Murmansk Finns

Ethnic group in Russia

Ethnic group

Murmansk Finns

Total population
273
Languages
Russian, Finnish
Religion
Lutheranism
Related ethnic groups
Finnish people, Ingrian Finns, Kvens

Murmansk Finns or Kola Finns (Finnish: Muurmanninsuomalaiset, Kuolansuomalaiset) are a group of Finns who live or lived in Murmansk Oblast. They came to Murmansk around 1860 during the Finnish famine of 1866–68.[1] However, there was another immigration period in 1900, due to the building of the Kirov Railway. In 2010, there were 273 Finns living in Murmansk.[2]

Around the end of the Tsardom era, there were about 40 villages or towns where Murmansk Finns lived.[1] in 1920 when Petsamo was given to Finland, many Murmansk Finns moved to Petsamo. However two thirds of Murmansk Finns stayed in Soviet Russia. In 1931, a Finnish national district was established in the area, see Polyarny District.

During the Stalin era, the Murmansk Finns were heavily persecuted, being accused of espionage[3] The last Murmansk Finnish villages were emptied in 1940, when 6,973 "citizens of foreign nationalities" (Finns, Norwegians, Estonians, Latvians, Lithuanians, and Swedes) were deported.[1][4] The survivor, artist and writer Sven Lokka in his books described the experience of Murmansk Finns.[5]

Agnessa Haikara wrote a documentary book "Неизвестная северная история" (Unknown Northern History) about the persecution of 210 Murmansk Finns and Kola Norwegians (printed in Finnish as Kuka koputtaa ovellesi?, "Who is Knocking at Your Door?"[6]), for which Haikara was accused of "encitement of ethnic hatred".[7]

## See also

[edit]

* Finnish Operation of the NKVD

## References

[edit]

1. ^ a b c Mikko, Kuitula (2020). "Muurmannin rannalle ja Venäjän Lappiin : Suomalaisten siirtolaisuus Kuolan niemimaalle ja kuolansuomalaiset 1858–1917".
2. ^ Итоги Всероссийской переписи населения 2010 года в отношении демографических и социально-экономических характеристик отдельных национальностей
3. ^ "Agnessa Haikara tutki sukunsa vainoa Venäjällä ja kirjoitti siitä kirjan – sitten kirjapainosta kerrottiin, että turvallisuuspalvelu kiinnostui niistä". 18 February 2021.
4. ^ Приказ Народного комиссариата внутренних дел Союза ССР за 1940 г. О переселении из г. Мурманска и Мурманской обл. граждан инонациональностей. Москва. 23 июня 1940 г.
5. ^ "Stalin tapatti lähes kaikki Muurmannin suomalaiset keskitysleireillä – alueen ihmisten tarinat tulevat vihdoin julkisuuteen". 31 October 2019.
6. ^ Kuka koputtaa ovellesi?, book review
7. ^ Запрещалка сломалась. Суд отказался признать экстремистской книгу о репрессированных. ФСБ два года пыталась ее запретить, а автора — посадить

## Further reading

[edit]

* Tarja Lappalainen [fi], Stalinin tappamat: Muurmannin suomalaisten pitkä ja musta yö, Docendo [fi], 2019.

## External links

[edit]

* Audio recording of the Finnish dialect in Pechengsky District

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* Estonians
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See also
Finns and Nordic diaspora
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