Kustaan uittosilta and other war stories

There have been many attacks across the Kymijoki River, and the river has received the bomb loads of several air squadrons. You can learn about its military history through guided river tours or by visiting the battle sites yourself.

The Kymijoki River separated the realms of Sweden and Russia after the Treaty of Turku signed in 1743. Since relatives and acquaintances remained on both sides of the river, the border was crossed frequently. The guard soldiers and customs officials neither had the ability nor always the desire to prevent interaction.

The Russians built a redoubt, or earth fortification, at the site of the village of Ruotsula to protect the important crossing point of the Kymijoki River. The Swedes did not stand idly by but built the Keltin redoubt on the opposite bank.

The Ruotsula redoubt was constructed in several phases. Its final form was completed between 1791 and 1792 as part of Suvorov’s fortification works. It was rectangular in shape. The earthworks were reinforced with stone walls. Inside, there were buildings and outside, a military camp.

The remnants of the redoubt, which was used as a guard post until the Finnish War (1808–1809), are still visible on the riverbank.

Crossings of the Kymijoki

From June 1788 to August 1790, the war of Gustav III was also fought around the Kymijoki River. The war began in Savonia, but the king launched his own attack by crossing the river at Anjala. They crossed to the Russian side using a pontoon bridge.

The following summer, the king chose Värälä village as the crossing point. There, nearly a hundred-meter-long floating bridge was pushed into place at the start of the attack. The bridge carried not only the soldiers but also horses and artillery. The assault carried out over it was completely successful.

The king became a legendary figure in Kouvola. Near the church of Valkeala lies the king’s stone, from behind which Gustav watched the battle of Valkeala.

The peace was signed in Värälä, marked by the peace stone along the road from Koria to Anjala. However, the actual location where peace was signed was a stone a kilometer closer to the river.

Pitkänsillantie in Elimäki is named after the beam bridge over the bog constructed by Gustav III. The center of Valkeala is still crossed by Gustav III’s road.

The Miracle of the Koria Bridge

In the Finnish War, the Russians crossed the Kymijoki River easily. The core of the tactic developed by the Swedes was retreat. Smallpox and typhus caused more damage than weapons.

In connection with the completion of the Riihimäki-Petersburg railway, a railway bridge was built across the Kymijoki River at Koria. During the Civil War, the white demolition unit managed to damage the bridge. The motive was to slow down the flow of an arms train coming from Petersburg to assist the reds. The bridge is also known for the fact that the reds executed whites in the area during the war.

During the Winter War, the Koria bridge was targeted by Soviet air raids. The only damage was a break in the bridge railings and minor damage to the tracks. In the Continuation War, an attempt was also made to destroy the bridge, but without success.

One reason for the miracle is thought to be that the Soviet pilots navigated by landmarks—the river and the railway. Before reaching the bridge, the railway curves, and approaching the narrow bridge along the river was not easy. Anti-aircraft fire and pure luck may also have played a role. In any case, the Kymijoki primarily received the bomb loads.

The source used is the book by Pentti Airio and Sakari Viinikainen, Etulinjassa itään ja länteen (Helsinki University Center for Education and Development Palmenia, 2011).

You can explore the military historical sites of the Kymijoki, for example, through KymiSun’s guided boat and walking tours.

Historical Housing Fair Area

In addition to the rustle of history, Pioneer Park in Koria has also heard other sounds. Amidst the red-brick buildings, the 2019 Housing Fair took place. As a housing fair area, Pioneer Park was unique due to its history, but also because it has been used for residential purposes even before the Housing Fair.