Russian-Swedish-Finnish Town. PRIOZERSK (Korela, Kexholm, Kakisalmi) in Leningrad Region, Russia

Russian-Swedish-Finnish Town. PRIOZERSK (Korela, Kexholm, Kakisalmi) in Leningrad Region, Russia

Korela Fortress and that’s mean today I 
am in the town of Priozersk in Leningrad region of Russia. Back in the days, in Old 
Russia, it was the northwesternmost town of Old Russia. Also that’s where supposedly our 
Great Prince Rurik, the founder of Russia, died. And this is also the fortress where was filmed 
the very beginning of one of the most significant, one of the most legendary Russian movies 
of 1990’s “Brother(Brat)”. And that’s where I’m gonna take a ride today. My name is 
Sergey Baklykov, this is “Baklykov Live”! So, welcome to Priozersk (formerly also known as 
Korela, Kexholm, and Käkisalmi). It is located 145 km from St. Petersburg — in the north of 
the Leningrad Region, on the border with the Republic of Karelia, Russia. As of 2025, 
the population is almost 18,000 people. The first mention of a fortified settlement 
on the site of today’s Priozersk dates back to 1295. In a Russian chronicle it was 
called Korela, in a Swedish one — Kexholm. After the introduction of the Finnish language 
into the official clerical use of the Grand Duchy of Finland in the 1860s, the Finnish 
variant of the name Käkisalmi also spread, as evidenced by postal stamps. Since 1918, 
the main version of the city’s name within newly independent Finland became the Finnish 
Käkisalmi, along with the Swedish Kexholm. In 1940, in accordance with the 
Moscow Peace Treaty, which ended the Soviet-Finnish War (1939–1940), 
the city was ceded to the Soviet Union, and the name Kexholm was restored. In 1941–1944, 
during the World War II the city was occupied by Finnish troops and was again called Käkisalmi.
In 1944, as a result of the Second World War, the city was once again ceded to the Soviet Union 
and in 1948 was renamed Priozersk. Which literally means “by the lake.” The city is literally 
located between two lakes — Lake Ladoga, the largest lake in Europe, and Lake 
Vuoksa. They are connected to each other by a river, which is also called Vuoksa.
There are no written records of the exact time when a Karelian settlement was founded on the 
Vuoksa River, but based on numerous excavations, one can conclude that a Karelian settlement 
existed on the site of Korela fortress as early as the 12th century. According to chronicles, 
in 1295 a certain fortified point at the mouth of the Vuoksa was raided by a detachment of 
Swedish knights under the command of Sigurd Lokk from the garrison of the newly founded 
Vyborg Castle. It was probably one of the trade and political centers of the Korela tribe. 
In the same year the Novgorodians recaptured it, and in 1310 built a stone fortress on 
the Vuoksa, destroying the old one. Korela was on the “reserve” route of the great 
waterway “from the Varangians to the Greeks.” Through the Vuoksa one could get to the Gulf of 
Finland and to central Finland. Sweden sought to establish control over this strategically 
important route; from the late 13th century Korela was repeatedly attacked by the Swedes.
The inclusion of Korela Land, along with other Novgorod possessions, into the Grand Duchy of 
Moscow contributed to the further development and strengthening of Korela. According to 1568 
records, the town had 406 households of regular people, the yards of the governor, the vladyka 
(head of the church district), boyars and nobles. There were four monasteries and one church.
But in the autumn of 1580 Korela was taken by Swedish troops under the command of Pontus De 
la Gardie. Thanks to the Swedish advantage in artillery, the city’s fate was quickly decided: 
a fire that engulfed the wooden walls and buildings of the fortress forced the garrison to 
surrender. The entire Korela district came under Swedish rule. However, already in 1595, after 
the Russo-Swedish war, it was returned to the Russian state under the Treaty of Tyavzino.
From August 1610 to February 1611 Korela was besieged by Swedish troops under Jacob 
De la Gardie due to the violation of the Russo-Swedish treaty of 1609. Russian Tsar 
Vasily IV Shuisky handed Korela over to the Swedes in exchange for military assistance during 
the Time of Troubles and the Polish intervention, under the treaty concluded in Vyborg in February 
1609. The assistance of the Swedes and other mercenaries (Finns and French) during De la 
Gardie’s campaign was indeed important and decisive for Russian victories. Under the treaty, 
the Swedes provided more than 5,000 soldiers, who contributed to the victories in 1609 near 
the Russian towns of Torzhok, Tver, and Kalyazin, as well as in the Battle of Karinskoye 
Field. By December 1609 De la Gardie, on the instructions of the Swedish king, also 
demanded the transfer of Oreshek, Ivangorod, and Kola to the Swedes in exchange for additional 
Swedish troops (4,000 soldiers), needed for joint actions near Moscow. A new treaty was concluded 
on December 17, 1609, and on January 17, 1610 the treaty was confirmed by Tsar Vasily IV Shuisky.
However, the patriotic local population of Korela refused to recognize the terms of the 1609 treaty 
and wanted to remain within the Russian state. To defend Korela, a militia of local residents 
was gathered. Against the will of the tsar, 2,000 militiamen and 500 streltsy stood up for 
the defense of the fortress. The Swedes had to storm a fortress already formally ceded to 
them under the 1609 treaty. From September 1610 to March 1611 the siege of the fortress 
by De la Gardie’s troops continued, ending with the complete exhaustion of the defenders 
