Zelenogorsk, Saint Petersburg
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Zelenogorsk (Template:Langx), known as Terijoki prior to 1948 (a name still used in Finnish and Swedish), is a municipal town in Kurortny District of the federal city of St. Petersburg, Russia, located in part of the Karelian Isthmus on the shore of the Gulf of Finland. Population: Template:Ru-census
It has a station on the St. Petersburg-Vyborg railroad. It is located about Template:Convert northwest of central Saint Petersburg.
Early history
From 1323 to 1721 the Zelenogorsk area was a part of Sweden. It was ceded to Russia in 1721, becoming "Old Finland", which again was united with the Grand-Duchy of Finland in 1811. Until 1917, Terijoki was part of the Grand-Duchy of Finland, ruled by the Grand Dukes of Finland, who were the Tsars of Russia, (1812–1917).<ref>Template:Cite AV media</ref>
The Grand Duchy of Finland 1809-1917
Even though all of the Grand Duchy of Finland was part of the Russian Empire, a customs border was located at Terijoki. A valid passport was needed for crossing the border between Russia and the Grand Duchy of Finland.<ref name=":1">Template:Cite book</ref><ref name=":2">Template:Cite book</ref>
The Terijoki villa community emerged on the Karelian Isthmus in the 1870s as a resort settlement for affluent residents of Saint Petersburg. It occupied a stretch of land on the shores of the Gulf of Finland about 15 kilometres in length and 3-5 kilometres in width, originally located within the villages of Terijoki, Kuokkala and Raivola of the Kivennapa parish. Each summer tens of thousands of Russian holidaymakers arrived, for whom thousands of villas, as well as numerous hotels and lodging houses, had been built. The train journey from Saint Petersburg to Terijoki took roughly one hour, making it an attractive leisure destination that earned the epithet “the Finnish Riviera.”<ref name=":2" /><ref name=":7">Template:Cite web</ref>
In 1892 Terijoki gained a hydrotherapy establishment, whose park featured a separate restaurant and casino building. The grounds also contained tennis courts, a roller-skating rink, billiard rooms, and a stage where in the evenings leading Russian singers, ballerinas and theatre troupes performed. For one summer there was even a sea link to Kronstadt, after which the customs house was converted into the pavilion of a yacht club. In addition, Terijoki provided opportunities for pursuits such as horse riding in a purpose-built indoor riding hall. On sunny days the long sandy beach was crowded with sunbathers and swimmers.<ref name=":2" />
Colored glass windows and other luxurious decorations were sourced from far away, emphasizing the lavishness of the villas in the area. By the early 1920s, nearly 10,000 villas had been constructed in the Terijoki surroundings.<ref name=":3">Template:Cite web</ref>
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During the peak years of Russian villa settlement in the early 1910s, the number of summer residents in Terijoki reached as many as 60,000. At that time, Helsinki, the largest city in the Grand Duchy of Finland, had a population of just over 100,000. According to another estimate, the number of summer visitors exceeded the population of Helsinki. Forty trains transported passengers daily between Terijoki and Saint Petersburg. In addition to the Terijoki railway station, the villa community residents were served by up to five other stations located within about twenty kilometers. There were over 500 horse carriages operating in Terijoki, supplemented by buses in the area.<ref name=":2" /><ref name=":1" />
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In 1913, there were 380 business operators in the villages of Terijoki and Kellomäki alone. Some Russians also stayed in the area during the winter season, and for their benefit a Russian-language school was established and an Orthodox church was built. The first church burned down in 1907. The new church, completed in 1913, was the largest Orthodox church building in Finland.<ref name=":1" />
Members of the Russian upper class visited Terijoki. Among them were princes, counts, officials, and merchants.<ref name=":7" />
The Terijoki area was also a summer retreat for numerous well-known individuals. These included the painter Ilja Repin, who owned a villa in Kuokkala, composer Anton Arensky, war minister Aleksei Kuropatkin, professor Mihail Herzenstein, ballerina Mathilde Kschessinska, architect Gavriil Baranovsky, and jeweller Peter Carl Fabergé owned villas. Besides Russians, the Swedish businessman Alfred Nobel owned a villa in Terijoki, and the Demidoff princely family.<ref name=":2" /><ref name=":1" /><ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
Terijoki's immense popularity also had negative consequences. The authorities operating in the Grand Duchy of Finland were different from those in Russia, meaning that Russian militias had no legal right to operate on Finnish soil. Terijoki housed thousands of villas, often left empty during the winter months. Revolutionaries, dissidents, anarchists, and terrorists active in Saint Petersburg and other parts of Russia found refuge in Finland. This situation led Tsar Nicholas II and Prime Minister Pyotr Stolypin to demand the annexation of Terijoki to Russia. The Finns opposed this annexation because it would have weakened Finland's autonomous status. The project was halted after Stolypin was assassinated at the Kiev Opera House in 1911. In 1914, the First World War broke out, placing Tsar Nicholas II in charge of the army and wartime economy.<ref name=":4">Template:Cite book</ref>
