East Karelia between Russia and Finland - from the Middle Ages to the Soviet era

East Karelia has for centuries been a contested territory between two powers - first between Sweden and Novgorod, later between Sweden and Russia, and finally between Finland and Soviet Russia. In this lecture series by docent Marina Vituhnovskaja-Kauppala, this long history from the Middle Ages to the emergence of the Soviet Union is examined.

In the late 19th century, the region became heavily politicized, and during the Russian Civil War, East Karelia became a battlefield for multiple parties: Finnish reds and volunteers, British troops, Russian whites, Bolsheviks, and the Karelians themselves. These events ultimately led to the establishment of both the Karelian State and the Karelian Labour Commune.

Lecture schedule:

23.9. East Karelia from the Middle Ages to the turn of the 19th century
30.9. Careleanism - how Finland "discovered" East Karelia
7.10. How did the "Karelian question" arise in Russia?
AUTUMN BREAK WEEK 42, NO CLASSES
21.10. Revolution and civil war - East Karelia in the eye of the storm
28.10. Finnish expeditions to East Karelia and the Karelian Regiment
4.11. Attempt at independence - the birth of the Uhtua Republic
11.11. Karelian Labour Commune and the East Karelian popular uprising

Free admission, no registration required.