Itä-Karjalan pakolaiset 1917-1922

Abstract

This research is dealing with the exiles (about 12 000 in number) who for political or equivalent reasons arrived at Finland from Russian and Aunus Karelia. None before has studied what this group of exiles was like in its composition. No analysis concerning the arrangement of the exile relief measures in Finland has been done, either. When looking for the answer to the question why the exiles were forced to leave their native region, the researchers have tried to shed light on the political conditions in East-Karelia and first of all on the basic features of the so-called East-Karelian Autonomy Movement as well as the later anti-Soviet Movement: i.e. the groups supporting the anti-Soviet Movement and the regions where resistance was heaviest. When searching the reason for resistance, the first thing to point out were the contacts of the various East-Karelian sectors to Finland and the Finns (Peddlars' trade, Rune-collecting). It was also important to investigate how the volunteers and the official organs of the Finnish state influenced on the circumstances and population in East-Karelia. The most essential targets of influence were found out. After this process the districts which most exiles came from were compared with the districts on which the Finns influenced most. As a result one may conclude that the exiles came from the district, which since long had close contacts with Finland and on which the Finns had influenced both in a political and a cultural way. Research also shows that the exiles did not belong to land-owing people or to the bourgeoisie but that they were predominantly peasants whose educational standard was the same as that of the East-Karelian population in general.