Tver Karelia (Russia)

Last modified: 2005-05-07 by antónio martins
Keywords: karelia | soviet union | finland | tver | sweden | kexholm | kakisalmi | orthodox |
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• Tver region
• Karelia
• Soviet Union

After the peace between Russia and Sweden in 1617 gave much of the Kexholm/Käkisalmi province to Sweden, several thousands Orthodox Karelians left to be resettled in the Tver province northwest of Moscow. The 1926 census put the number of Tver Karelians to 140,000. In the 1930s a separate Tver Karelian language was established. A national area was set up in July 1937, but as the Soviet authorities changed their mind about the Tver Karelians, the national area was abolished in early 1939. A dramatic reduction in the population followed, and in the 1989 there were only 23,000 Tver Karelians left. I am not aware of any flags for the Tver Karelians.

Jan Oskar Engene, 29 May 1997, quoting [Seppo Lallukka: "The breakdown of Tver' Karelian demographic continuity" Ethnic and Racial Studies, 19-2, 1996: 316-338]