Karelians

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.