| Svetogorsk (English) Светогорск (Russian) |
|
|---|---|
| — Inhabited locality — | |
 Apartment buildings in Svetogorsk. |
|
 Map of the Karelian isthmus showing the current Finland-Russia border, Imatra, Svetogorsk and St. Petersburg |
|
.png) Coat of arms |
|
| Administrative status | |
| Country | Russia |
| Federal subject | Leningrad Oblast |
| In administrative jurisdiction of | Vyborgsky District[citation needed] |
| Municipal status | |
| Representative body | City Council of Deputies[citation needed] |
| Statistics | |
| Population (2002 Census) | 15,500 inhabitants[1] |
| Time zone | MSK/MSD (UTC+3/+4) |
| Founded | 1887[citation needed] |
| Dialing code(s) | +7 81378[citation needed] |
| Official website | http://eng.lenobl.ru/svetogorsk |
Svetogorsk (Russian: Светого́рск, Finnish: Enso) is an industrial town in Leningrad Oblast, Russia, situated on the Karelian Isthmus, laying alongside Bank of Vuoksa. It is located one kilometer from the Russian–Finnish border, five kilometers from the Finnish town of Imatra, and 207 kilometers from St. Petersburg. Population: 15,698 (2002 Census).
Contents |
History
The town, founded in 1887, was originally called Enso and a part of the Jääski municipality, in the Finnish Viipuri Province. Enso was developing to be an influential town, but Soviet Union's hostilities against Finland led to occupation in 1940 and again in 1944. Soviet citizens were transferred to the town after the war (mainly from Ukraine, Belarus, and Russia) and in 1948 town was renamed to Svetogorsk.
In 1972 Soviet Union awarded Finnish construction project for large new cellulose and paper mill in Svetogorsk. The project was paid with Soviet crude oil. The project also gave start to the cross-border relations. Notably, the construction workers in Svetogorsk were called "builders", and the project also had intent to "build friendship between peoples".
Industry
Before the Winter War the town was a major factory site of Enso-Gutzeit Oy, the Finnish pulp and paper company (now Stora Enso). In the armistice of 1940 the new Finnish-Soviet border was deliberately drawn to leave the factory complex on the Soviet side. The town's major industry is still pulp and paper.
OAO Svetogorsk, one of the biggest paper mills in Russia, is the major employer. Covering two square kilometers, OAO Svetogorsk produces pulp, printing paper, and packaging board. Its brands include Svetocopy and Ballet office paper. Since December 1998, OAO Svetogorsk has been majority owned by International Paper. At end of 2001 the plant employed 3,000 people; by 2008 this had fallen to 2,200.[2]
Immediately adjacent to OAO Svetogorsk is a tissue mill. This formed part of the original mill complex but was split-away and resold by International Paper to SCA during the acquisition of OAO Svetogorsk from Tetra Laval, which controlled the plant since 1995. Svetogorsk Tissue, as the separate entity was to be called, became fully integrated into SCA Hygiene Products Division in 2003. It employs around 400 people. Its products include Zewa and Tork brands of paper towels and toilet tissue.
Border
The Imatra-Svetogorsk border plays a key role in transportation of timber between Russia and Finland. Also, around 150 employees commute daily from Imatra to the paper mills. The border crossing, which had temporary status, was a frequent cause of bottlenecks due to lengthy customs checks and inadequate facilities. A Russia-Finland agreement in 1997 allowed the development and eventual permanence of the border crossing. This €7 million European Union TACIS funded project ran from 1999 and the new international frontier, capable of handling 1,300 cars per day, opened on July 3, 2002. Further TACIS programmes are planned until 2010, including improvements to town infrastructure and the development of an industrial park with special tax rates.
2008 Protests
On the 18th of April, 2008, about 500 inhabitants of Svetogorsk participated in a protest which included a road barricade on the Finnish-Russian border as a protest against poor road conditions and lack of investment into roadworks from both the state and local levels. According to the Finnish public service broadcaster YLE, the militia participated in effectively cutting off the thorough traffic. The main issue of discontent was the lack of a dedicated road for traffic to avoid the city proper when driving from Russia towards the Finnish border, which according to reports, should already be built.[3]
Sister city
Svetogorsk has one sister city:[4]
See also
References
- ^ Федеральная служба государственной статистики (Federal State Statistics Service) (2004-05-21). "Численность населения России, субъектов Российской Федерации в составе федеральных округов, районов, городских поселений, сельских населённых пунктов – районных центров и сельских населённых пунктов с населением 3 тысячи и более человек (Population of Russia, its federal districts, federal subjects, districts, urban localities, rural localities—administrative centers, and rural localities with population of over 3,000)" (in Russian). Всероссийская перепись населения 2002 года (All-Russia Population Census of 2002). Federal State Statistics Service. http://perepis2002.ru/ct/html/TOM_01_04_1.htm. Retrieved 2009-08-19.
- ^ [1]
- ^ YLE Uutiset / Kotimaa
- ^ Svetogorsk is getting a sister city
External links
|
||||||||||||||
This entry is from Wikipedia, the leading user-contributed encyclopedia. It may not have been reviewed by professional editors (see full disclaimer)
