Vuoksi River
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
| River Vuoksi | |
|---|---|
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| Origin | Lake Saimaa |
| Mouth | Lake Ladoga |
| Basin countries | Finland, Russia |
| Length | 162 km (101 mi) |
| Source elevation | 74 m (243 ft) |
| Avg. discharge | 540 m³/s (19,073 ft³/s) |
| Basin area | Greater than 52,400 km² (20,232 mi²) |
The Vuoksi (Finnish) or Reka Vuoksa (Russian standard transcription) or Vuoksen (Swedish) runs in the northernmost part of the Karelian Isthmus, from Lake Saimaa in southeastern Finland flowing into Lake Ladoga in northwestern Russia. The river enters Lake Ladoga in two branches, an older northern branch at Priozersk (Käkisalmi /Kexholm) and since 1857 a new southern branch entering 50 kilometers further southeast at Taipale.
The descent between Lake Saimaa and Lake Ladoga is 69 meters. The entire run of the river is 162 kilometers via the Priozersk branch or 150 kilometers via the Taipale branch. For most of its length, the river broadens out to a series of lakes bound together by shorter riverlike connections. One of these lakes, Suurselkä close to Priozersk, is by the Russians renamed to Ozero Vuoksa ("Lake Vuoksa").
The Vuoksi connects Lake Ladoga with central Finland, and was once an important route for trade and communication. A western branch, which is now overgrown, was an alternative route for the Karelians to reach the Gulf of Finland when the River Neva was blocked by enemies. The Saimaa Canal bypasses the Vuoksi following this old outflow and enters the Gulf of Finland in the Bay of Vyborg near the medieval city of Vyborg.
During both the Winter and Continuation Wars the river Vuoksi was a major Finnish defensive line against the Soviet advance.
At the Industrial Revolution, power generated from Vuoksi's rapids made the Vuoksi region Finland's industrial center in the late 19th century. Since the Winter War (1940), the Karelian Isthmus belongs to Russia and only 13 kilometers of the river's length remains in Finland.
The major power stations at Tainionkoski and Imatra are on the Finnish side in the center of the city of Imatra.
The river's surroundings, including the Korela Fortress (formerly: Käkisalmi), is a popular resort for Saint Petersburg's residents.
The river is famous for the great rapids, for instance at Imatra and the village of Losevo. The junction of the Vuoksi and Suvantojärvi /Ozero Suhodolskoje is a traditional place for international kayak, canoe and catamaran competitions.
