Sortavala
Sortavala (Russian: Сортавала, Finnish: Sortavala) is a town in the Republic of Karelia, Russia, located at the northern tip of Lake Ladoga. Population: 21,131 (2002 Census).
History
The district of Sortavala was first recorded in Swedish documents dating to 1468. Russian documents first mention it as "Serdovol" or "Serdobol" in 1500. It is disputed which name was the earliest. The settlement of Sortavala was attested in 1582. It was ceded to Sweden after the Ingrian War; the modern town seems to have been founded in 1632.
In 1721, the settlement reverted to Russia and was given the Russian name Serdobol. It became known for its marble and granite quarries which provided materials necessary for construction of imperial palaces in Saint Petersburg and the neighbourhood. In 1812, along with the rest of Old Finland, it was rejoined with the newly formed Grand Duchy of Finland.
In 1917 the town remained a part of independent Finland. After the Winter War and the Moscow Peace Treaty, Sortavala was annexed by the Soviet Union. Like most of Karelia, Sortavala was occupied by Finland during 1941–1944 (the period of the Continuation War). The armistice called for the evacuation of all Finns and the turnover of the city empty of population. After the war the city was resettled by Russians.
Until 1940, the Ladoga shore southwest of Sortavala had been one of the very few areas north of the Karelian Isthmus that was relatively densely populated by Karelians.
