Varkaus

Varkaus, before 1929 known as Warkaus, is a Middle-Savonian industrial town and municipality of Finland. It is located in the province of Eastern Finland and is part of the Northern Savonia region, between the city of Kuopio and the town of Savonlinna.

Varkaus
Town
Varkauden kaupunki Varkaus stad
Varkaus in July 2006
Coat of arms
Location of Varkaus in Finland
Coordinates: 62°19′N 027°53.5′E
Country	Finland
Region	Northern Savonia
Sub-region	Varkaus
Market town	1929
City rights	1961
Government
• Town manager	Hannu Tsupari
Area  (2018-01-01)[1]
• Total	524.48 km2 (202.50 sq mi)
• Land	385.62 km2 (148.89 sq mi)
• Water	138.45 km2 (53.46 sq mi)
• Rank	206th largest in Finland
Population  (2025-06-30)[2]
• Total	19,603
• Rank	58th largest in Finland
• Density	50.84/km2 (131.7/sq mi)
Population by native language [3]
• Finnish	93.6% (official)
• Swedish	0.2%
• Others	6.2%
Population by age [4]
• 0 to 14	12%
• 15 to 64	56.4%
• 65 or older	31.6%
Time zone	UTC+02:00 (EET)
• Summer (DST)	UTC+03:00 (EEST)
Website	varkaus.fi

Illustration in Finland framstäldt i teckningar edited by Zacharias Topelius and published 1845-1852.

The municipality has a population of 19,603 (30 June 2025)^[2] and covers an area of 524.48 square kilometres (202.50 sq mi) of which 138.45 km² (53.46 sq mi) is water.^[1] The population density is 50.84 inhabitants per square kilometre (131.7/sq mi).

The municipality is unilingually Finnish. In old Finnish 'Varkaus' meant strait, and this city is located in the lake district on straits between two parts of Lake Saimaa. An extension of the Saimaa Canal passes through the town.

History

Varkaus was born in the late 19th century as an industrial community of the A. Ahlström paper mills. It was a part of the municipalities of Leppävirta and Joroinen until 1929 when Varkaus became a market town. During the Finnish Civil War in 1918 the town was taken over by the Reds, but because of its isolated location in rural Finland, it was soon taken by the Whites on the Battle of Varkaus 19–21 February. The whites proceeded to execute every tenth Red soldier.

The municipality of Kangaslampi was consolidated to Varkaus on 1 January 2005.

Sport

The bandy team Warkauden Pallo-35, or just WP-35, plays in the highest division, Bandyliiga, and has become Finnish champions 16 times.

Varkaus Speedway Stadion is a motorcycle speedway on the northern outskirts of the town off the Tykkitie road, adjacent to the motorcycle racing and karting facilities.^[5] The Speedway circuit is one of the oldest in Finland and held the final of the Finnish Individual Speedway Championship three times.^[6]

Notable people

• Onni Hiltunen (1895–1971), politician
• Jukka Keskisalo (born 1981), steeplechaser
• Antti Kupiainen (born 1954), mathematical physicist
• Esa Pakarinen (1911–1989), actor and musician
• Esa Pakarinen Junior (born 1947), actor
• Piia Pantsu (born 1971), equestrian rider
• Lassi Parkkinen (1917–1994), speed skater
• Erkki Pulliainen (born 1938), biologist and politician
• Pekka Siitoin (1944–2003), occultist and neo-Nazi
• Petri Varis (born 1969), ice hockey forward

Parts of the town of Varkaus

• Kaura-aho
• Käpykangas
• Kuoppakangas
• Kosulanniemi
• Lehtoniemi
• Puurtila
• Taipale
• Luttila
• Könönpelto
• Kangaslampi
• Kurola
• Hasinmäki
• Häyrilä
• Päiviönsaari
• Peltola

Twin towns — sister cities

Varkaus is twinned with:

Lu'an, China Nakskov, Denmark Rjukan, Norway Sandviken, Sweden

Petrozavodsk, Russia Rüsselsheim, Germany Pirna, Germany Zalaegerszeg, Hungary

See also

• Soisalo