Savonia (historical province)
Encyclopedia
Historical provinces of Finland
The historical provinces of Finland are a legacy of the country's joint history with Sweden. The provinces ceased to be administrative entities in 1634 when they were superseded by the counties, a reform which remained in force in Finland until 1997. The provinces remain as a tradition, but have...
in the east of 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...
. It borders to Uusimaa, Tavastia
Tavastia (historical province)
Tavastia, Tavastland or Häme, Russian Emi or Yemi, is a historical province in the south of Finland. It borders Finland Proper, Satakunta, Ostrobothnia, Savonia and Uusimaa.- Administration :...
, Ostrobothnia
Ostrobothnia (historical province)
Ostrobothnia, and , is a historical province of Finland to the west and north in Finland. It borders on Karelia, Savonia, Tavastia and Satakunda in the south, and on Västerbotten in Sweden, and Laponia in the north...
, and Karelia
Finnish Karelia
Karelia is a historical province of Finland. It refers to the Western Karelia that during the second millennium has been under western dominance, religiously and politically. Western, i.e. Finnish Karelia is separate from Eastern, i.e...
. Largest cities in Savo by population are Kuopio
Kuopio
Kuopio is a city and a municipality located in the region of Northern Savonia, Finland. A population of makes it the ninth biggest city in the country. The city has a total area of , of which is water and half forest...
, Mikkeli
Mikkeli
Mikkeli is a town and municipality in Finland. It is located in what used to be the province of Eastern Finland and is part of the Southern Savonia region. The municipality has a population of and covers an area of of which is water...
, Savonlinna
Savonlinna
Savonlinna is a town and a municipality of inhabitants in the southeast of Finland, in the heart of the Saimaa lake region. The Finnish name of the town means "Castle of Savonia" and the Swedish name means "Newcastle".- History :...
and Varkaus
Varkaus
Varkaus is a Middle-Savonian industrial town and municipality of Finland.It is located in the province of Eastern Finland and is part of the Northern Savonia region. The municipality has a population of and covers an area of of which is water. The population density is .The municipality is...
.
Administration
For current affairs see: Eastern FinlandEastern Finland
Eastern Finland was a province of Finland from 1997 to 2010. It bordered the provinces of Oulu, Western Finland and Southern Finland. It also bordered Russia.- History :...
Savonia is virtually comprised within the boundaries of the administrative province of Eastern Finland and is divided into the regions of Northern Savonia
Northern Savonia
Northern Savonia is a region in eastern Finland. Kuopio is the largest city in the region.- Historical provinces :For history, geography and culture see: Savonia- Municipalities :Northern Savonia includes 21 municipalities.Seven of them are cities....
and Southern Savonia
Southern Savonia
Southern Savonia is a region in the south-east of Finland. It borders to the regions Northern Savonia, North Karelia, South Karelia, Kymenlaakso, Päijänne Tavastia, and Central Finland...
. Formerly, the area was divided into Kuopio Province
Kuopio Province
The Kuopio Province was a province of Finland from 1917 to 1997. The province was named after the city of Kuopio.In 1960 the eastern part was separated as the Northern Karelia Province...
and Mikkeli Province
Mikkeli Province
The Mikkeli Province was a province of Finland from 1831 to 1997. The province was named after the city of Mikkeli.Parts of the province were transferred to the Central Finland Province in 1960. In 1997 it was merged togeather with Kuopio Province and Northern Karelia Province into the new Eastern...
.
History
The province of Savo represents the original area of Savonians, one of the subgroups that later became assimilitated to the Finns and the heartland of East Finnish dialect. The people of Savo traditionally pursued slash-and-burn agriculture, which settlers successfully imported in OstrobothniaOstrobothnia (region)
Ostrobothnia is a region of Finland. It is located in Western Finland. It borders the regions Central Ostrobothnia, Southern Ostrobothnia, and Satakunta and is one of the four regions making up the historical province of Ostrobothnia....
and Kainuu
Kainuu
Kainuu is a region of Finland. It borders the regions of Northern Ostrobothnia, North Karelia and Northern Savonia. In the east it also borders Russia. Kainuu is known in the ancient Norse sagas as Kvenland....