and the surrender of Korela to the Swedes. After the Treaty of Stolbovo in 
1617, Korela was ceded to Sweden. Almost 100 years later, on September 8, 
1710, during the Great Northern War between Russian Empire and Sweden, the Kexholm 
fortress was taken by Russian troops. Upon completion of the Great Northern War in 1721, 
under the Treaty of Nystad, Sweden recognized the annexation of the Kexholm County and part of 
Karelia with the Vyborg district to Russia. Kexholm began to serve as a military outpost 
on the approaches to the Russian capital those days — St. Petersburg. The town of Kexholm 
became the center of Kexholm Province until 1743, when it was included in the newly created 
Vyborg Governorate of Russian Empire. Since the 18th century the fortress 
changed its purpose and became a prison. On December 23, 1811, Emperor Alexander 
I issued a decree on the annexation of the Finnish Governorate (the so-called 
Old Finland), which included Kexholm, to the Grand Duchy of Finland (“New Finland”). 
This happened thanks to the personal initiative of Gustaf Mauritz Armfelt. Kexholm passed 
under Finnish administration. The Finnish Governorate was renamed Vyborg Governorate.
In the mid-19th century, when the Vuoksa river changed its main course, fishing in the Kexholm 
area sharply declined, and the population of the city decreased from 1,700 people in 1840 
to 1,200 people in 1873. At the same time, in the mid-19th century, the first industrial 
enterprises began to appear in the town. After the Russian February Revolution of 1917, 
Emperor Nicholas II, who also held the title of Grand Duke of Finland, abdicated on March 2, 
1917. And after the October Revolution of 1917, the parliament of the Grand Duchy proclaimed 
the independence of Finland. On December 31, 1917, the Council of People’s Commissars 
under the chairmanship of Vladimir Lenin recognized the independence of Finland.
In October 1920, peace was concluded between Russia as the Russian Soviet Federative Socialist 
Republic and Finland, ending the first war of the two young states. The new Soviet-Finnish border 
turned out to be slightly south of Kexholm. In 1930, a new Lutheran church of Käkisalmi 
was built to replace the old church. It was designed by architect Armas Lindgren.
In 1931, a large sulfite pulp mill Waldhof was launched, becoming the most prominent 
industrial enterprise of the city. By 1938–1939, the population of Käkisalmi 
had grown to more than 5,000 inhabitants. After the Soviet-Finnish war of 1939–1940, 
under the peace treaty of March 12, 1940, the city was transferred to the Soviet Union.
During the Second World War, from August 21, 1941 to September 24, 1944, the city was occupied 
by Finnish troops and almost completely destroyed. In September 1944, Finland and the USSR concluded 
the Moscow Armistice. On September 24, 1944, Kexholm was returned to the USSR. The previous 
Soviet-Finnish border of 1940 was restored. In November 1944, the northern districts of 
the Karelian Isthmus — Vyborgsky, Kexholm, and Yaski, which had been assigned to 
the Karelo-Finnish Soviet Socialistic Republic in 1940, were transferred 
to the Leningrad Region of the USSR. By mid-1947 the nationalized Waldhof 
plant was restored after the war, and was renamed Priozersk Pulp Plant. The plant 
was closed in 1986 as environmentally hazardous. According to one of versions, the founder of 
Russia, Grand Prince Rurik, died here, and in 2004 a memorial stone was erected in Priozersk with 
the inscription: “In 879 Rurik died in Korela.” The town has the Priozersk railway station 
on the St. Petersburg — Hiitola line. Industry is developed in the city. The largest 
enterprises are the Priozersk woodworking plant and Joint Stock Company “Lesplitinvest.”
From the bus station, daily buses run to St. Petersburg: No. 859 to the Devyatkino bus 
station and No. 960 to the Parnas metro station. Here are also local buses running within Priozersk 
and between Priozersk and nearby settlements. The main attraction of the city, of course, 
is Korela Fortress, where despite repeated sieges and reconstructions, buildings from 
the 14th–20th centuries have been preserved. Other attractions are
The Church of the Nativity of the Blessed Virgin Mary — built in 1847 according 
to the project of French architect Louis Visconti. The Lutheran Church of Käkisalmi — 
built in 1930, architect Armas Lindgren. The railway station building — built in 1916 which 
is miraculously survived many fires in the town. The monument to Peter I — erected with funds from soldiers and officers of 
the Kexholm regiment in 1910. The monument to Mowgli — the only monument 
to this literary character in Russia, created in 1967 by young sculptor Boris 
Karagod, who came here for practice. And also,
The Church of All Saints of the Valaam Transfiguration Monastery’s metochion 
— built in 1892. Architect Johan Jakob Arenberg. I hope you enjoyed this ride through the town of 
Priozersk with such a truly interesting history! If you’d like to see more videos from all over 
Russia subscribe and, please, also consider to join Membership! Thank you for watching! Sergey 
Baklykov, “All of Russia” channel, Baklykov.Live!

Riding around Priozersk, on the border of Russia’s Leningrad region and the Republic of Karelia — another town with Russian, Swedish, and Finnish history.

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Tosno – https://youtu.be/x8KSkHE2UYE
Murino – https://youtu.be/zyuVlknVTVE
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Republic of Bashkortostan:
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Kazan (Republic of Tatarstan) – https://youtu.be/b7y-9WBebAg

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