Roshchino

History

Raivola was first shown on maps of Finland in the 16th century. After 1812 it was under jurisdiction of Grand Duchy of Finland being part of Russian Empire, a part of Viipuri Province. The mixed Russian-Finnish population of the area was engaged in agriculture. Around 1802 count Saltykov resettled some 609 of his subjects from Oryol Governorate to the area to meet growing manpower demands for his iron works; in addition to the iron foundry maps of mid-19th century also show a sawmill. After the railroad to Helsinki was opened by czar Alexander II in 1870, Raivola was used for changing of locomotive crews. Establishment of the railroad station turned Raivola into a suburb of St. Petersburg and development of the area continued with construction of summer cottages. By the end of the century the population stood around 2,000, of which 169 were Finns. The village had shops, warehouses, two (Finnish and Russian) schools, and Russian Orthodox church of St. Nicholas with a library and medical facility. A hydro-electric power station and a telephone station were also established. The importance of the local railway station was eclipsed by Terijoki where a Finnish customs depot was established in 1911 In the first quarter of the 20th century Raivola was a summer home (and after 1914 the permanent home) to the Finland-Swedish family of the young modernist poet Edith Södergran who died there in 1923. After the Russian October Revolution and independence of Finland, Raivola was recognized as part of Finnish Karelia by articles of the Treaty of Tartu in 1920, while the majority of Russian inhabitants had left. The Soviet Union gained control of Raivola following the Winter War in 1940. The Soviet government's decree of May 28, 1940 provided for…