The Republic of Kirjasalo (), commonly known as the Republic of North Ingria () was a short-lived unrecognized state from 9 July 1919 to 5/6 December 1920.Most Finnish-language sources state 5 December 1920 as the date when the republic was dissolved, however Russian-language sources state 6 December 1920 as the date when the republic was dissolved. Kirjasalo was located in the southern part of the

Karelian Isthmus The Karelian Isthmus (; ; ) is the approximately stretch of land situated between the Gulf of Finland and Lake Ladoga in northwestern Russia, to the north of the River Neva. Its northwestern boundary is a line from the Bay of Vyborg to the we ...

, specifically in Kirjasalo in Lempaala.

Government and the Republic

Kirjasalo was in control of , controlling five

villages A village is a human settlement or community, larger than a hamlet but smaller than a town with a population typically ranging from a few hundred to a few thousand. Although villages are often located in rural areas, the term urban village ...

, having around 400 total population.Includes Military volunteers, Civil Guardsmen, and Finns and Ingrian Finns that moved to the controlled villages temporarily. Kirjasalo had its own local Protection Corps and local newspaper '. Kirjasalo had its own military regiment, the , which was composed of 580–1,700 military volunteers, and led by Georg Elfvengren, prior to being sacked and being replaced by . The official flag and coat of arms of the Republic of Kirjasalo were designed by and were inaugurated on 8 September 1919. Kirjasalo had its own badge of honor, the ''Cross of the Ingrian White Wall''.

Government

Kirjasalo had two types of government in charge of the republic, the ('North Ingrian Caretaker Committee'), which was the

executive Executive ( exe., exec., execu.) may refer to: Role or title * Executive, a senior management role in an organization ** Chief executive officer (CEO), one of the highest-ranking corporate officers (executives) or administrators ** Executive dir ...

refugee government established in July 1919 by Ingrian

refugees A refugee, according to the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR), is a person "forced to flee their own country and seek safety in another country. They are unable to return to their own country because of feared persecution as ...

from Bolshevik Russia. The Caretaker Committee was incharge of boosting morale, publishing stamps to raise money, and organizing volunteer regiments, such as the . Kirjasalo also had a local council located in Kirjasalo, Lempaala, however it was only ever operational for a couple of months.

History

Following the

October Revolution The October Revolution, also known as the Great October Socialist Revolution (in Historiography in the Soviet Union, Soviet historiography), October coup, Bolshevik coup, or Bolshevik revolution, was the second of Russian Revolution, two r ...

, and Bolshevik Russian expulsions and mass-mobilizations of

Ingrian Finns Ingrian Finns (, ; ) are the Finnish people, Finnish population of Ingria (now the central part of Leningrad Oblast in Russia), descending from Lutheranism, Lutheran Finnish immigrants introduced into the area in the 17th century, when Finland ...

in Kirjasalo and other locations, and with the Heimosodat ( Aunus Expedition), tensions were high in Northern Ingria. On 9 July 1919, the ('North Ingrian Caretaker Committee') was elected as the executive government with Santeri Termonen at its head, and the independence of Kirjasalo was declared in a meeting attended by around four-hundred people in Rautu. Inkerin lippu Kirjasalo 1919

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, ...

began to supply Kirjasalo with military equipment, and volunteer activists began to train the Ingrian military volunteers. Georg Elfvengren became the leader of the newly organized , leading around 580 men. On 26 July 1919, Elfvengren launched military offensives towards Ylä-Miikkulainen and Lempaala from the Finnish border, capturing multiple villages and locations, eventually reaching Perämäki and Putkelovo on 30 July, killing twenty-five Bolshevik troops in the process. Independent separate forces loyal to Kirjasalo occupied ''Miikkulainen'', a settlement in the far north-east of Ingria, however were later defeated by the Bolsheviks. Due to Bolshevik replenishments, Elfvengren's were forced into retreat, retreating until the village of Kirjasalo. Elfvengren's hopes of causing a diplomatic incident and causing a wider rebellion amongst Finns and Ingrian Finns in the area had failed terribly. Having performed an attack without the prior approval of the Finnish Government, Elfvengren was sacked and replaced by . Elja Rihtniemi began to construct fortifications in Lempaala and requested weapons from Finland, Rihtniemi would resign two months later, and Elfvengren would be re-hired. Elfvengren began to get back on the offensive in accordance with Nikolai Yudenich of the

White Army The White Army, also known as the White Guard, the White Guardsmen, or simply the Whites, was a common collective name for the armed formations of the White movement and Anti-Sovietism, anti-Bolshevik governments during the Russian Civil War. T ...

, this deal with the White Movement helped Kirjasalo receive four observing officers from the Northwestern Army, and receive much-needed financial assistance leading to the building of a

hospital A hospital is a healthcare institution providing patient treatment with specialized Medical Science, health science and auxiliary healthcare staff and medical equipment. The best-known type of hospital is the general hospital, which typically ...

and other key infrastructure. Yudenich had signed a deal with Elfvengren for the purpose of getting him to join a planned attack on St. Petersburg. A new offensive in accordance with Yudenich was started on 21/22 October, with the goal of capturing the village of Toksova, which was the most populous and important centre of North Ingria. The first battle was with Red Finns at the Gruzino railway station which was used to transport Bolshevik forces. However an

armored train An armoured train (Commonwealth English) or armored train (American English) is a railway train protected with vehicle armour, heavy metal plating and which often includes railway wagons armed with artillery, machine guns, and autocannons. So ...

and workers from the Shlisselburg powder factory, led by I.P. Zhuk arrived to the battle. The Ingrian forces were victorious however were unable to continue their advancements. Ingrian forces were unable to continue fighting the

Red Army The Workers' and Peasants' Red Army, often shortened to the Red Army, was the army and air force of the Russian Soviet Republic and, from 1922, the Soviet Union. The army was established in January 1918 by a decree of the Council of People ...

, as they were equipped with artillery and armored trains, which the Ingrians did not have, as the Finns once again refused to supply the Ingrian forces except for the donation of topographic maps of the region. The Ingrians lost control over the Gruzino railway station, and were forced to retreat back to Kirjasalo. Kirjasalo 06 12 1920

After the Treaty of Tartu, the entirety of

Ingria Ingria (; ; ; ) is a historical region including, and adjacent to, what is now the city of Saint Petersburg in northwestern Russia. The region lies along the southeastern shore of the Gulf of Finland, bordered by Lake Ladoga on the Karelian ...

was affirmed to be in the control of Bolshevik Russia, a mourning party was hosted on 5 December 1920, during the farewell party Erik Heinrichs held a speech, after which ', the anthem of Kirjasalo, and Porilaisten Marssi were sung. The State Flag was saluted and lowered on 6 December 1920, and on the same day the village of Kirjasalo left for

References

Notes

External links

Ingria on Fire: A little-known episode of the White Movement
, including a map of Finnish

toponym Toponymy, toponymics, or toponomastics is the study of ''wikt:toponym, toponyms'' (proper names of places, also known as place names and geographic names), including their origins, meanings, usage, and types. ''Toponym'' is the general term for ...