice a day between Petrozavodsk and St. Petersburg. Travel time is 4 hours 55 minutes. Since August 30, 2017, the high-speed train “Lastochka” has connected Petrozavodsk and Veliky Novgorod.
The Republic of Karelia has shipping connections. The length of waterways is 2700 km. International maritime transport is carried out from the ports of Lake Onega in a western direction along the Svir River, in a northern direction - along the White Sea-Baltic Canal. The canal connects the White Sea with Lake Onega. The water route runs from the village. Povenets Medvezhyegorsk district, located on the coast of Lake Onega, to the city of Belomorsk on the White Sea. The canal was put into operation on June 20, 1933 and consists of 19 locks, 15 dams, 49 dams, 12 spillways. The total length is 227 km.
The republic's air transport infrastructure includes 2 airports in Petrozavodsk ("Petrozavodsk" and "Peski") and a number of runways in separate administrative-territorial units. Regular service between Petrozavodsk and Moscow is carried out by Siberia/S7 airlines daily.
Almost a million hectares of land, or more than 5% of the total area of the republic, are specially protected natural areas: national parks “Paanayarvi”, “Vodlozersky” and “Kalevalsky”, natural park “Valaam Archipelago”, nature reserves “Kivach” and “Kostomukshsky”, 46 reserves, 108 natural monuments.
80 km from Petrozavodsk, on the Suna River, is the largest flat waterfall in Europe, “Kivach”. 50 km from Petrozavodsk is the first Russian resort and sanatorium “Marcial Waters”, founded by Emperor Peter the Great. The resort has unique healing mineral waters with a high iron content. The following tourist routes are very famous: “Kizhi Necklace” along the Zaonezhsky Peninsula and adjacent islands, “Valaam - the Pearl of Ladoga” - along the islands of the Valaam archipelago, to “Demon's Footprints” - to the White Sea petroglyphs. There is a route from the city of Kem to the Solovetsky Islands. Water sports routes along the Karelian rivers – Shuya, Chirke-Kemi, Vodla, Kereti, Okhta and many others are very popular among tourists.
Mountain Park "Ruskeala" is a unique marble canyon located in South Karelia, 30 km. from Sortavala. The park was created in 2005. Ruskeala marble was used in the construction of significant buildings in St. Petersburg and palace suburbs. It covered St. Isaac's Cathedral, laid out the floors of the Kazan Cathedral, made the window sills of the Hermitage, framed the windows of the Marble Palace and the facade of the Mikhailovsky Castle. In 2016, the site was visited by a record number of tourists - over 300 thousand people. On August 19, 2017, the international opera festival "Ruskeala Symphony" took place in Ruskeala for the first time in the open air.
Culture and traditions
The cultural life of Karelia is closely connected with the work of 4 theaters: the State Musical Theater of the Republic of Karelia, the State National Theater of the Republic of Kazakhstan, the State Youth Theater of the Republic of Kazakhstan "Creative Workshop", the State Puppet Theater of the Republic of Kazakhstan.
In 1991, the State Public Library of the Karelian Autonomous Soviet Socialist Republic received the status of the National Library of the Republic of Karelia. The book collection of the modern library currently amounts to approx. 1 million copies The National Library of the Republic of Kazakhstan is the cultural center of the republic - events are held within its walls, including the popularization of national languages and the culture of indigenous peoples, the formation of tolerance and respect in society.
Since December 2017, the Karelian Center for the great Russian artist Nicholas Roerich, who lived and worked in 1916-1918, has been operating in the national library of the Republic of Kazakhstan. in the city of Serdobol (now the Karelian city of Sortavala), visiting and exploring the sights and landscapes of Karelia. The short Karelian period became especially fruitful for the artist. During this time, he created about 200 unique paintings - beautiful images of the Northern Ladoga region, which formed the basis of his triumphant work.
An idea of the local national color, traditions, art, and history of the region is given by 3 museums and a branch: the State Historical-Architectural and Ethnographic Museum-Reserve “Kizhi”, the Karelian State Museum of Local Lore, the Museum of Fine Arts of the Republic of Kazakhstan, the Sheltozero Vepsian Ethnographic Museum.
Holding folklore holidays has become an important direction in the development of the national culture of the republic and the preservation of the original traditions of the Finno-Ugric peoples. Every year on February 28 in the Kalevala region (until 1963 - Ukhta), the place where the legendary epic "Kalevala" was created in the so-called. “Rune-singing” villages celebrate Kalevala Day. Every year since 1985, on the third Sunday of June, an open-air Folk Humor Festival is held in the village of Kindasovo. Merry people and comedians from different parts of Karelia, Russia and foreign countries gather for the holiday.
Since 1987, the Interregional Vepsian holiday “Tree of Life” has been held. National groups of Vepsians, Russians, Karelians, Izhorians, including from neighboring regions, take part in the event. During the holiday, national dance and costume competitions, a show of amateur performances, and the sale of national crafts are held. In the village of Sheltozero there is the Vepsian Ethnographic Museum - the only museum in Russia of the Vepsians, descendants of the legendary Ves tribe. The first exhibition was opened in 1967, and in 1980 the folk museum became a branch of the Karelian State Museum of Local Lore. The museum's holdings include more than 6 thousand storage units. The basis of the funds consists of items collected in the Veps villages of Karelia, and only a small part of them was brought from the Leningrad and Vologda regions.
