Where Is Karelia?

Where is Karelia and why is the place important today?

MUSIC

4/20/20232 min read

Rustic church in Karelia
Rustic church in Karelia

Karelia is not a word that you hear mentioned every day, but In case you haven't heard of the strange land, it is a place with a history that is still important today, especially with the current war being waged in the Ukraine and the now imminent admittance of Finland to NATO. Today, you will find Karelia in the same place, it has always been - in the Southeast corner of Finland or the Northwest corner of Russia, depending on point of view. However, national boundaries shift all the time, so it may be of interest to take a look at the history of this strange little place.

What About Karelia?

Maps of Karelia shows the place to be a land of lakes that straddles Russia and Finland.
Maps of Karelia shows the place to be a land of lakes that straddles Russia and Finland.

A Land of Lakes Between Russia and Finland

Though strongly identifying with Finland, Karelia has been located within the Russian borderline with Western Europe, since the Winter War of 1939-1940, when Russia invaded Finland. To the surprise of many, Finland dealt the Russian a sizeable military defeat and thus able to maintain their national sovereignty and identity. However, the Finns did give up Karelia to Russia. After this agreement between Finland and Russia was announced, there was a large exodus from the Karelia lake region into Finland. This political divide remains in effect today.

Karelia is known for its many beautiful lakes
Karelia is known for its many beautiful lakes

Varttina, A Finn Folk Band with Roots in Karelia

The band Varttina has been around since at least the early 90s and today is one of Finland's premier Folk bands. What makes this band so important today is that the band members are descendants of those, who fled Karelia, when it was ceded to Russia during WWII, in exchange for the continuation of Finnish Independence, which had had only been in existence since 1917.

Strangely enough, the Finns were only able to create their own independent nation after the Russian Bolsheviks rose to power and thus became the first Russians to recognize the sovereignty of Finland.

Finnish troops deploy a machine gun during the Winter War of 1939-1940
Finnish troops deploy a machine gun during the Winter War of 1939-1940

Strange Simularities

The eerie similarities between the Winter War of 1939-1940 and the Ukraine War of 2022-2023 are just too eerie not to notice. Both wars involve the Russian invasion of a foreign nation. Both wars feature under performance of the Russian Armed Forces at the hands of a highly-motivated, but much smaller country. And furthermore, if Ukraine concedes land for peace, which is a definite possibility, then Russia will have once again gained territory, despite invading a foreign nation and conducting a lackluster military campaign.

Please note, it is by no means a foregone conclusion that Ukraine will follow in Finland's footsteps. Nonetheless, the possibility does exist that this scenario could play out in upcoming months.

Subscribe