Karelians

Karelians are a group of people.

They live in two lands. Some live in Finland. Some live in Russia.

Long ago, two lands fought for this area. One land was Sweden. The other was Novgorod. This split the people apart.

Because of this, they had different ways to pray. Some were Eastern Orthodox. Others were Lutheran.

They also have their own way to talk.

This is the Karelian language.

Many people moved to new homes during wars. They worked hard to stay together. It is a very old group of people.

Karelians are an ethnic group. They live in a place called Karelia. Today, this land is split between Finland and Russia.

Karelians have lived there for a very long time. Archeologists found old graves from the year 600. The population grew fast by the year 800.

Long ago, two powers fought for the land. One was Sweden. The other was Novgorod, a Russian state. In 1323, they signed a peace treaty. This treaty split the Karelian people in two. Western Karelians lived under Sweden. Eastern Karelians lived under Novgorod. This caused them to have different religions. Some became Lutheran. Others became Eastern Orthodox.

Wars caused many people to move. During World War II, Finland lost some land. Many Karelians had to leave their homes. They moved to other parts of Finland. Some Karelians still speak the Karelian language. Others now speak Finnish.

Karelians are a Baltic Finnic ethnic group. They are indigenous to a historical region called Karelia. Today, this land is split between Finland and Russia.

Some Karelians live in the Republic of Karelia in Russia. Others live in parts of Finland. In Russia, many Karelians are Eastern Orthodox Christians. They often speak the Karelian language. This group has a long and complex history. Their identity has been shaped by the lands they live in.

Karelian history goes back many centuries. During the Early Middle Ages, settlers mixed with local people. Archeologists found many old cemeteries in the region. Some of these sites date back to AD 600 or AD 800.

The population grew very fast between AD 800 and AD 1050. Vikings knew about the Karelians as early as the 7th century. Old Scandinavian sagas mention them by different names. One chronicle says Karelians raided a place called Sigtuna in 1187. This event was a reason for the founding of Stockholm.

For a long time, different powers fought for control. Sweden and the Russian state of Novgorod both wanted the land. In 1323, they signed a peace agreement to divide Karelia. This treaty split the Karelian people into two groups. Western lands went to Sweden, and eastern lands went to Novgorod. This split changed their religions. Western Karelians became Lutheran. Eastern Karelians became Eastern Orthodox Christians.

Many wars caused people to move to new places. Between 1656 and 1658, there was a war between Sweden and Russia. Many Orthodox Karelians did not want to live under Swedish rule. They migrated to other parts of Russia, like the Tver region. Later, the borders moved again in 1721. In 1812, some western Karelian lands joined the Grand Duchy of Finland. This brought many Karelians into the same country as Finns.

In the 1900s, things changed once more. Finland became independent in 1917. During World War II, Finland had to give some land to the Soviet Union. This caused a huge movement of people. About 400,000 people were evacuated from those territories. They moved to other parts of Finland to find safety. Many of these people were Karelian. Today, many Karelians in Finland speak Finnish instead of Karelian.

Karelians are a Baltic Finnic ethnic group. They are indigenous to the historical region of Karelia. This region is now divided between Finland and Russia.

In Russia, Karelians are a distinct ethnic group. They mostly live in the Republic of Karelia. They are traditionally Eastern Orthodox Christians. They also traditionally speak the Karelian language. In Finland, the term "Karelian" usually refers to Finnish Karelians. This group is often considered a subset of the Finnish people.

The history of Karelia began in the Early Middle Ages. Settlers from western Finland mixed with the local population. This mixture formed the Karelian ethnic group. Archeological evidence shows early habitation along the western shore of Lake Ladoga.

Discoveries of cemeteries date back to AD 600 or AD 800. The population grew and expanded rapidly between AD 800 and AD 1050. Scandinavian sources mention Karelians as early as the 7th century. Old sagas refer to them as Karjalabotnar or Kirjaland. One chronicle says Karelians raided Sigtuna in 1187. This raid was a main reason for founding Stockholm.

For many centuries, Karelia was a place of great conflict. The powers of Sweden and Novgorod fought for control. Russian chronicles first mention Karelians in 1143. In the 13th century, Karelians and Novgorod were often partners. They even conducted joint raids on Tavastia in 1191. However, Novgorod eventually began to dominate the region. In 1278, Novgorod fought Karelians and used "sword and fire." This significantly reduced Karelian military power.

A major turning point occurred in the 14th century. Sweden raided Karelian lands to spread Roman Catholicism. They built castles at Vyborg in 1293 and Kexholm in 1295. In 1314, Karelians rose up against these religious changes. They captured Kexholm and killed the Christians there. This rebellion weakened the influence of Novgorod. In 1323, Sweden and Novgorod signed a peace agreement. This treaty divided the Karelian lands and people.

The 1323 division created two distinct cultural paths. Western Karelian lands fell under Swedish sovereignty. These people eventually became Roman Catholic and then Lutheran. Eastern Karelian lands fell under Novgorodian rule. These people were converted to Eastern Orthodoxy. This religious split defined the two groups for centuries. While they could understand each other, they lived under different systems. Eastern Karelians often preserved more traditional folklore.

Border changes continued during the early modern period. In 1617, Russia ceded much of Karelia to Sweden. This caused tension between the Swedish government and Orthodox Karelians. The Swedish government wanted the people to be Lutheran. This led to the Russo-Swedish War of 1656–1658. Many Orthodox Karelians chose to migrate to avoid conversion. They moved to the Tver and Novgorod regions. Some even moved as far as White Karelia by the White Sea.

In the 19th century, the identity of Karelians changed again. In 1812, western Karelian lands joined the Grand Duchy of Finland. This brought them into the same state as Finns. During this time, the "finnisation" process began. Finnish researchers like Elias Lönnrot traveled to Eastern Karelia. They gathered epic poetry and folklore from the people. Some believed Orthodox Karelians held the most original Finnish culture. This led to debates about whether Karelians were a separate nation.

The 20th century brought more massive shifts. Finland became independent in 1917. Later, during World War II, Finland had to cede territory to the Soviet Union. This included the Karelian Isthmus and Ladoga Karelia. About 400,000 people were evacuated to avoid Soviet rule.

Many of these evacuees were Karelians. Because the Karelian language was not widely recognized, most learned Finnish. Today, the Karelian identity remains a complex part of the history of both Finland and Russia.