Vyborgsky District, Leningrad Oblast
Encyclopedia
Vyborgsky District is a district (raion
) of Leningrad Oblast
, Russia
, on the Karelian Isthmus
, established in 1940 when the territory had been ceded by Finland
to the Soviet Union
by Moscow Peace Treaty as a result of the Winter War
. The area of the district is 7350.9 square kilometres (2,838.2 sq mi). Its administrative center is the town of Vyborg
(which is administratively not a part of the district). District's population:
A 20–35 km wide stretch of land in the district to the west of the Vyborg–Hiitola railway, as well as the islands and shores of the Gulf of Vyborg, belong to the strictly guarded zone of the border control
. In 1993-2006 formally the zone was 5 km wide, although in reality it has always been much wider. Visiting it is forbidden without a permit issued by the FSB
(KGB
in the time of the Soviet Union
).
Raion
A raion is a type of administrative unit of several post-Soviet countries. The term, which is from French rayon 'honeycomb, department,' describes both a type of a subnational entity and a division of a city, and is commonly translated in English as "district"...
) of Leningrad Oblast
Leningrad Oblast
Leningrad Oblast is a federal subject of Russia . It was established on August 1, 1927, although it was not until 1946 that the oblast's borders had been mostly settled in their present position...
, 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...
, on the Karelian Isthmus
Karelian Isthmus
The Karelian Isthmus is the approximately 45–110 km wide stretch of land, situated between the Gulf of Finland and Lake Ladoga in northwestern Russia, to the north of the River Neva . Its northwestern boundary is the relatively narrow area between the Bay of Vyborg and Lake Ladoga...
, established in 1940 when the territory had been ceded by 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...
to the Soviet Union
Soviet Union
The Soviet Union , officially the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics , was a constitutionally socialist state that existed in Eurasia between 1922 and 1991....
by Moscow Peace Treaty as a result of the Winter War
Winter War
The Winter War was a military conflict between the Soviet Union and Finland. It began with a Soviet offensive on 30 November 1939 – three months after the start of World War II and the Soviet invasion of Poland – and ended on 13 March 1940 with the Moscow Peace Treaty...
. The area of the district is 7350.9 square kilometres (2,838.2 sq mi). Its administrative center is the town of Vyborg
Vyborg
Vyborg is a town in Leningrad Oblast, Russia, situated on the Karelian Isthmus near the head of the Bay of Vyborg, to the northwest of St. Petersburg and south from Russia's border with Finland, where the Saimaa Canal enters the Gulf of Finland...
(which is administratively not a part of the district). District's population:
A 20–35 km wide stretch of land in the district to the west of the Vyborg–Hiitola railway, as well as the islands and shores of the Gulf of Vyborg, belong to the strictly guarded zone of the border control
Border Security Zone of Russia
The Border Security Zone in Russia is the designation of a strip of land where economic activity and access are restricted without permission of the FSB. In order to visit the zone, a permit issued by the local FSB department is required. The restricted access zone The Border Security Zone in...
. In 1993-2006 formally the zone was 5 km wide, although in reality it has always been much wider. Visiting it is forbidden without a permit issued by the FSB
FSB (Russia)
The Federal Security Service of the Russian Federation is the main domestic security agency of the Russian Federation and the main successor agency of the Soviet Committee of State Security . Its main responsibilities are counter-intelligence, internal and border security, counter-terrorism, and...
(KGB
KGB
The KGB was the commonly used acronym for the . It was the national security agency of the Soviet Union from 1954 until 1991, and was the premier internal security, intelligence, and secret police organization during that time.The State Security Agency of the Republic of Belarus currently uses the...
in the time of the Soviet Union
Soviet Union
The Soviet Union , officially the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics , was a constitutionally socialist state that existed in Eurasia between 1922 and 1991....
).