Suoyarvi is located in Olonets Karelia. The city is located 130 km
northwest of Petrozavodsk on the shore of the lake of the same name. The
population is just over 10 thousand people.
The administrative
center of the Suoyarvi district of the republic.
Cinema center "Cosmos", Suoyarvskoe highway, 2.
Landscape reserve
"Tolvoyarvi"
By train
The section of the Oktyabrskaya Railway ends in the city:
Kuznechnoye-Suoyarvi, then the tracks go to Kostomuksha. From St.
Petersburg or Kostomuksha by train No. 350 St. Petersburg-Kostomuksha on
a special schedule every other day, or in trailer cars from
Petrozavodsk.
By car
Several regional roads converge in
Suojärvi:
A131, connects the city with settlements to the southwest
of the city, including the cities of Pitkyaranta and Lakhdenpokhya, then
exits to St. Petersburg;
A132, connects the city with settlements
north of the city;
A133, connects the city with settlements to the
southeast of the city, ends in Petrozavodsk, where it has access to P21
(E105) "Kola" and A215.
By bus
In addition to bus service
between the settlements of the region, there are external bus routes
connecting the city with Petrozavodsk, Sortavala and Porosozero. The bus
station is located at: st. Lenina, 32.
Karelia Hotel, str. Shelshakova, d.1.
Guesthouse "Tamara", str.
Mira, d.1.
Prophylaxis "Lesnaya Polyana", str. Shelshakova, d.23. ☎
(81457) 21182. edit
The name of the city is based on its location on Lake Suoyarvi. Hydronym from the Karelian words suо “swamp”, järvi “lake”, that is, “swamp lake”.
Suoyarvi is a small town in the Republic of Karelia, northwestern
Russia, serving as the administrative center of Suoyarvsky District. It
is situated at approximately 62°05′N 32°21′E, about 140 kilometers
northwest of Petrozavodsk, the capital of Karelia. The district spans a
vast area of 13,731 square kilometers (5,302 square miles), making it
one of the larger administrative units in the republic. Geographically,
Suoyarvsky District lies in the western part of Karelia, directly
bordering Finland to the west, and is part of the broader Fennoscandian
Shield—a ancient crystalline rock formation that underlies much of
northern Europe. The town itself is positioned on the northern shore of
Lake Suoyarvi, from which it derives its name (from Finnish "suo"
meaning marsh or swamp, and "järvi" meaning lake, reflecting the area's
wetland characteristics). This region is typical of Karelia's boreal
landscape, featuring dense forests, numerous lakes, rivers, and marshy
terrains shaped by glacial activity during the last Ice Age.
Topography and Geology
The topography of Suoyarvi and Suoyarvsky
District is predominantly flat to gently undulating, characteristic of
the Karelian taiga biome. Elevations are generally low, with much of the
land below 200 meters above sea level, interspersed with low hills and
ridges formed by ancient glacial moraines. The terrain is heavily
influenced by post-glacial processes, including eskers (long ridges of
gravel and sand deposited by meltwater streams) and drumlins (elongated
hills formed under glaciers). The district's western location near the
Finnish border places it in a transition zone between the Baltic
Shield's Precambrian rocks—primarily granites, gneisses, and schists—and
more recent sedimentary deposits.
Geologically, the area is part of
the stable Fennoscandian craton, with rocks dating back over 2 billion
years. While not directly associated with major impact structures (note:
the nearby Suavjärvi crater, about 100 km to the east-northeast, is a
separate 16 km-diameter ancient impact site from ~2.4 billion years ago,
but it does not overlap with Suoyarvi), the region's bedrock shows
evidence of metamorphic processes and faulting. Soil cover is thin and
podzolic, often acidic and nutrient-poor, supporting coniferous forests
but limiting agriculture. Natural reserves like the Tolvajärvi Landscape
Reserve within the district highlight protected areas of pristine taiga,
emphasizing the area's ecological value for tourism and conservation.
