Country Russia | Federal subject Republic of Karelia | |
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Administratively subordinated to town of republic significance of Sortavala Municipal district Sortavalsky Municipal District Urban settlement Vyartsilskoye Urban Settlement Administrative center of Vyartsilskoye Urban Settlement | ||
Vyartsilya (Russian: Вя́ртсиля; Finnish: Värtsilä) is an urban locality (an urban-type settlement) under the administrative jurisdiction of the town of republic significance of Sortavala in the Republic of Karelia, Russia, located near the border with Finland, 256 kilometers (159 mi) west of Petrozavodsk, the capital of the republic. As of the 2010 Census, its population was 3,080.
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History
Before World War II, Värtsilä belonged to Finland. Urban-type settlement status was granted to it in 1946.
Administrative and municipal status
Within the framework of administrative divisions, the urban-type settlement of Vyartsilya is subordinated to the town of republic significance of Sortavala. As a municipal division, Vyartsilya is incorporated within Sortavalsky Municipal District as Vyartsilskoye Urban Settlement.
Border crossing
Vyartsilya is a major border checkpoint on the Finnish–Russian border, with about one million people crossing the border annually. It is said that during the Cold War, from time to time, exchanges of captured spies occurred there.
Tourism
An international tourist route, Blue Highway, goes through Vyartsilya. The Blue Highway goes through four countries from Mo i Rana, Norway, via Sweden and Finland to Pudozh in Russia.