Rautjärvi

Municipality in South Karelia, Finland

Coat of arms

Location of Rautjärvi in Finland

Coordinates: 61°26′N 029°21′E / 61.433°N 29.350°E / 61.433; 29.350Country

FinlandRegionSouth KareliaSub-regionImatra sub-regionCharter1871SeatSimpeleGovernment

• Municipal managerHarri AnttilaArea

(2018-01-01)^[1]

• Total401.89 km² (155.17 sq mi) • Land351.47 km² (135.70 sq mi) • Water50.25 km² (19.40 sq mi) • Rank219th largest in FinlandPopulation

(2023-12-31)^[2]

• Total3,032 • Rank212th largest in Finland • Density8.63/km² (22.4/sq mi)Population by native language

^[3]

• Finnish95.3% (official) • Swedish0.2% • Others4.5%Population by age

^[4]

• 0 to 149.1% • 15 to 6450.8% • 65 or older40.1%Time zoneUTC+02:00 (EET) • Summer (DST)UTC+03:00 (EEST)Websitewww.rautjarvi.fi

Rautjärvi (Finnish pronunciation: [ˈrɑu̯tˌjærʋi]) is a municipality in the South Karelia region of Finland. The municipality has a population of 3,032 (31 December 2023)^[2] and covers an area of 401.89 square kilometres (155.17 sq mi) of which 50.25 km² (19.40 sq mi) is water.^[1] The population density is 8.63 inhabitants per square kilometre (22.4/sq mi). More than half of Rautjärvi's residents live in Simpele, the administrative center of the municipality.^[6]

The neighboring municipalities of Rautjärvi are Parikkala and Ruokolahti, while to the east is the Russian border. The municipality is unilingually Finnish. Rautjärvi is mostly well known as the birthplace of legendary sniper Simo Häyhä, a hero of the Winter War of World War II.^[7]

History

Rautjärvi was first mentioned in 1560 as Rauda Järffui as one of the villages of Jääski. It became a part of the Ruokolahti parish after its establishment in 1572.^[8] The municipality of Rautjärvi was founded in the year of 1861. A few years prior in 1859, the Rautjärvi parish had founded an independent church.

After the Winter War ended with the signing of the Moscow Peace Treaty on March 12, 1940, almost half of Rautjärvi (198.9 km²) was handed over to the Soviet Union in accordance with the treaty.

The municipality of Simpele was consolidated with Rautjärvi in 1973, becoming its new administrative center.^[9]

Rautjärvi's wooden church, completed in 1881, was destroyed in a fire on Christmas Day in 2022. The fire broke out in the middle of the worship, but all 30 people in the building got out safely.^[10]^[11]

Villages

The villages of Rautjärvi are inclusive of: Haakanala, Hallilanmäki, Hiivaniemi, Hinkkala, Hynnilä, Ilmee, Jurvala, Kalpiala, Kekäleniemi, Kokkola, Kopsala, Korjola, Korpijärvi, Lankila, Latvajärvi, Miettilä, Niskapietilä, Partila, Pirhola, Purnujärvi, Rautjärvi, Siisiälä, Simpele, Torsansalo, Uimola, Untamo, Viimola, Vähikkälä

Noteworthy attractions

Hiitolanjoki, a river that descends from Lake Ladoga
Haukkavuori, the highest place in South Karelia
Iivanansaari, an island which also serves as the burial place of Jussi Reinikainen
Pirunkirkko, several rock and stone formations
Laiko
Miettilä Historical Reserve Garrison, historic barracks which were constructed in the years of 1881–1883.
Rautjärvi local history exhibition
Kollaa Museum, a museum which documents the Battle of Kollaa
Niskapietiläntie, a road connecting the villages of Rautjärvi and Miettilä
Rautjärvi church, completed in the year of 1881
Simpele church, completed in the year of 1933

Notable individuals

Hannes Pulkkinen, elementary school teacher and a Member of the Parliament of Finland
Jesse Joronen, professional footballer who plays as a goalkeeper for Serie B club Brescia.
Johannes Häyhä, teacher and writer
Jorma Kosunen, Finnish Border Guard colonel and former Frontier school (later the Border and Coast Guard Academy) leader
Jouni Vento, ice hockey player
Karl Henrik Jakob Ignatius, priest and writer
Lauri Vilkko, Olympic pentathlete
Lea Piltti, opera singer
Martti Siisiäinen, professor and researcher
Matti Mononen, pole vaulter
Olli Pajari, Member of the Parliament
Simo Häyhä, notable hero of the Winter War of World War II.
Yrjö Roiha, missionary

References

^ ^a ^b "Area of Finnish Municipalities 1.1.2018" (PDF). National Land Survey of Finland. Retrieved 30 January 2018.
^ ^a ^b "Population growth biggest in nearly 70 years". Population structure. Statistics Finland. 2024-04-26. ISSN 1797-5395. Retrieved 2024-04-29.
^ "Population growth biggest in nearly 70 years". Population structure. Statistics Finland. 2024-04-26. ISSN 1797-5395. Retrieved 2024-04-29.
^ "Population according to age (1-year) and sex by area and the regional division of each statistical reference year, 2003–2020". StatFin. Statistics Finland. Retrieved 2 May 2021.
^ ^a ^b "Luettelo kuntien ja seurakuntien tuloveroprosenteista vuonna 2023". Tax Administration of Finland. 14 November 2022. Retrieved 7 May 2023.
^ "Rautjärvi-info" (in Finnish). Rautjärven kunta. Retrieved October 22, 2021.
^ Turunen, Petri (July 19, 2017). "Simo Häyhä sai oman museon – mitä sopivimpaan paikkaan". Ilta-Sanomat (in Finnish). Retrieved October 22, 2021.
^ "SuomalainenPaikannimikirja_e-kirja_kuvallinen.pdf" (PDF). kaino.kotus.fi (in Finnish). p. 374. Retrieved December 28, 2022.
^ "Yleistietoa kunnasta - Rautjärvi". rautjarvi.fi (in Finnish). Retrieved December 28, 2022.
^ "Rautjärven kirkko palaa – roihu syttyi jumalanpalveluksen aikana". Ilta-Sanomat (in Finnish). 25 December 2022. Retrieved 25 December 2022.
^ Forsberg, Tiina; Rimpiläinen, Tuomas; Näveri, Anna (25 December 2022). "Poliisi epäilee, että Rautjärven historiallinen puukirkko sytytettiin tahallaan kesken jumalanpalveluksen – pappi näki saarnastuolista savua, kun hälytys laukesi". Yle (in Finnish). Retrieved 25 December 2022.