Vladimir Lenin managed to travel in secrecy over the internal border to Finland in 1907. Ten years later, in April 1917, he would return through the Terijoki border control at the head of the contingent of Bolshevik exiles that had accompanied him from Switzerland. The secret police of the German Empire supported Lenin and his comrades' journey towards Petrograd.<ref>Pearson, Michael, The Sealed Train; Fischer, Louis, Lenin; a Biography</ref><ref name=":4" />
The Republic of Finland 1917-1944
The collapse of the Russian Empire meant that the Grand Duchy of Finland was left without a Grand Duke. The autonomous Grand Duchy of Finland declared independence from Russia on December 6, 1917. Finland became a republic in 1919.<ref name=":4" />
The Russian Revolution of 1917 caused a collapse in the number of Russian summer visitors to Terijoki. In the same year, the Grand Duchy of Finland gained independence, resulting in a strict border being established between Finland and Soviet Russia. Russian refugees attempted to enter Finland, causing unrest in the region. Authorities from both Finland and Soviet Russia pursued smugglers. The economy of Terijoki collapsed and unemployment rose. Many villas were left empty as their Russian owners were caught up in the turmoil of the revolution. The Finnish state called for the owners, but received no response. Consequently, the Finnish government decided to auction off some of the villas, and others were relocated to different parts of Finland.<ref name=":2" /><ref>Template:Cite book</ref>
In the 1920s, conditions in Terijoki began to stabilize. Residents of Viipuri traveled by train to spend their summers in Terijoki. Ships also departed from Helsinki, bringing summer visitors directly to the area. Wealthy Finns bought and rented summer villas, and Finnish artists and cultural figures were captivated by the landscapes of Terijoki. During Finland's independence, painters, sculptors, singers, composers, writers, musicians, and actors spent time in Terijoki. While Terijoki's life as a summer resort revived, it never returned to the level of prosperity it had during the era of wealthy Russian visitors.<ref name=":1" /><ref name=":2" />
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After the Second World War, its original Finnish population was expelled. They were relocated close to Helsinki and Soviet citizens were relocated to Terijoki.
The Soviet Union and the Russian Federation 1944-
Terijoki remained part of Finland until it was occupied by the Soviet Union during the Winter War (1939-1940). During the Winter War Terijoki become known as the seat of Otto Wille Kuusinen's Finnish Democratic Republic. It was regained by Finland in 1941 during the Continuation War (1941-1944), but was then occupied again by the Red Army during the later stages of the same war and annexed to the Soviet Union in 1944.
Terijoki fell into decay and ruin during the Soviet era. The Orthodox church stood empty, which allowed it to deteriorate into ruins. The highest tower of the church had broken off.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
Many villas were left to deteriorate and eventually rotted where they stood.<ref name=":5">Template:Cite web</ref>
Soviet summer visitors came to Terijoki. The town never again reached the level it had enjoyed during the time of the Grand Duchy of Finland and the Republic of Finland.<ref name=":5" />
As of the beginning of the 21st century, Zelenogorsk is actively developing in many directions. Various actions to improve the quality of life in Zelenogorsk and modernize the region have been undertaken.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
Around the start of the 21st century, the town's population was estimated to have been a few thousand, rising to above 50,000 in summer.
July 25 is the date of the annually celebrated City Day. On this day in 2009, a fountain was opened in the central square of the city park, and a sculpture named "Boots of the Traveller" was solemnly unveiled along the central avenue.<ref name="461st anniversary">Template:Cite news</ref>
At the Dachshund monument, parades of dachshunds have been held, and the museum of vintage vehicles has gained additional new exhibits.
At a concert in honor of City Day in 2009, known musicians performed, such as Music hall theatre of St. Petersburg, Edita Piekha, and others,<ref name="461st anniversary" />
Politics
The current body of local government - the Municipal Council - has been operating since 1998. In the elections on 19 September 2014, the 5th convocation was elected (10 deputies - 4 of those from United Russia).<ref name="Itogi vyborov">Template:Cite web</ref> The head of the municipal entity (who exercises the powers of the chairman of the Municipal Council and is the highest official of the municipal entity) is the executive and administrative body of the municipality - the Local Administration.<ref name="МО Зеленогорск">Template:Cite web</ref>
Notable people
- Anna Akhmatova, poet
- Ivan Pavlov, neurologist
- Iljya Repin, painter
- Boris Smyslovsky, military officer
Images
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Ilya Repin and Ivan Pavlov in Terijoki in the 1920s. -
Terijoki in the 1920s. Finns enjoying the beach life. -
Unofficial Finnish coat of arms of Terijoki, designed by Heikki Toivola and taken into use in 1956.
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Gulf of Finland coast at Zelenogorsk
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References
External links
- Template:Commons category-inline
- Official website of Zelenogorsk Template:In lang
- Zelenogorsk Business Directory Template:In lang
Template:Cities and towns under jurisdiction of Saint Petersburg Template:Administrative divisions of Saint Petersburg Template:Placename toponym Terijoki Template:Authority control