Hogland

Hogland (Russian: "Гогланд"; Finnish: "Suursaari"; Swedish: "Hogland", Estonian: "Suursaar", German: "Hochland") is an island in the Gulf of Finland of the Baltic Sea, located some 180 km west of Saint Petersburg and 35 km away from the coast of Finland (near Kotka). The island is a part of the Leningrad Oblast, Russia. The area of Hogland Island is approximately 21 km². The highest point of the island is 173 m.

History

Hogland has been inhabited by Finns as long as it is known to have been populated, i.e., at least since the 16th century. During the Great Northern War, the Action of 22 July 1713 took place near the island. The Battle of Hogland between the Russian and Swedish fleets took place off shore in 1788.

After the Finnish War, Hogland passed to the Russian Empire, although it was made part of the newly created Grand Duchy of Finland which gained independence from Russia in 1917. Most of the island's population lived in two fishing villages administrated from Viipuri (Vyborg).

During the Winter War, the inhabitants were evacuated and the island fell into Soviet hands. Since that time, the log village, Suurkylä (Russian: Суркюля, "Surkyulya"), has been leveled to the ground and replaced with a few modern dwellings, possibly for a fishing kolkhoz, as well as some military facilities. Currently, about 50 people live permanently on the island, and the little fishing still done is mainly for recreational purpose.

In the end of the war, after Finland had made peace with the Soviet Union, the Germans tried to invade the island in Operation Tanne Ost. Finnish troops prevented the German invasion and the Germans lost half of their force as prisoners of war. Soon after, the island was again handed to the Soviets.

Landmarks

The island is renowned for its rugged scenery, including five lakes. Since 1826, the hill Mäkiinpäällys has two of the points in the Struve Geodetic Arc. [http://www.gao.spb.ru/personal/chubey/Struve_arc.pdf] . Off shore there have been several notable shipwrecks. The crew of the three-mast clipper "Amerika", which sunk near the shore in October 1856, lie buried in an old Finnish cemetery. The first lighthouse on the island was built in 1807, but the oldest still in operation dates back to 1904. Hogland's tourist industry is growing in importance, with most tourists coming from St. Petersburg, and a few from Finland.

In 2006, Russian authorities declared Hogland a 'border area' which means that foreign nationals are not allowed to travel to the island without special permit. This limits the tourism from abroad to small groups, one at a time, and adds extensive bureaucracy to the preparations.

Hogland is also known as a place where one of the very first radio contacts took place on February 6, 1900 under the supervision of Alexander Popov. (The time and details of this latter event, however, varies slightly in different sources). commonscat|Hogland

References

*ru icon [http://www.votpusk.ru/news.asp?msg=19379 Tourist attractions of Hogland]
*ru icon [http://parusa.narod.ru/go/2005/belikov/index.htm Account of a trip to Hogland, with illustrations]
*fi icon [http://www.postileimat.com/saaret/suursaari.htm Old pictures and maps from the Finnish era]

External links

*ru icon [http://www.gogland-tour.ru/ Hogland tourism]
*fi icon [http://www.rusembassy.fi/GranitsaFI.htm#3 FSB`s order number 239]