Svetogorsk, Border town in Leningrad Oblast, Russia
Svetogorsk is a border town in Leningrad Oblast, located about 200 kilometers northwest of Saint Petersburg and stretching along the Vuoksi River. The town sits just one kilometer from Finland, making it one of Russia's closest settlements to Finnish territory.
Founded in 1887 as Enso, the town developed around a paper mill powered by the river's hydroelectric potential. It became part of the Soviet Union following the Moscow Peace Treaty in 1940 and was renamed Svetogorsk.
The town's character reflects a complete population turnover after World War II, when Finnish residents moved away and Russian speakers arrived to build a new community. This shift shaped how locals relate to their Finnish neighbors across the border today.
The Imatra-Svetogorsk border crossing handles substantial regional trade, especially in timber shipments flowing between the two countries. Visitors should be aware that the proximity to the border may affect access and require additional documentation.
The local paper mill employs thousands of workers, many of whom commute daily from the Finnish neighboring town across the border. This cross-border workforce reveals the deep economic ties that bind the two sides together.
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