Kostomuksha

Kostomuksha (Russian Костомукша, Kostamus Karelian, Finnish Kostamus ) is a town with 28 436 inhabitants (as of October 14, 2010 ) in the Russian republic of Karelia near the Finnish border. It is located about 1000 kilometers north of Saint Petersburg and 400 km north-west of the capital of Karelia Petrozavodsk.

History

Kostomuksha is one of the youngest places of Karelia. It was created in 1977 during the construction of an iron ore mining Combine and got its name after the nearby Kostomuksha or Kostamus Lake, which in turn is hydronym Finno -Ugric origin. The founding anniversary Kostomukschas is celebrated by the locals on the 1st of May.

The city status was given the settlement on 25 April 1983 and a year later the mining combine was finally completed.

Demographics

Note: Census data

Economy and infrastructure

The Mining Combine of Kostomuksha (now Aktiengesellschaft Karelski Okatysch ) is still the main mode of the city, where about one half of the population is employed. Other major operations there in the wood and the food industry. Because of its proximity to Finland several industrial projects exist in cooperation with foreign companies, including a wood factory with Ikea - holding and a Russian- Finnish joint venture for the production of car parts for Volvo products.

Recently, also experienced international tourism in Kostomuksha, as in other border areas of Karelia, an upswing.

The town has a railway connection to a branch line from the Murmansk railway from St. Petersburg to Murmansk. There is a used only for freight rail connection to Finland.

Culture

In summer the town celebrates the festival the Gornjaka ( "Day of the mountain farmers "). Kostromukscha is also known for his chamber music festival.

Sons and daughters of the town

• Alexei Dmitrievich Krutschinin (* 1991), ice hockey player