, Värmland
Värmland
' is a historical province or landskap in the west of middle Sweden. It borders Västergötland, Dalsland, Dalarna, Västmanland and Närke. It is also bounded by Norway in the west. Latin name versions are Vermelandia and Wermelandia. Although the province's land originally was Götaland, the...
in south western part of Sweden and eastern Norway.
Savonian settlers migrated also to Finnish Karelia, Ingria
Ingria
Ingria is a historical region in the eastern Baltic, now part of Russia, comprising the southern bank of the river Neva, between the Gulf of Finland, the Narva River, Lake Peipus in the west, and Lake Ladoga and the western bank of the Volkhov river in the east...
(see: Ingrian Finns
Ingrian Finns
The Ingrian Finns are the Finnish population of Ingria descending from Lutheran Finnish immigrants introduced to the area in the 17th century, when Finland and Ingria were both part of the Swedish Empire...
) and to southern Sweden
Sweden
Sweden , officially the Kingdom of Sweden , is a Nordic country on the Scandinavian Peninsula in Northern Europe. Sweden borders with Norway and Finland and is connected to Denmark by a bridge-tunnel across the Öresund....
and Norway
Norway
Norway , officially the Kingdom of Norway, is a Nordic unitary constitutional monarchy whose territory comprises the western portion of the Scandinavian Peninsula, Jan Mayen, and the Arctic archipelago of Svalbard and Bouvet Island. Norway has a total area of and a population of about 4.9 million...
(see: Forest Finns
Forest Finns
Forest Finns are people of Finnish descent in the forest areas of Eastern Norway and Central Sweden...
).
Savo, which had been a part of Sweden
Sweden
Sweden , officially the Kingdom of Sweden , is a Nordic country on the Scandinavian Peninsula in Northern Europe. Sweden borders with Norway and Finland and is connected to Denmark by a bridge-tunnel across the Öresund....
from the late 13th century, was separated from Sweden when Finland was ceded to 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...
in 1809. The provinces
Provinces of Sweden
The provinces of Sweden, landskap, are historical, geographical and cultural regions. Sweden has 25 provinces and they have no administrative function, but remain historical legacies and the means of cultural identification....
have no administrative function today but live on as an historical legacy in both countries.
Culture
Savonia is the heartland of Savonian dialects of the Finnish languageFinnish language
Finnish is the language spoken by the majority of the population in Finland Primarily for use by restaurant menus and by ethnic Finns outside Finland. It is one of the two official languages of Finland and an official minority language in Sweden. In Sweden, both standard Finnish and Meänkieli, a...
, but the dialect is spoken in a much larger region.
Traditionally, the Savonian people have often been considered as "sneaky". However, recent research has shown that this fame is largely due to misunderstandings caused by the traditional Savonian social indirectness.
Generally speaking, in Savonian region people have a tendency to tell things by not mentioning them directly, in fact it is sometimes considered even somewhat impolite to say simply "yes" or "no". Savonian people often like to veil their opinions in a more complex way of speech.
Famous Savonians
- Urho KekkonenUrho KekkonenUrho Kaleva Kekkonen , was a Finnish politician who served as Prime Minister of Finland and later as the eighth President of Finland . Kekkonen continued the “active neutrality” policy of his predecessor President Juho Kusti Paasikivi, a doctrine which came to be known as the “Paasikivi–Kekkonen...
- Erkki LiikanenErkki LiikanenErkki Liikanen is a Finnish social democratic politician and the Governor of the Bank of Finland.-Career:...
- Paavo LipponenPaavo LipponenPaavo Tapio Lipponen is a Finnish politician and former reporter. He was Prime Minister of Finland from 1995 to 2003, and Chairman of the Social Democratic Party of Finland from 1993 to 2005...
- Spede PasanenSpede PasanenPertti Olavi "Spede" Pasanen was a Finnish film director and producer, comedian, humorist, inventor, TV personality and practitioner of gags....
- Jyrki KatainenJyrki KatainenJyrki Tapani Katainen is the Prime Minister of Finland and chairman of the country's largest party, the National Coalition Party.-Career:...
Heraldry
The arms is crowned by a countal coronet, though by Finnish tradition this more resembles a Swedish baronal coronet. Blazon: "Sable, a drawn hand bow in and arrow aimed toward dexter chief, or; bow string, arrowhead and feathered tail, argent".Traditional provincial colors are black and gold.