Olonets is a
townThe classification system of the types of inhabited localities in Russia, the former Soviet Union, and some other post-Soviet states has certain peculiarities compared to the classification systems in other countries.-Modern classification in Russia:...
in the
Republic of KareliaThe Republic of Karelia is a federal subject of Russia.-Geography:The Republic is located in the north-western part of the Russian Federation, taking intervening position between the basins of White and Baltic seas...
,
RussiaRussia , officially known as both Russia and the Russian Federation , is a country in northern Eurasia . It is a semi-presidential republic, comprising 83 federal subjects...
, situated on the
Olonka RiverOlonka is a river in the Republic of Karelia, Russia. It gave the name to the town of Olonets by the river and eventuallty to the surrounding territory ....
, to the east from
Lake LadogaLake Ladoga is a freshwater lake located in Republic of Karelia and Leningrad Oblast in northwestern Russia, not far from Saint Petersburg. It is the largest lake in Europe, and the 14th largest lake by area in the world.-Geography:The lake's area is 17,891 km²...
. It is the administrative centre of Olonetsky District. According to the 2002 Russian Census, the population of the town is 10,240. This is a decrease from the 11,888 reported in the 1989
Soviet Union CensusThe 1989 Soviet census, conducted between January 12-19 of that year, was the last and alledgedlly the most comprehensive one conducted in the former USSR. It resulted in a total population of 286,730,819 inhabitants...
.
Olonets is the oldest documented settlement in
KareliaKarelia , the land of the Karelian peoples, is an area in Northern Europe of historical significance for Finland, Russia, and Sweden...
, mentioned by Novgorodian sources as early as 1137. Its history is obscure until 1649, when a fortress was built there to protect Muscovy against the Swedes.
Olonets is a
townThe classification system of the types of inhabited localities in Russia, the former Soviet Union, and some other post-Soviet states has certain peculiarities compared to the classification systems in other countries.-Modern classification in Russia:...
in the
Republic of KareliaThe Republic of Karelia is a federal subject of Russia.-Geography:The Republic is located in the north-western part of the Russian Federation, taking intervening position between the basins of White and Baltic seas...
,
RussiaRussia , officially known as both Russia and the Russian Federation , is a country in northern Eurasia . It is a semi-presidential republic, comprising 83 federal subjects...
, situated on the
Olonka RiverOlonka is a river in the Republic of Karelia, Russia. It gave the name to the town of Olonets by the river and eventuallty to the surrounding territory ....
, to the east from
Lake LadogaLake Ladoga is a freshwater lake located in Republic of Karelia and Leningrad Oblast in northwestern Russia, not far from Saint Petersburg. It is the largest lake in Europe, and the 14th largest lake by area in the world.-Geography:The lake's area is 17,891 km²...
. It is the administrative centre of Olonetsky District. According to the 2002 Russian Census, the population of the town is 10,240. This is a decrease from the 11,888 reported in the 1989
Soviet Union CensusThe 1989 Soviet census, conducted between January 12-19 of that year, was the last and alledgedlly the most comprehensive one conducted in the former USSR. It resulted in a total population of 286,730,819 inhabitants...
.
Olonets is the oldest documented settlement in
KareliaKarelia , the land of the Karelian peoples, is an area in Northern Europe of historical significance for Finland, Russia, and Sweden...
, mentioned by Novgorodian sources as early as 1137. Its history is obscure until 1649, when a fortress was built there to protect Muscovy against the Swedes. The same year it was granted municipal rights. Until the
Great Northern WarThe Great Northern War was a war in which the so-called Northern Alliance composed of Russia, Denmark-Norway, Poland-Lithuania and Saxony engaged Sweden for the supremacy in the Baltic Sea. The war ended with a defeat for Sweden in 1721, leaving Russia as the new major power in the Baltic Sea and...
, Olonets developed as a principal market for Russian trade with
SwedenSweden , officially the Kingdom of Sweden , is a Nordic country on the Scandinavian Peninsula in Northern Europe...
. To the south from the town, there sprawled a belt of fortified abbeys, of which the
Alexander-Svirsky MonasteryAlexander-Svirsky Monastery is a Russian Orthodox monastery situated deep in the woods of the Leningrad Oblast, just south from its border with the Republic of Karelia...
was the most important.
In the 18th century, Olonets's importance shifted from trade to ironworking industries. In 1773, it was made capital of
Olonets GovernorateThe Olonets Governorate or Government of Olonets was a guberniya of north-western Imperial Russia, extending from Lake Ladoga almost to the White Sea, bounded W. by Finland, N. and E. by Arkhangelsk and Vologda, and S. by Novgorod and St. Petersburg...
. Eleven years later, however, the regional capital was moved to
PetrozavodskPetrozavodsk is the capital of the Republic of Karelia, Russia, with a population of 266,160 . It stretches along the western shore of the Lake Onega for some 27 kilometers. The city is served by Besovets Airport...
, and Olonets started to decline.
Modern Olonets is ranked among historical towns of Karelia, and it is the only city in the republic where
KareliansThe Karelians are a Baltic-Finnic ethnic group living mostly in the Republic of Karelia and in other north-western parts of the Russian Federation. The historic homeland of Karelians includes also parts of present-day Eastern Finland and the formerly Finnish territory of Ladoga Karelia...
are in majority (over 60% as of 2004). In 1999, the town celebrated its 350th anniversary.
Sister cities
HyrynsalmiHyrynsalmi is a municipality in Finland and is located in the province of Oulu and is part of the Kainuu region. The municipality has a population of and covers an area of of which is water...
,
FinlandFinland , officially the Republic of Finland
, is a Nordic country and democracy situated in the Fennoscandian region of northern Europe. It borders Sweden on the west, Russia on the east, and Norway on the north, while Estonia lies to its south across the Gulf of Finland...
.
MikkeliMikkeli is a town and municipality in Finland. It is located in the province of Eastern Finland and is part of the Southern Savonia region. The municipality has a population of and covers an area of of which is water. The population density is .Mikkeli was the site for the headquarters of...
,
FinlandFinland , officially the Republic of Finland
, is a Nordic country and democracy situated in the Fennoscandian region of northern Europe. It borders Sweden on the west, Russia on the east, and Norway on the north, while Estonia lies to its south across the Gulf of Finland...
.
PuolankaPuolanka is a municipality in Finland and is located in the province of Oulu and is part of the Kainuu region. The municipality has a population of and covers an area of ofwhich is water. The population density is....
,
FinlandFinland , officially the Republic of Finland
, is a Nordic country and democracy situated in the Fennoscandian region of northern Europe. It borders Sweden on the west, Russia on the east, and Norway on the north, while Estonia lies to its south across the Gulf of Finland...
.
RistijärviRistijärvi is a municipality of Finland.It is located in the province of Oulu and is part of the Kainuu region. The municipality has a population of and covers an area of ofwhich is water. The population density is....
,
FinlandFinland , officially the Republic of Finland
, is a Nordic country and democracy situated in the Fennoscandian region of northern Europe. It borders Sweden on the west, Russia on the east, and Norway on the north, while Estonia lies to its south across the Gulf of Finland...
.
See also
- Olonets Karelian language