Hydrography
Suoyarvi's hydrography is dominated by its namesake
lake and an extensive network of rivers and wetlands. Lake Suoyarvi is a
medium-sized freshwater body, covering approximately 63 square
kilometers, with irregular shorelines indented by bays and islands. It
is relatively shallow, with depths averaging 5-10 meters, and fed by
small tributaries from surrounding marshes. The lake's waters are
oligotrophic (low in nutrients), supporting clear conditions but limited
aquatic productivity. The Shuya River, a significant waterway in
Karelia, originates from Lake Suoyarvi and flows southward, eventually
draining into Lake Onega about 150 km away. This river system is part of
the larger Neva River basin, which ultimately empties into the Baltic
Sea.
The district boasts over 1,000 lakes and numerous rivers, many
of which are interconnected through wetlands and bogs. These features
result from glacial scouring, creating a labyrinth of water bodies that
cover about 10-15% of the land area. Marshes and peatlands are
prevalent, contributing to the "swampy" descriptor in the town's name
and playing a key role in water filtration and carbon storage. Flooding
can occur in spring due to snowmelt, while low water levels in late
summer expose rocky bottoms. The hydrography supports recreational
activities like fishing and boating, with species such as perch, pike,
and roach common in the lakes.
Climate
Suoyarvi experiences a
subarctic climate (Köppen classification: Dfc), marked by long, cold
winters and short, mild summers. The proximity to the Arctic Circle
(about 400 km south) influences extreme seasonal daylight variations,
with near-constant daylight in midsummer and polar twilight in winter.
Annual temperature ranges are wide, from lows around 8°F (-13°C) to
highs up to 69°F (21°C). Humidity is generally low year-round, with
muggy days rare. Winds are light to moderate, averaging 4.7-6.6 mph,
predominantly from the south in winter and west in summer.
Flora
and Fauna
The flora of Suoyarvi is dominated by boreal taiga forests,
covering over 70% of the district. Coniferous species like Scots pine
(Pinus sylvestris) and Norway spruce (Picea abies) prevail, mixed with
deciduous trees such as birch (Betula spp.) and aspen (Populus tremula).
Wetlands support sphagnum mosses, sedges, and berry-producing shrubs
like bilberry (Vaccinium myrtillus), lingonberry (Vaccinium
vitis-idaea), and cloudberry (Rubus chamaemorus), which are economically
important for local foraging. The understory includes ferns, lichens,
and mushrooms, thriving in the acidic, moist soils.
Fauna reflects
the taiga ecosystem, with large mammals including moose (Alces alces),
brown bears (Ursus arctos), reindeer (Rangifer tarandus), Eurasian lynx
(Lynx lynx), and smaller species like sable (Martes zibellina) and red
squirrels (Sciurus vulgaris). Birdlife is diverse, featuring
capercaillie (Tetrao urogallus), hazel grouse (Tetrastes bonasia), owls
(e.g., Eurasian eagle-owl, Bubo bubo), and woodpeckers (Dendrocopos
spp.). Aquatic habitats host fish such as northern pike (Esox lucius),
perch (Perca fluviatilis), and burbot (Lota lota), while amphibians and
insects abound in marshes. The region's biodiversity has benefited from
conservation efforts, with areas like Tolvajärvi Reserve protecting
habitats from logging. However, climate change poses risks, including
shifts in species distribution and increased forest fire frequency.
According to the scribe book of 1499/1500, the villages of Suyarva
Minor, Suyarva Big and the village of Yalgalaksha were located on the
territory of the modern city.
Archival documents from 1500
mention the settlement of Kaipaa with 20 courtyards on the southern
shore of a swampy lake (suojärvi) - where the city blocks are now
located. In the 16th-17th centuries, the settlement was part of the
Vodskaya Pyatina of the Novgorod land as the Shuezersky churchyard.