Every year in February-March the republican folk music festival “Kanteletar” is held; in May – ecological festival “Olonia – the goose capital”; in August – international folklore festival “Four Seasons in Kalevala” in the village. Yushkozero of the Kalevalsky national district, festival of Karelian literature named after V. Brandoev “Here is the beginning of my homeland”, etc.
Days of Culture are of great importance in preserving the traditions and identity of the peoples living in Karelia and their descendants: Days of Slavic, Finnish, Karelian, Ukrainian, Georgian, Armenian, German, Greek literature and culture are celebrated in the republic, World Gypsy Day, a holiday is celebrated Muslims Eid al-Adha, Israeli Independence Day.
In September 2015, the Russian-Finnish cultural forum was held in Petrozavodsk.
On May 23-24, 2017, the International Workshop “Russian Legislation on the Rights of Indigenous Minorities” was held in Petrozavodsk and the village of Sheltozero. Implementation practice and prospects for interaction.” This seminar was the first event of this scale in Karelia within the framework of the Russian Federation's chairmanship in the BEAC.
On June 10, 2017, festive events on the occasion of the Day of the Republic of Karelia were held in Olonets. According to the decision of the State Commission for Preparation for the celebration of the 100th anniversary of the republic in 2018, festive events on the occasion of the Day of the Republic of Karelia are planned in Belomorsk, in 2019 - in Medvezhyegorsk, in 2020 - anniversary events will be held in the city. Petrozavodsk (on June 8, 1920, the Karelian Labor Commune was created as an autonomous regional association within the RSFSR).
Issues of coordination of international relations, foreign economic, interregional cooperation and exhibition and fair activities are assigned to the department of international cooperation and exhibition and fair activities of the Ministry of Economic Development of the Republic of Karelia.
Tel.: +7 8142 79-23-03
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Fax: +7 8142 78-10-39
Email: [email protected]
General information and history
Petrozavodsk is a city located in the north-west of the Russian Federation, which is the capital and largest city of the Republic of Karelia. The center of the Prionezhsky district, forms the Petrozavodsk urban district.
In 1703, on the site of the future city, Petrozavodskaya Sloboda arose, where an arms factory was located, founded by decree of Peter I.
In 1777, Catherine the Great decided to make Petrozavodsk Sloboda the center of government for the region. In this regard, she renamed the settlement the district city of Petrozavodsk.
In 1860, a steamship service appeared between the city and St. Petersburg. And a decade later, telegraph communication arose between St. Petersburg and the district towns.
In 1873 it was opened to the founder of Petrozavodsk, Peter I.
At the beginning of the 20th century, a telephone exchange appeared. The railway from Petrograd to Murmansk, through Petrozavodsk, was built in 1915.
During the Great Patriotic War, Petrozavodsk was occupied by the Karelian army. Before the city was liberated by Soviet troops at the end of June 1944, 11 concentration camps operated in it.
During all subsequent Soviet times, the city actively developed.
Districts of Petrozavodsk
In 1988, two city districts, Leninsky and Oktyabrsky, were abolished. Since that time, local residents have named microdistricts, historical toponyms, which in turn are divided into smaller microdistricts, which can also be divided.
Now Petrozavodsk includes such microdistricts as:
Baraniy Bereg, Vygoynavolok, Golikovka, Drevlyanka, Zheleznodorozhny (Fifth Settlement), Zareka, Zimnik, Ivanovo Islands, Kukkovka, Klyuchevaya, Oktyabrsky, Okunya Tonya, Onega, Pervomaisky, Transshipment, Sands, Poultry Farm, Radio Plant, Rybka, Sainavolok, Northern Industrial Zone, Silicate plant, Solomennoye, Sulazhgora, the village of the Sulazhgora brick factory, the village of the Teplichny State Farm, Tomitsy, Center, Southern industrial zone.
The largest are Kukkovka and Drevlyanka, with 50 and 60 thousand inhabitants, respectively.
Population of Petrozavodsk for 2018 and 2019. Number of residents of Petrozavodsk
Data on the number of city residents are taken from the Federal State Statistics Service. The official website of the Rosstat service is www.gks.ru. The data was also taken from the unified interdepartmental information and statistical system, the official website of EMISS www.fedstat.ru. The website publishes data on the number of residents of Petrozavodsk. The table shows the distribution of the number of residents of Petrozavodsk by year; the graph below shows the demographic trend in different years.
Graph of population changes in Petrozavodsk:
The population of Petrozavodsk in 2014 was 272,101 people. Density - 2015.56 people/km².
In terms of population, Petrozavodsk is 70th in the Russian Federation.
In recent years, the number of Petrozavodsk residents has been declining due to natural negative growth. In addition, in 2004 there was a slight decrease due to the fact that several settlements left the city. But in 2011, population growth occurred due to the fact that from the beginning of the year Rosstat began to include in the population those migrants who received temporary registration for a period equal to or more than nine months.
Nationally, the majority of residents of Petrozavodsk are Russian. It is also home to a fifth of all Karelians in the republic. The Vepsians inhabiting Petrozavodsk make up 50% of the Vepsians of the republic and 25% of the Vepsians of the Russian Federation. In general, approximately fifty peoples live in the capital of Karelia.
