Kostomuksha
Encyclopedia
Kostomuksha is a town located in the northwestern part of the Republic of Karelia
, Russia
, 30 kilometres (18.6 mi) from the border with Finland
and on the shore of lake Kontoki. Population:
The nearest large cities in Russia
are St. Petersburg
and Petrozavodsk
, which are connected to Kostomuksha by rail. The nearest towns in Finland are Kuhmo
and Kajaani
.
It was established in 1977 as an urban-type settlement
and populated by people from various regions of the Soviet Union. It was mostly built by Finnish building companies, according to an agreement between the Soviet and Finnish governments. Town status was granted to it in 1983. The town was later expanded by Soviet building companies but maintaining plenty of green areas.
The iron ore refinery
(JSC
Karelsky okatysh, or Karelian Pellet) employs around five thousand people and associated mining has left a huge hole near the factory. Wiring harness ("AEK" LLC) and electronics ("Electrokos" LLC) factories are part of Finnish company PKC Group Oyj. Other important industries include timber and furniture making. A wood processing complex being developed by Swedwood (an industrial group within IKEA) will include a sawmill, chip-board and furniture factory.
There is also a railway station, an airport (with no regular flights), and a federal road.
There is a large national park near the town with a reindeer population and a beaver population of Canadian origin, which were introduced in Finland and have migrated over into Russian territory. Part of the national park extends into Finnish territory. Tourism and recreational activities within the national park are prohibited.
Every summer there is a chamber music festival to which musicians, orchestras and theater groups come from Moscow, St. Petersburg and other parts of Russia. In summer the town enjoys more than two months of uninterrupted sunlight and many inhabitants spend time at their dacha
s, typically situated on the banks of one of the many lakes in the vicinity, which also attract anglers due to their large fish populations. As in Finland, saunas are very popular. In winter, skiing and biathlon are popular. Most visitors come from Finland.
Republic of Karelia
The Republic of Karelia is a federal subject of Russia .-Geography:The republic is located in the northwestern part of Russia, taking intervening position between the basins of White and Baltic seas...
, Russia
Russia
Russia or , officially known as both Russia and the Russian Federation , is a country in northern Eurasia. It is a federal semi-presidential republic, comprising 83 federal subjects...
, 30 kilometres (18.6 mi) from the border with Finland
Finland
Finland , officially the Republic of Finland, is a Nordic country situated in the Fennoscandian region of Northern Europe. It is bordered by Sweden in the west, Norway in the north and Russia in the east, while Estonia lies to its south across the Gulf of Finland.Around 5.4 million people reside...
and on the shore of lake Kontoki. Population:
The nearest large cities in Russia
Russia
Russia or , officially known as both Russia and the Russian Federation , is a country in northern Eurasia. It is a federal semi-presidential republic, comprising 83 federal subjects...
are St. Petersburg
Saint Petersburg
Saint Petersburg is a city and a federal subject of Russia located on the Neva River at the head of the Gulf of Finland on the Baltic Sea...
and Petrozavodsk
Petrozavodsk
Petrozavodsk is the capital city of the Republic of Karelia, Russia. It stretches along the western shore of the Lake Onega for some . The city is served by Petrozavodsk Airport. Municipally, it is incorporated as Petrozavodsky Urban Okrug . Population:...
, which are connected to Kostomuksha by rail. The nearest towns in Finland are Kuhmo
Kuhmo
Kuhmo is a town and a municipality in Finland and is part of the Kainuu region. The municipality has a population of and covers an area of of which is water. The population density is . It has a borderline of with Russia....
and Kajaani
Kajaani
Kajaani is a town and municipality in Finland.It is the capital of the Kainuu region. It is located southeast of Oulujärvi , which drains to the Gulf of Bothnia along the Oulujoki . There are inhabitants and city surface area is of which is water. The population density is . The town is...
.
It was established in 1977 as an urban-type settlement
Urban-type settlement
Urban-type settlement ; , selyshche mis'koho typu ) is an official designation for a type of locality used in some of the countries of the former Soviet Union...
and populated by people from various regions of the Soviet Union. It was mostly built by Finnish building companies, according to an agreement between the Soviet and Finnish governments. Town status was granted to it in 1983. The town was later expanded by Soviet building companies but maintaining plenty of green areas.
The iron ore refinery
Refinery
A refinery is a production facility composed of a group of chemical engineering unit processes and unit operations refining certain materials or converting raw material into products of value.-Types of refineries:Different types of refineries are as follows:...
(JSC
Joint stock company
A joint-stock company is a type of corporation or partnership involving two or more individuals that own shares of stock in the company...
Karelsky okatysh, or Karelian Pellet) employs around five thousand people and associated mining has left a huge hole near the factory. Wiring harness ("AEK" LLC) and electronics ("Electrokos" LLC) factories are part of Finnish company PKC Group Oyj. Other important industries include timber and furniture making. A wood processing complex being developed by Swedwood (an industrial group within IKEA) will include a sawmill, chip-board and furniture factory.
There is also a railway station, an airport (with no regular flights), and a federal road.
There is a large national park near the town with a reindeer population and a beaver population of Canadian origin, which were introduced in Finland and have migrated over into Russian territory. Part of the national park extends into Finnish territory. Tourism and recreational activities within the national park are prohibited.
Every summer there is a chamber music festival to which musicians, orchestras and theater groups come from Moscow, St. Petersburg and other parts of Russia. In summer the town enjoys more than two months of uninterrupted sunlight and many inhabitants spend time at their dacha
Dacha
Dacha is a Russian word for seasonal or year-round second homes often located in the exurbs of Soviet and post-Soviet cities. Cottages or shacks serving as family's main or only home are not considered dachas, although many purpose-built dachas are recently being converted for year-round residence...
s, typically situated on the banks of one of the many lakes in the vicinity, which also attract anglers due to their large fish populations. As in Finland, saunas are very popular. In winter, skiing and biathlon are popular. Most visitors come from Finland.