Priozersk
(Fortress Korela)

The general description
Priozersk is a region centre in the Leningrad area, in 145 km to the north from St.-Petersburg. The town is located on the Karelian isthmus, in a place of the confluence of the northern sleeve of the river Vuoksa in the lake. There is the station of the railway St.-Petersburg - Khiitola.

To reach Priozersk it is the most convenient:
from St.-Petersburg from the Finnish station up to the station of Priozersk.

The general sights of the town are the monuments in the territory of the former fortress – the gate tower of the 17th century, the building of the construction of the 16th century inside of the fortress court (the old arsenal and the powder cellar). In the building of the powder cellar of the construction of 1769-1776 (the new arsenal) the exposition of the museum of local lore is situated.

Almost at the centre of modern town of Priozersk, which is located in the north of Leningrad area, on the Karelian isthmus, near the influence of the river Vuoksa in Ladoga lake, there is the ancient fortification of the town Korela - the fortress.

Actually Korela, Keksgolm, Kjakisalmi and Priozersk are the names of the same town, which was renamed several times during its longer than seven-centuries-history. Formerly the fortress Korela was on an island of the river Vuoksa (its ancient name was Uzerva, Uzorva), but because of the downturn of a level of the water in the river one of the sleeves of the ancient channel dried up, and the fortress appeared not on the island, but on a cape.

The structures of the ancient fortress, well survived to our time, are interesting. This fortress during long time was a very important defensive point in the North of Russia.

In an exposition of the museum placed in the territory of the fortress, it is possible to see the materials of the archaeological excavation and also many documents telling about a famous battle history of this ancient Russian town. Nowadays Priozersk received this name in 1948 is a large regional centre in Leningrad area. Through the town highways and railways connecting it with other towns of the area pass.

Priozersk has well-advanced industry. The largest enterprises are cellulose and dairy factories. In this region the fishing craft is well advanced, there is the well-known fish factory "Petrovsky".

The Priozersk area is the perfect place for tourism and rest. The wonderful nature, woods, lakes, rocks and rivers, rich by fish and interesting for water tourists - all this attracts in these places the inhabitants not only of St. Petersburg, but also of the other areas of our country.

Pages of history

The Russian town Korela arose in the end of the 18th century on a place of a small Karelian settlement. In that time the local inhabitants were under authority of Novgorod and were under strong influence of Russian culture and Christianism.

However, the Swedish knights were in incessant struggle for these grounds. In 1295 they appeared near the walls of the fortress Korela and even temporarily took possession of it, this fact induced Novgorodians to build on the island the new fortifications instead of old.

Therefore the modernised fortress becoming a powerful advanced post of Novgorod on the Karelian isthmus sustained the attacks of the Swedes in 1314, 1322, 1337 and 1338.

But neighbourhood of Swedish strong basic point on the Karelian isthmus (the town Vyborg) and the constant attacks to the Korela forced Novgorod to strengthen the fortress. In 1364 the stone tower was constructed, it considerably strengthened the wooden-earthen defensive structures. It was the first stone structure of Korela.

By the 16th century Korela changed, the Novgorod chronicles of 1500 describe it as a large urban settlement consisting of several parts, which were in administrative and military submission of their main centre - the fortress.

Korela grown up and occupied except the basic island the island Spassky and also the northern coast of the river Vuoksa (behind the Fedorovsky canal) and the southern coast of this river (the settlement on the "Nut side").

The inclusion of Karelian lands, among the other Novgorod possession, in structure of the Moscow state, promoted the further development and strengthening of Korela. Then on perimeter of the Spassky island the earthen mound was arisen, it was enclosed by an oak wall.

In the end of the 16th century Korela was exposed to the numerous attacks of the Swedes.

In the beginning of the 17th century, when the groups of the Polish-Lithuanian army under the command of Lzhedmitry I intruded Russia and took the possession of Moscow, the tsar Vasilij Ivanovich Shujsky wanted to receive the military support of Sweden, and Korela with its district passed to the Sweden, but the townspeople refused categorically to recognise the authority of Sweden. In 1610 Swedish army intruded district and begun the systematic siege of the urban fortifications. Only on March 2, 1611 after six months of blockade the fortress was yielded. Then there were alive some tens shots and about a hundred inhabitants instead of three-thousands population. This historical defence is entered in the history of the struggle of Russian people with Sweden and Polish-Lithuanian invaders.

