Pitkyaranta

Modern Pitkyaranta is situated on the territory which for a number of centuries was the subject of claim for Russia and Sweden, and later on for Finland. The cultural development of the land is inseparable from its history. The intrinsic traits of western and eastern traditions have therefore tightly interlaced with each other.

The first reference to this small settlement on the shore of the Ladoga Lake goes back to the end of the 15th century. The development of Pitkyaranta is connected with the exploitation of copper and tin ore deposits and with the development of the woodworking industry. Granites found on this territory were used for the construction of numerous buildings in St. Petersburg. Today Pitkyaranta continues to be the centre of timber cutting and woodworking in Karelia.