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Ilomantsi

Ilomantsi (, , ) is a municipality and a village of Finland. It is located in the North Karelia region. The municipality has a population of () and covers an area of of which is water. The population density is . The easternmost point of Finland (and of the continental part of the European Union) is located in Ilomantsi near the village of Hattuvaara. (In the EU, only Cyprus is located further to the east.)

The nearest town is Joensuu, away; the distance to Helsinki is . Neighbouring municipalities are Lieksa and Joensuu. In the east, Ilomantsi shares a long border with the Russian Republic of Karelia. The municipality is sparsely populated and is mostly characterized by forests and boglands. About of the area is designated as natural reserves, among them the national parks Petkeljärvi and Patvinsuo. The most important bodies of water in Ilomantsi are the lakes Koitere and Nuorajärvi and the river Koitajoki. The Pampalo gold mine is located in Ilomantsi.

The municipality is unilingually Finnish. Local words of Karelian or Russian extraction might be used in Ilomantsi. The local newspaper is called Pogostan Sanomat, i.e. "The Pogosta News".

Ilomantsi has a 17.4% Orthodox minority, which is the largest percentage among Finnish municipalities. The wooden Orthodox church of Ilomantsi is the largest in Finland and is dedicated to the prophet Elijah. There are also five Orthodox chapels (tsasouna) in the municipality. The Orthodox community of Ilomantsi is more than 500 years old and has 1,100 members.

Fighting in Ilomantsi took place during both the Winter War (1939 Battle of Ilomantsi) and the Continuation War (1944 Battle of Ilomantsi). The latter was the final battle of the Continuation War and ended with a Finnish victory.

Demographics

The following table shows the decrease in population of the municipality since 1980. The regional allocation used is 1 January 2017.

Sights

Ilomantsi offers a number of historical sites, natural features and scenery, several cultural sites and events, as well as culinary attractions. Places of interest include:

  • Orthodox Church (built in 1892)
  • Lutheran Church (built in 1796)
  • Katri Vala Culture Center
  • Lutheran Church of Kivilahti (built in 1954), Clock tower (built in 1969)
  • Research Center of Mekrijärvi
  • - A nearby village which was one of the key battlefields of the Winter War.
  • Gun Workshop in Naarva - Museum (built in 1790)
  • Lutheran Church of Naarva (built in 1958), Clock tower (built in 1971)
  • The Poetry Village of and the Poet's Pirtti. (An animal museum and a restaurant available)
  • National Park of
  • National Park of
  • (The Fighters' House) - Museum about the Winter War and the Continuation War (built in 1988).

Notable

References

External links