In 1617 the part of Russian lands, adjacent to the Finnish gulf, passed to the Sweden, Korela with the district was within almost hundred years under the Swedish dominion.

The Swedes, understanding the importance of this basic point, in the end of the first half of the 17th century began to conduct a large work on the strengthening of the fortress. They disassembled the wooden walls, increased the height of the earthen shaft, faced it by the stones from both sides. The internal court of the fortress was built up by the stone buildings, the powerful two-circles tower was constructed. The earthen mounds of the Spassky island also were strengthened by stone facing, and here the guns were established.

The gate towers of the fortress and of the Spassky island were connected by the lifted bridge. Through the Fedorovsky canal to the settlement there was also the bridge with lifting part. The small neighbouring islands on the approaches to the fortress were also strengthened, and the approach by boats was protected by the stakes drove in the bottom of the river. September 8, 1710 during the Northern war the Keksgolmskaja fortress, former Russian Korela, was seized by Russian army under the command of the general Roman Brjus. In honour of this capture in 1710 a memorable medal was made.

Under the peace agreement of 1721 Sweden refused claims on Karelian grounds forever. And Keksgolm almost hundred years was a military advanced post on approaches to Russian capital - St. Petersburg.

In the spring of 1791 the great Russian commander A. V. Suvorov arrived here and reported to empress Ekaterina II, that the fortress was read to defence.

But there was also the time, when in territory of the fortress there was the prison. So in 1774 after the execution of Emeljan Pugachev his wife, three children and so-called "the second wife" (16-years old girl) were imprisoned here. After a half-century, in the 1826 his old survived children were transferred in a house near the fortress to concede a place for new prisoners - the participants of the revolt of 1825. In the middle of the 19th century capitalism in Russia began to develop, in Keksgplm the first industrial enterprises began to be founded.

The large importance for the town the constant steamship connection on Ladoga begun in 1826 on Ladoga in a direction Keksgolm - St. Petersburg and Keksgolm - Serdobol (Sortavala) had. The steamships with pilgrims and tourists floating to the beautiful island Valaam came in Keksgolm, due to what there were many artists and writers. So in 1872 the town was visited by the remarkable Russian writer N. S. Leskov.

The transport connections between Keksgolm and the capital were improved in the end of the 19th century after the construction of the railway in 35 km from the town. In the same time the telegraphic line connected Keksgolm with other Russian towns was laid, and the telephone station began to function. Then in the town the first newspaper "Vuoksa" (on Finnish language) became to be published. The population of the town consisted basically of Finns and Russian, about 20 streets of the town had the names in two languages.

The opening of the small resort and also the construction of the railway from St. Petersburg up to Keksgolm and further up to station Hiitola, begun in 1913, played a large role for development of the town on a boundary of two centuries. The wooden railway station survived to our time.

The revolutionary events of 1917 in Russia were directly influenced on Keksgolm. December 31, 1917 in Smolny the Council of the National Commissioners under presidency of V. I. Lenin accepted the decision of independence of Finland, under which the town with other areas of the Karelian isthmus passed to the state of Finland. Within the next 22 years the town had a Finnish name Kjakisalmi.

After the Russian-Finnish war of 1939-1940 as a result of the peace agreement of March 12, 1940 the town was returned to Soviet Union.

During the Great Patriotic war of 1941-1945 the town was seized by Germans on August 21, 1941. Only after 4,5 months after complete liberation of Leningrad of blockade Russian army attacked all Karelian isthmus, therefore in September, 1944 Keksgolm passed to Russia, and the former Russian-Finnish border of 1940 was restored.

Places of Interest

The monuments in the territory of former fortress are in good condition. The gate tower of the 17th century was restored. Inside of the fortress court the buildings of construction of the 16th century (old arsenal and a cellar) were saved. In the building of the gun cellar of construction of 1769-1776 years (new arsenal) there is the exposition of the museum of Local Lore.

The monuments of the Spassky island (New fortress) are saved worse. The line of former mounds, faced by boulder is traced, the two fortress gates are survived. The gate conducting to the Old fortress and the second gate lead to the Fedorovsky canal are interesting. The premises of soldier's barracks (the middle of the 18th century) are also saved, and the building of the church too.

In 1910 on the main square near the building of the church the monument to the Peter I was established.