Repola
Encyclopedia
Repola is a parish in the Republic of Karelia
of the Russian Federation by the Finnish
border. In 1926 the parish had a population of 1465.
After Finland's declaration of independence
the parish became an issue in Finnish-Russian relations when its population held a vote in August 1918 to join Finland. The Finnish Army moved to occupy Repola in October. In the Treaty of Tartu
, 1920, Finland gave up her claims on Repola and the neighbouring Porajärvi, and instead received Petsamo
in the far north.
The inhabitants of Repola did however not give up, and in 1921 they started a rebellion against the Bolshevik
. The resistance movement, the Metsäsissit (literally Forest Guerillas) received volunteers from Finland and managed to capture large parts of East Karelia
. The Bolsheviks fought back, and in 1922 the last guerillas withdrew to Finland.
During the negotiations prior to the Winter War
Joseph Stalin
offered Repola and Porajärvi in exchange for a smaller area on the Karelian Isthmus
. The offer was rejected.
Repola was occupied (1941–1944) by the Finnish 14th Division during the Continuation War
, until it was recaptured by Soviet forces.
Republic of Karelia
The Republic of Karelia is a federal subject of Russia .-Geography:The republic is located in the northwestern part of Russia, taking intervening position between the basins of White and Baltic seas...
of the Russian Federation by the Finnish
Finland
Finland , officially the Republic of Finland, is a Nordic country situated in the Fennoscandian region of Northern Europe. It is bordered by Sweden in the west, Norway in the north and Russia in the east, while Estonia lies to its south across the Gulf of Finland.Around 5.4 million people reside...
border. In 1926 the parish had a population of 1465.
After Finland's declaration of independence
Finland's declaration of independence
The Finnish declaration of independence was adopted by the Parliament of Finland on 6 December 1917. It declared Finland an independent and sovereign nation state rather than an autonomous Russian Grand duchy.-Revolution in Russia:...
the parish became an issue in Finnish-Russian relations when its population held a vote in August 1918 to join Finland. The Finnish Army moved to occupy Repola in October. In the Treaty of Tartu
Treaty of Tartu (Russian–Finnish)
The Treaty of Tartu between Finland and Soviet Russia was signed on 14 October 1920 after negotiations that lasted for four months. The treaty confirmed the border between Finland and Soviet Russia after the Finnish civil war and Finnish volunteer expeditions in Russian East Karelia. Ratifications...
, 1920, Finland gave up her claims on Repola and the neighbouring Porajärvi, and instead received Petsamo
Pechengsky District
Pechengsky District is an administrative and municipal district , one of the five in Murmansk Oblast, Russia. It is located to the northwest of the Kola Peninsula on the coast of the Barents Sea and borders with Finland in the south and southwest and with Norway in the west, northwest, and north...
in the far north.
The inhabitants of Repola did however not give up, and in 1921 they started a rebellion against the Bolshevik
Bolshevik
The Bolsheviks, originally also Bolshevists , derived from bol'shinstvo, "majority") were a faction of the Marxist Russian Social Democratic Labour Party which split apart from the Menshevik faction at the Second Party Congress in 1903....
. The resistance movement, the Metsäsissit (literally Forest Guerillas) received volunteers from Finland and managed to capture large parts of East Karelia
East Karelia
East Karelia , also rendered as Eastern Karelia or Russian Karelia, is a name for the part of Karelia that since the Treaty of Stolbova in 1617 has remained Christian Orthodox under Russian supremacy. It is separated from the western part of Karelia, called Finnish Karelia or historically Swedish...
. The Bolsheviks fought back, and in 1922 the last guerillas withdrew to Finland.
During the negotiations prior to the Winter War
Winter War
The Winter War was a military conflict between the Soviet Union and Finland. It began with a Soviet offensive on 30 November 1939 – three months after the start of World War II and the Soviet invasion of Poland – and ended on 13 March 1940 with the Moscow Peace Treaty...
Joseph Stalin
Joseph Stalin
Joseph Vissarionovich Stalin was the Premier of the Soviet Union from 6 May 1941 to 5 March 1953. He was among the Bolshevik revolutionaries who brought about the October Revolution and had held the position of first General Secretary of the Communist Party of the Soviet Union's Central Committee...
offered Repola and Porajärvi in exchange for a smaller area on the Karelian Isthmus
Karelian Isthmus
The Karelian Isthmus is the approximately 45–110 km wide stretch of land, situated between the Gulf of Finland and Lake Ladoga in northwestern Russia, to the north of the River Neva . Its northwestern boundary is the relatively narrow area between the Bay of Vyborg and Lake Ladoga...
. The offer was rejected.
Repola was occupied (1941–1944) by the Finnish 14th Division during the Continuation War
Continuation War
The Continuation War was the second of two wars fought between Finland and the Soviet Union during World War II.At the time of the war, the Finnish side used the name to make clear its perceived relationship to the preceding Winter War...
, until it was recaptured by Soviet forces.