The first record of Pitkyaranta (from the Finnish – "a long shore") was mentioned in a census book of Vilikiy Novgorod of 1499-1500: "This is a village on a long shore of the Ladoga Lake". Pitkyaranta then belonged to the Nikol’sko-Serdobol’skiy churchyard of Korel’skiy district.
During a Swiss dominion Pitkyaranta was a part of Impilahtinskoy chapel of Serdobol’skiy churchyard, and then in 17th century belonged to Impilahtinskoy chapel of the new-formed Suistamskiy churchyard.
After the Swiss defeat in the Northern War, Vyborgskaya and Ladozshskaya Karelias (so called "the old Finland") were jointed to Russia in 1721, and they formed Vyborgskuyu province. During the reign of Catherine the First Pitkyaranta belonged to a courtier of the empress to earl Bruken. In 1727 Impilahtinskiy churchyard became the ownership of the palace, from 1730 till 1764 it was a part of Aleksandro-Nevskiy monastery, then in 1764-1797 became a property of the Imperial Board of Economy, and finally it was hand over to the state treasury.
In 1812 Vyborgskaya province reunited with the rest of Finland that formed Russia as the autonomous grand duchy.
The beginning of Pitkyaranta’s land-reclamation began in 1814 with a rock Alasuomyaki, but numerous primitive attempts for copper ore didn’t give any results. In 1832 on the rock Alasoumyaki the first copper mine appeared. The first copper smeltery was founded in the mouth of the river Kelioya. In the neighborhood a rival factory was built also known as Alasavotta. Besides the copper ore there a tin ore was also found. In 1842 in the mouth of Koirinoya stream was established a small tin smeltery. A dam was built right one the waterfall, the water of which by two gutters went to the wheels of the factory to cleanse ore. With the beginning of metallurgical works functioning, Pitkyaranta, coming from the ancient village of miner’s settlement, have become a heavy populated area. There was also built the Orthodox Voznesenskaya church.
In the early 80s of 19th century there was a school in Pitkyaranta with two classes: one for children under 11years, another for children from 12 to 17 years. In different years there studied from 30 to 50 students, and only two teachers worked there.
Besides copper and tin smelteries there was also a sulphate factory in Pitkyaranta. Out of iron oxide – a by-product in ore melting – a red paint was made. At that time many Finnish houses were painted with this very Pitkyaranta’s paint. In 1887 a glass-works was built there that produced up to 10 millions bottles per year. The factory had two continuously and two occasionally functioning furnaces of the system Simens. In the middle of 90s of 19th century shipping of finished commodity through the Ladoga River was conducted by two towboats and about twenty barges.
If, for instance, till the end of 80s mainly extracted and melted copper and tin ores, in 90s the first place take mining and smelting of iron ores. In Masuuni, on the shore of the Ladoga Lake, from 1897 an iron smeltery functioned. The mining of ores continued till 1904, when the works were stopped with the consideration of profitability. In 1914 by a joint-stock company Ristiniemi mine workings were renewed with more up-to-date level. These mines functioned right up to the early 50s of 20th century. The iron mining was fulfilled at a distance of 10-15 km to the south-west of Pitkyaranta, in Luppiko.
By the beginning of the World War II the city was mainly wooden one. Its farthest western part (entering from Sortovala’s diraction) was named Toikkasenkyulya. Besides civil buildings there was also a headquarters of Salminskogo boundary troop with barracks and a stadium.
Statistic data:
City of republic submission
Center: Pitkjarantsky Region, the Republic of Karelia
The date of foundation: the middle of the 19th century
City status since: 1940
Phone code: 81433*****
Deflection from Moscow time: 0
