Welcome to Karelia

The Republic of Karelia is situated in the northwest of Russia. The total area of Karelia is 180.5 thousand square kilometers (1.06% of the total territory of Russia). The population of Karelia is 700 000 inhabitants.

In the west Karelia borders on Finland, in the south on Leningradskaya and Vologodskaya regions, in the north on Murmanskaya and in the east on Arkhangelskaya regions. The capital of the republic is Petrozavodsk.

You can get to Petrozavodsk from Moscow or St. Petersburg by train. It will take you only one night.

Also it is possible to drive a car or take a bus from Finnland, as Karelia and Finnland have a common border.

Karelia is often called a stony lake-and-forest land, which stresses the main elements of the landscape.

More than 49 percent of the area is covered with forests (the main species are pine-tree and fir-tree), 25 per cent is water surface. There are more than 60 thousand lakes and 27 thousand rivers in Karelia. The largest lakes of Europe - the Ladoga lake (17.7 thousand sq.km.) and the Onego lake (9.9 thousand sq. km.) are located in Karelia. The largest rivers are Vodla (400 km), Vyg, Kovda, Kemi, Suna and Shuja. The total length of the water chain is almost 83 thousand km. Due to rich water resources, Karelia is the best place for fishing and watertours.

The Republic of Karelia has a favourable economic and geographic location and huge mineral reserves. It is close to the central high-industrialized regions of Russia and Western Europe. It also has a developed water-transport system.

The industrial complex of the Karelia is defined by the industries using local natural resources (timber, woodworking, pulp and paper, ferrous metallurgy and construction materials industries) and by the industries using imported stuff - mechanical engineering and non-ferrous metallurgy.

Tourism is also one of the priority trades. It gets more and more importance in the development of the economic potential of the republic.

The Republic of Karelia has great opportunities for developing different types of tourism: hunting and fishing, active rafting and ecological tourism. Karelia can satisfy the needs of all visitors: more than four thousand cultural, historical and natural monuments are on its territory.

Karelia is one of the most well-known russian territories in international tourism, for it has a lot of unique architectural, cultural and historical objects on Kizhi and Valaam islands and on Solovetskie Islands, situated not far from the administrative borders of Karelia and included in the UNESCO World Heritage List.

The largest in Russia architectural ensemble of wooden architecture - famous Kizhi pogost - is an outstanding work of Russian craftsmen. Nowadays Kizhi is not only an open-air museum of national architecture. All the traditions, national handicrafts, customs and games are regenerated here.

Valaam island is situated in south-east of Karelia in Ladoga Lake. Founded in 14 century one of the largest orthodox cathedrals in Russia Valaam was reestablished at the end of 80-ies. Cultural monuments of Valaam - immense architectural ensembles, hand-made gardens, engineering constructions and ancient buildings - adjoin even more majestic nature of the island.

And finally, Solovetskie Islands are situated on the northern administrative borders of Karelia and on the territory of Archangelsk region. In 15 century an orthodox monastery, which later became one of the largest spiritual and cultural centers, was founded here. Its ensemble includes unique archeological complexes of pre-Christian period - magnificent Kremlin, stone cathedrals, a network of hand-made channels between the lakes and an ancient botanical garden.

These 3 islands - Valaam, Kizhi and Solovki, are not only the main cultural sights of Karelia , but also phenomena of world significance. Historical and cultural peculiarity, which differs Karelia from other russian provinces, is defined by a cultural heritage of four indigenous peoples - karelians, vepps, finns and russians.

Karelia is the place of birth of a famous Karelo-Finnish epos "Kalevala" - a literature monument of world significance. Here ancient Karelian and Vepps settlements, which are of great interest for the fans of ethnic tourism, are still kept protected.

Petroglyphs are more than five thousand years old. These are rock carvings created by ancient hunters and fishermen. These are the samples of ancient written language and culture.

Annually in the end of July the largest in Russia Onego regatta of cruiser yachts is held on the Onego lake. It is a national championship on sailing sport. Nowadays it has achieved an international level. Yachts from Finland and Norway take part in races.

Welcome to the land of thousands lakes and forests!