Mikkelin maalaiskunta (abbreviated ''Mikkelin mlk'', ) is a former municipality of

Finland Finland, officially the Republic of Finland, is a Nordic country in Northern Europe. It borders Sweden to the northwest, Norway to the north, and Russia to the east, with the Gulf of Bothnia to the west and the Gulf of Finland to the south, ...

located in the modern region of

Southern Savonia South Savo (or Southern Savonia; ; ) is a Regions of Finland, region in the south-east of Finland. It borders the regions of North Savo, North Karelia, South Karelia, Kymenlaakso, Päijät-Häme, and Central Finland. The total area of South Savo ...

. Together with

Anttola Anttola is a village and a former municipality of Finland located in the modern region of Southern Savonia. Together with Mikkelin maalaiskunta, it was consolidated with the town of Mikkeli in 2001. Geography The village of Anttola is located ...

, it was consolidated with the town of

Mikkeli Mikkeli (; ; ; ) is a List of cities and towns in Finland, city in, and the regional capital of, South Savo, Finland, located in the Finnish Lakeland. The population is approximately , while the Mikkeli sub-region of Southern Savonia has a populat ...

in 2001.

Geography

The municipality surrounded the town of Mikkeli. It also bordered

Juva Juva (, also ) is a municipalities of Finland, municipality of Finland. It is located in the Southern Savonia regions of Finland, region some North-East of Helsinki. It was founded on 19 January 1442, and is the oldest parish/municipality in Fi ...

Ristiina Ristiina (; in Swedish also known as ''Kristina'') was a municipality of Finland. It was founded in 1649 and it was named after Kristina Stenbock, the wife of Governor General and Count Per Brahe. From the beginning of the year 2013 Ristiina is ...

Hirvensalmi Hirvensalmi is a municipality of Finland. It is located in the Southern Savonia region. The municipality has a population of () and covers an area of of which is water. The population density is . Neighbour municipalities: Joutsa, Kangasniemi ...

Kangasniemi Kangasniemi is a municipality in the Southern Savonia regions of Finland, region, Finland. The municipality has a population of () and covers an area of of which is water. The population density is . Kangasniemi is located on the Highways in ...

Haukivuori Haukivuori is a former municipality of Finland located in the province of Eastern Finland and part of the Southern Savonia region. The municipality had a population of 2,361 and covered an area of 505.11 km2, of which 108.07 km2 is wate ...

and

Virtasalmi Virtasalmi is a former municipality of Finland. On January 1, 2004, it was joined to the new municipality of Pieksänmaa Pieksänmaa is a former municipality of Finland. It became part of the town of Pieksämäki in 2007. Pieksänmaa was form ...

Villages

History

During the late Viking Age, the area was inhabited by

Tavastians The Tavastians (; ) were an ancient Finnish tribes, Finnish tribe that inhabited the historical province of Tavastia (historical province), Tavastia (). In Russian sources, they are called ''Yem'' (Емь) or ''Yam'' (Ямь), but the term later ...

. A Karelian migration to the area occurred in the 12th century. The

Savonian people Savonians (; ), or Savo Finns, are a Finns#Subdivisions, subgroup (''heimo'') of Finns who live in the areas of the historical province of Savonia (historical province), Savonia. History Savonians are descendants of Tavastians, Tavastian an ...

formed out of these two groups as well as the possibly Sámic-speaking indigenous population. The initial settlement in the area was known as Savilahti, established in the late 13th century. It was originally part of the

Novgorod Republic The Novgorod Republic () was a medieval state that existed from the 12th to 15th centuries in northern Russia, stretching from the Gulf of Finland in the west to the northern Ural Mountains in the east. Its capital was the city of Novgorod. The ...

until the 1323 Treaty of Oreshek, when Novgorod ceded it to Sweden along with Jääski and

Äyräpää Baryshevo (; ) is a rural locality on Karelian Isthmus, in Vyborgsky District of Leningrad Oblast. It is situated on the southern shore of Vuoksi River. Until the Winter War and Continuation War, it had been the administrative center of the ...

. Savilahti was the first parish in all of Savonia, all other Savonian parishes were separated from it directly or indirectly, the first one being

in 1442/1460. In the early 16th century, the Savilahti parish was divided into two administrative areas: Visulahti (Vesulahti) and Pellosniemi, both first mentioned in 1541. The parish of

was separated from Savilahti (Visulahti) and Juva in 1573, but the parish was soon renamed ''Pieksämä'' (

Pieksämäki Pieksämäki () is a town and municipality of Finland. It is located in the Southern Savonia region, about north of Mikkeli, east of Jyväskylä and south of Kuopio. The town has a population of () and covers an area of of which is water ...

) in 1577. Haukivuori only became a parish center again in 1873. The name ''Mikkeli'' for the parish first appears in 17th century documents after the church dedicated to

Archangel Michael Michael, also called Saint Michael the Archangel, Archangel Michael and Saint Michael the Taxiarch is an archangel and the warrior of God in Christianity, Judaism, and Islam. The earliest surviving mentions of his name are in third- and second ...

. The administrative division of Visulahti was renamed ''Mikkeli'' in 1664, but ''Visulahti'' was still occasionally used until the 1680s.

was separated in 1649. In 1838, the town of

was established in the main village of the parish. Three more parishes were separated from the Mikkeli parish:

in 1851, followed by

in 1872 (administratively 1875). The last one was Mikkeli's town parish in 1908. The municipality was consolidated with the town of Mikkeli in 2001 alongside Anttola.

Geography

Villages

History

Services

Education

References