Virolahti

Virolahti (Finnish: [ˈʋiroˌlɑhti]; Swedish: Vederlax) is the southeasternmost municipality of Finland on the border of Russia. It is located in the Kymenlaakso region. The municipality has a population of 2,796 (30 June 2025)^[2] and covers an area of 558.92 square kilometres (215.80 sq mi), of which 186.97 km² (72.19 sq mi) is water.^[1] The population density is 7.51 inhabitants per square kilometre (19.5/sq mi).

Virolahti Vederlax
Municipality
Virolahden kunta Vederlax kommun
Coat of arms
Location of Virolahti in Finland
Coordinates: 60°35′N 027°42′E
Country	Finland
Region	Kymenlaakso
Sub-region	Kotka-Hamina
Government
• Municipality manager	Topi Heinänen
Area  (2018-01-01)[1]
• Total	558.92 km2 (215.80 sq mi)
• Land	372.47 km2 (143.81 sq mi)
• Water	186.97 km2 (72.19 sq mi)
• Rank	208th largest in Finland
Population  (2025-06-30)[2]
• Total	2,796
• Rank	222nd largest in Finland
• Density	7.51/km2 (19.5/sq mi)
Population by native language [3]
• Finnish	92.8% (official)
• Swedish	0.5%
• Others	6.8%
Population by age [4]
• 0 to 14	11.7%
• 15 to 64	55.3%
• 65 or older	33%
Time zone	UTC+02:00 (EET)
• Summer (DST)	UTC+03:00 (EEST)
Climate	Dfb
Website	www.virolahti.fi

The municipality is unilingually Finnish.

Vaalimaa's border checkpoint along the European route E18 on the Finnish side in Virolahti

The Vaalimaa border crossing, which connects the municipality with Russia, is located in Virolahti.

History

Virolahti is named after Estonians from Virumaa who traded around the nearby bay, which is also called Virolahti. The first mention of Virolahti dates to 1336. It is mentioned as an independent parish in 1370.^[5][6]

A small part of Virolahti was ceded by Sweden to Russia in the Treaty of Uusikaupunki in 1721. The border was located slightly further west than the modern Finnish-Russian border. In the treaty of Turku of 1743, the rest of Virolahti was ceded to Russia. The northern part of Virolahti became the Miehikkälä parish in 1863.^[5][6]

Before World War I the Russian Emperor Nicholas II used to spend summers with his family in the archipelago of Virolahti with his yacht Standart, Finland being an autonomous province within the Russian Empire between 1809 and 1917.

Virolahti lost some of its area (over 100 km² (39 sq mi)) to Soviet Union in Paris Peace Treaties, 1947, after World War II.

Villages in 1939

Villages marked with an asterisk (*) are now completely or partially on the Russian side:

Alapihlaja, Alaurpala*, Eerikkälä, Hailila, Hanski, Hellä (Heligby), Hämeenkylä (Tavastby), Häppilä, Järvenkylä, Kattilainen, Kiiskilahti* (now Kiyskinlakhti), Kirkonkylä, Klamila, Koivuniemi, Koskela*, Koskelanjoki, Kotola, Kurkela, Laitsalmi*, Länsikylä (Flonckarböle), Martinsaari* (Now Island of Maly Pogranichny), Mattila, Mustamaa, Nopala, Orslahti* (now Primorskoye), Paatio* (Båtö in Swedish, now Bolshoy Pogranitshny), Pajulahti, Pajusaari*, Pitkäpaasi* (Island of Gorniya Kamenya), Pyterlahti, Ravijoki, Ravijärvi, Reinikkala, Rännänen (Grennäs), Sydänkylä (Kallfjärd), Säkäjärvi, Tiilikkala, Vaalimaa (Vaderma), Vilkkilä, Virojoki, Yläpihlaja, Yläurpala* (now Torfjanovka).

Notable people born in Virolahti

• Uuno Klami, composer
• Johannes Takanen, sculptor
• Aarne Sihvo, general
• Veli Saarinen, cross-country skier, olympic gold medalist
• Väinö Liikkanen, cross-country skier, olympic silver medalist
• Lauri Törni soldier who fought under three flags.