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Imatra

Coordinates:61°11′N028°46′E/ 61.183°N 28.767°E/61.183; 28.767
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For the former cinema, seeImatra (cinema).
Imatra
Town
Imatran kaupunki
Imatra stad
Imatran Valtionhotelli
Imatran Valtionhotelli
Coat of arms of Imatra
Coat of arms
Location of Imatra
Coordinates:61°11′N028°46′E/ 61.183°N 28.767°E/61.183; 28.767
CountryFinland
RegionSouth Karelia
Sub-regionImatra sub-region
Charter1948
Government
•Town managerMatias Hildén
Area
(2018-01-01)[1]
• Total191.28 km2(73.85 sq mi)
• Land154.99 km2(59.84 sq mi)
• Water36.29 km2(14.01 sq mi)
• Rank274th largestin Finland
Population
(2023-12-31)[2]
• Total24,919
• Rank41st largestin Finland
• Density160.78/km2(416.4/sq mi)
Population by native language
[3]
•Finnish91.3% (official)
•Swedish0.1%
• Others8.6%
Population by age
[4]
• 0 to 1412.1%
• 15 to 6456.8%
• 65 or older31.2%
Time zoneUTC+02:00(EET)
• Summer (DST)UTC+03:00(EEST)
ClimateDfc
Websitewww.imatra.fi/en/

Imatrais atowninFinland,located in the southeastern interior of the country. Imatra is located in the region ofSouth Karelia,onLake Saimaa,theRiver Vuoksi.The population of Imatra is approximately 25,000, while thesub-regionhas a population of approximately 37,000. It is the 41st most populousmunicipalityin Finland.

Imatra lies on theborder with Russia.On the other side of the border, seven kilometres (4.3 mi) away from the centre of Imatra, lies the Russian town ofSvetogorsk.The city ofSt. Petersburgis situated 210 km (130 mi) to the southeast, the Finnish capitalHelsinkiis 230 km (140 mi) away andLappeenranta,the nearest Finnish town, is 37 km (23 mi) away.

The main employers are the pulp and paper manufacturerStora Enso Oyj,the town of Imatra, the engineering steel manufacturerOvakoBar Oy Ab and theFinnish Border Guard.As of October 2003,the total number of employees was 12,423.[6]As of December 2004,1,868 people were employed by the City of Imatra. The town's nicknames include Imis, Ibiza and Nahkalippis City (leather baseball cap city). Due to its location close to the border, Russian tourists are a common sight in the town, and Russiantourismis a boon to the local economy. Most people shop in Imatra, and Imatra'stax-freesales are the third largest among Finnish cities (only Helsinki and Lappeenranta are ahead).[7]

The name of Imatra is thought to derive from apre-Finno-Ugric language.The lightning symbols on Imatra's coat of arms refer to the power plants that were built in the early 1920s at the Tainionskoski andImatrankoskirapids. Thecoat of armswas designed byOlof Eriksson[fi]and approved by the Imatra Town Council on 9 August 1950. TheMinistry of the Interiorapproved the coat of arms for use on 25 October of the same year.[8][9]

History

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An Art Nouveau or Jugend style castle, currently known as Imatran Valtionhotelli (Imatra State Hotel), was built near the rapids in 1903 as a hotel for tourists from the Russian Imperial capitalSaint Petersburg.

During theContinuation War,Carl Gustaf Emil Mannerheim met with Adolf Hitlerin secrecy near the town for the former's 75th birthday.

Imatra was founded in 1948 on the territory of three municipalities –Jääski,RuokolahtiandJoutseno.Finland ceded 9% of its territory to the Soviet Union after theWinter War.Jääski lost 85% of its territory and it was decided that a new municipality, Imatra, should be established on the remaining 15% of Jääski and some areas of Ruokolahti and Joutseno. This is why the Imatra coat of arms has three flashes – in honour of those previous municipalities that granted areas to it. It gained its municipal charter in 1971.

Sport

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PaSa Bandyis abandyclub in Imatra.

Imatra is the birthplace ofNational Hockey LeagueplayersJussi MarkkanenandPetteri Nokelainen.

Inmotorsporthistory, Imatra is best known for itsroad races(former TT-race) from 1963 to 1986. From1962to1982it was the home of theFinnish motorcycle Grand Prix.Racing on the Imatra road circuit ended after fatal accident during the 1986 European Championship event.[10]Racing resumed in 2016 as anInternational Road Racing Championshipevent.

There is an annual indoor rowing race at Imatra, which attracts competitors from across Finland.[11]

Culture

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The Black & White Theatre has produced more than 20 performances, the movie "Murderer" and organized from 2004 Black & White Theatre Festival in Imatra. More informationhttps://blackandwhitetheatre.fi/.

Transport

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National Road 6

Thenational road 6,running fromKoskenkyläinLoviisatoKajaaniviaKouvola,Lappeenranta,andJoensuupasses through Imatra. Also in Imatra is a crossing point over the Russian border, which is also the ending point ofprimary road 62fromMikkeli.

TheKouvola–Joensuu railwaypasses through Imatra, and theImatra railway stationserves both passenger and freight transport. From the rail yard of this station is a fork onto the railway towardsKamennogorskviaVyborg.The planning of the initiation of regular international passenger traffic between Imatra andSaint Petersburghas stopped due to Russia's war against Ukraine.[12]

The closest airport to Imatra is theLappeenranta Airport,which is used byRyanairon several routes as well as irregular passenger flights to theCanary Islandsand cargo flights to Russia. TheImmola Airfieldis also present, serving theFinnish Border Guardas well as hobbyist aviation activities.

Notable people

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International relations

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See also:List of twin towns and sister cities in Finland

Twin towns:


Sister cities:


Co-operation cities:

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See also

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References

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  1. ^"Area of Finnish Municipalities 1.1.2018"(PDF).National Land Survey of Finland.Retrieved30 January2018.
  2. ^"Population growth biggest in nearly 70 years".Population structure. Statistics Finland. 2024-04-26.ISSN1797-5395.Retrieved2024-04-29.
  3. ^"Population growth biggest in nearly 70 years".Population structure. Statistics Finland. 2024-04-26.ISSN1797-5395.Retrieved2024-04-29.
  4. ^"Population according to age (1-year) and sex by area and the regional division of each statistical reference year, 2003–2020".StatFin.Statistics Finland.Retrieved2 May2021.
  5. ^ab"Luettelo kuntien ja seurakuntien tuloveroprosenteista vuonna 2023".Tax Administration of Finland. 14 November 2022.Retrieved7 May2023.
  6. ^"Imatra".Imatra.Retrieved24 December2017.
  7. ^Tiilikainen, Tenho:Tax free -kauppa käy kiivaanaArchived2016-10-13 at theWayback Machine.Etelä-Saimaa,9 December 2006. (in Finnish)
  8. ^Suomen kunnallisvaakunat(in Finnish). Suomen Kunnallisliitto. 1982. p. 123.ISBN951-773-085-3.
  9. ^"Imatran vaakunan vahvistaminen".Digitaaliarkisto: Heraldica I, vaakunat(in Finnish). Kansallisarkisto.RetrievedJuly 26,2022.
  10. ^"Imatra (Finland): love and death in a cold GP climate"(in Italian).Retrieved2017-07-16.
  11. ^"Concept FinnRowing Oy Race Results"(in Finnish). 8 March 2020.Retrieved8 March2020.
  12. ^"Kannakselle uusi junarata - Venäjä turvaa Suomenlahden öljysatamien kuljetukset".
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