Priozersk town was located on the border of Russia and Sweden for several centuries, from the 14th to the 18th centuries. These lands belonged to the Korela tribe, which were allies of the Novgorod Republic, but this land was also claimed by the Swedes.
The settlement at this place has existed since ancient times. In front of the Korela fortress there is a memorial stone, which says that the Russian Prince Rurik died in this settlement in 879. In the chronicle of the burial place of Rurik, the village of "Rurikijarvi on the German border" is mentioned.
In the 13th century, the wooden Fortress of Korela was built here. The town, as well as the fortress, was then called Korela. The fortress was built on a secondary route of the trade way "from the Varangians to the Greeks". On the main route that went through Vyborg, the Swedes in the 13th century built a powerful Vyborg Castle, and firmly controlled it. The Korela fortress was built at the confluence of the Vuoksa River in Lake Ladoga, which then could be sailed south on the Volkhov River.
For the possession of the Fortress of Korela, there was a constant war between the Russians and the Swedes for several centuries. According to the chronicles, from the 13th to the 18th century, the Fortress of Korela withstood more than 40 sieges. The Swedes owned these lands in the 17th century. They built stone fortifications and buildings that have survived to this day. In those years, the town and the fortress were called Kexholme.
Finally, the lands in the west of Lake Ladoga passed to Russia during the Northern War, when Russian troops under the command of Peter I captured the Fortress of Karela and Vyborg Castle in 1710. The city was again named Korela.
After the October Revolution in Russia and the beginning of the Civil War, on December 6, 1918, the independence of Finland, which had been part of the Russian Empire since 1808, was declared. All the lands on the Vyborg Isthmus, as well as to the west of Lake Ladoga, became part of Finland.
The city of Korela was renamed Kyakisalmi. The predominant population of these places in those years were Finns, professing Lutheranism. In 1930, a Lutheran Church was built in Kyakisalmi, which has survived to this day.
During World War II, Finland was an ally of Germany. From 1940 to 1944, there was a war between the USSR and Finland. In August 1944, Finland withdrew from the war and the Karelian Isthmus, as well as the lands on the western shore of Lake Ladoga, again ceded to the Soviet Union. In 1948, the city was named Priozersk.
The main attractions of Priozersk are the Korela Fortress, the Lutheran Church and the Courtyard of the Valaam Monastery. In summer, in good weather, you can come here to relax in the Recreation Park. There is a nice beach here, and even if the water is cool, you can relax here, admiring the beautiful Karelian nature.
