Sevettijärvi

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Sevettijärvi

Sevettijärvi (Northern Sami: Čeavetjávri and Skolt Sami: Čeˊvetjäuˊrr) is a village in the municipality of Inari, Finland approximately 120 km north of downtown Inari. Näätämö, as it is known on the Finnish side of the Norwegian border, is approximately 35 km away. The village’s green, yet stark terrain opens up as Näätämö approaches.

The village is built on what used to be the sea floor during the Ice Age. The rocky shores of the lakes between Sevettijärvi and Näätämö draw the attention of passers-by. These shores are referred to as the “devil’s fields” by locals.

Sevettijärvi and its surrounding areas are one of the main areas where the Skolts live. The majority of Sevettijärvi’s 350 residents, approximately 90%, are Skolt, although there are a few Finns who have moved north living in the village. A few Inari Sámi and Mountain Sámi also live in the area.

[edit] History

Sevettijärvi was founded when a total of 51 Skolt families were evacuated there from Petsamo after the wars in 1949. Before that, a few Sámi families had been living in the area, e.g., the Aikios, Kittis, Sarris, Holmbergs, Högmans and Kaarrettis.

At the same time, a school, a health centre and a chapel were built. A merchant from Inari built a shop in the center of the village.

The first road passable by car to Sevettijärvi was built at the end of the 1960s. Prior to that, people used Bombadier snowmobiles, reindeer and skis to get around in winter and walked, biked or went by boat in the summertime.

[edit] Sites

The village has an old Skolt cottage, which was moved to Sevettijärvi from Kirakkajärvi and currently serves as a museum and an Orthodox church (the former chapel).

The fjeld Jänispää rises out of the ground approximately 10 km north of Sevettijärvi. A suspension bridge hangs over the Näätämö River at Lake Opukas, an approximately 15 km hike from Sevettijärvi.