According to the Stolbovo Peace Treaty in 1617, the territory of
the settlement was included in the Kingdom of Sweden. Since 1618, the
Suojärvi churchyard of Kexholm County with its center in the village of
Varpakylä has been mentioned, and in 1621 the Shuezer exhibition
(Suojärv parish).
During the reign of Peter I, as a result of the Northern War,
according to the Treaty of Nystadt in 1721, all of Old Finland,
including the territory of the settlement, ceded to the Russian Kingdom.
On the conquered territory, the Vyborg province of St. Petersburg
province was formed.
In 1799, the assigned peasants of the
Shuezerskaya volost supplied 215,924 pounds of lake ore to the
Aleksandrovsky plant. The best iron ore in the entire Vyborg province
was mined in the Suoyarvi church.
In 1804, Count A.G.
Orlov-Chesmensky bought the lands of the Shuezerskaya volost from the
treasury and built the Karatsalma iron smelting plant.
In 1811,
the Vyborg province became part of the Grand Duchy of Finland (which
became part of the Russian Empire in 1809). In 1812, the territory was
included in the Suojärvi volost.
In 1859, one part of the
kirchspiel (parish) of Suojärvi was part of the Iloman district of the
Kuopios province, the other (with the Korpiselk chaplaincy) was part of
the Salmis district of the Vyborg province.
In 1917, the
Principality of Finland became an independent state.
In 1926, a timber mill and a cardboard factory were built.
On November 30, 1939, the war began, the defense in the area between
lakes Suojärvi and Varpajärvi was led by the 12th Infantry Division (12.
divisioona).
In December 1939, the advancing formations of the
8th Army of the Red Army (commander - division commander I.N. Khabarov)
advanced 86 km and captured Suoyarvi, Loimola and Pitkäranta. During the
December battles of 1939, the Soviet command decided that to supply its
group of Soviet troops, the existing dirt roads were not enough:
Petrozavodsk - Veshkelitsa - Chalna and Spasskaya Guba - Vokhtozero -
Chalna (not connected to the road network of Finland) and the
construction of a railway was necessary for the further offensive of the
Red Army.
In Suoyarvi, the evacuation of the civilian population
was not carried out and the residents of the volost villages remained in
place. On February 2, 1940, in accordance with the directive of the
Headquarters of the Supreme High Command of the USSR “On measures to
combat espionage,” the eviction of the remaining Finnish population from
the occupied territories to the rear of the Karelian Autonomous Soviet
Socialist Republic into special camps began. Residents of Suojärvi
parish from 37 villages and hamlets (1,329 people) were evicted to
Intersettlement.
Between January and April 1940, Soviet railway
troops built a railway from Petrozavodsk to Suojärvi. The length of the
road was 132 kilometers. Its construction ended after the peace treaty
of 1940. The first train ran on the new line on March 15, 1940. On March
20, 1940, the headquarters of the 56th Rifle Corps was withdrawn to
Suoyarvi. On November 23 of the same year, it was transformed into the
headquarters of the 7th Army.
In 1940, after the end of the
Winter War, according to the peace treaty, most of the Vyborg province
was transferred to the USSR. Since 1940, Suoyarvi has been part of the
Karelian Autonomous SSR.
Suojärvi was occupied by the Finnish army on July 13, 1941.
The Red Army occupied Suoyarvi on July 11, 1944.
In 1949, in accordance with the resolution of the Council of
Ministers of the USSR “On measures for the restoration and development
of logging in the Karelo-Finnish SSR,” it was allowed to attract Ingrian
Finns to Karelia. However, they were still prohibited from living in the
areas bordering Finland, including Suoyarvi.
On September 30,
1956, the railway was opened on the Suoyarvi - Porosozero section. The
section of the railway line took 6 years to build.
The Suojärvi
timber industry enterprise, a poultry farm, a concrete plant, a printing
house, and the Maysionvara airbase operated, and a border detachment was
stationed.