Värtsilä (Finnish: [ˈʋærtsilæ]) is a former municipality of Finland. It merged with Tohmajärvi in 2005.[1] It included the international border crossing between Niirala and Vyartsilya.

Värtsilä's centre in the 1930s

Värtsilä was located in the province of Eastern Finland and was part of the North Karelia region. The municipality had a population of 660 (2005)[1] and covered an area of 143.81 square kilometres (55.53 sq mi) of which 7.88 km2 (3.04 sq mi) was water. The population density was 4.8/km2 (12/sq mi).

The main language spoken in Värtsilä is Finnish but new settlers from Russia and people evacuated from the lost Karelian areas after the Second World War form Russian and Karelian speaking minorities.

In addition to the current village, Värtsilä used to include the urban settlement of Vyartsilya (Russian: Вяртсиля), which since 1944 has belonged to Russia.

The biggest employers in the village include the Finnish Border Guard and Finnish Customs.[1]

1679 uprising edit

Värtsilä rebellion
Date1679
Location
Värtsilä
Result Rebellion quelled
Belligerents
  Swedish Empire Rebels
Commanders and leaders
  Nils Kagg
  Sven Stille
Unknown   

In 1679, Nils Kagg sent his inspector Sven Stille to demand taxes from the peasants in Tohmajärvi that had not paid it, however, in Värtsilä, Sven was met with a mob of angry peasants, who threatened him and his family until he was forced to flee.[2] After this, Swedish troops were called and were able quell the uprising. The amount of resistance that the peasants gave the troops is not known, and two of the leaders were executed.[2]

References edit

  1. ^ a b c Rajan läheisyys on arkea VärtsilässäYle (in Finnish)
  2. ^ a b Adolfsson, Mats (2007). Svenska uppror / [2] Fogdemakt och bondevrede : 1500- 1718. Internet Archive. Stockholm : Natur och Kultur. ISBN 978-91-27-35690-0.

External links edit

  Media related to Värtsilä at Wikimedia Commons

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