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For the former cinema, see Imatra (cinema).
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Imatra
Town
Imatran kaupunki
Imatra stad
Imatran Valtionhotelli
Imatran Valtionhotelli
Coat of arms of Imatra
Coat of arms
Location of Imatra
Country  Finland
Region Etelä-Karjala.vaakuna.svg South Karelia
Sub-region Imatra sub-region
Charter 1948
Area
 (2018-01-01)
 • Total 191.28 km2 (73.85 sq mi)
 • Land 154.99 km2 (59.84 sq mi)
 • Water 36.29 km2 (14.01 sq mi)
Area rank 274th largest in Finland
Population
 (2023-12-31)
 • Total 24,919
 • Rank 41st largest in Finland
 • Density 160.78/km2 (416.4/sq mi)
Population by native language
 • Finnish 91.3% (official)
 • Swedish 0.1%
 • Others 8.6%
Population by age
 • 0 to 14 12.1%
 • 15 to 64 56.8%
 • 65 or older 31.2%
Time zone UTC+02:00 (EET)
 • Summer (DST) UTC+03:00 (EEST)
Climate Dfc

Imatra is a town in southeastern Finland. It is located in the South Karelia region, right by Lake Saimaa and the River Vuoksi. About 25,000 people live in Imatra. This makes it one of the larger towns in Finland.

Imatra is very close to the Finland–Russia border. The Russian town of Svetogorsk is only 7 kilometers away. Big cities like Saint Petersburg in Russia (210 km) and Helsinki, the capital of Finland (230 km), are also not too far. The closest Finnish town is Lappeenranta, about 37 kilometers away.

Many people in Imatra work for large companies. These include Stora Enso Oyj, which makes pulp and paper, and Ovako Bar Oy Ab, which makes steel. The town of Imatra itself is also a big employer.

Because Imatra is so close to the border, many Russian tourists visit the town. This helps the local economy a lot. Imatra is known for its shopping, and its tax-free sales are among the highest in Finland.

The name Imatra might come from a very old language. The lightning bolts on Imatra's coat of arms show the power plants built there in the 1920s. These plants use the power of the Imatrankoski rapids. The coat of arms was designed by Olof Eriksson in 1950.

History of Imatra

An old-style castle, now called Imatran Valtionhotelli (Imatra State Hotel), was built in 1903. It was a hotel for tourists visiting from Saint Petersburg, Russia.

Imatra was officially founded in 1948. It was created from parts of three other towns: Jääski, Ruokolahti, and Joutseno. Finland had to give up some land after the Winter War. Jääski lost most of its area. So, Imatra was formed from the small part of Jääski that remained, plus some areas from Ruokolahti and Joutseno. This is why Imatra's coat of arms has three lightning flashes, honoring those three original towns. Imatra became a proper municipality in 1971.

Sports and Fun

Imatra has a bandy club called PaSa Bandy. Bandy is a sport similar to ice hockey, played on a large ice field.

The town also has a successful pesäpallo team, Imatran Pallo-Veikot. Pesäpallo is a Finnish sport that's a bit like baseball. They play in the top national league at Ukonniemi Stadium.

Some famous ice hockey players, like Jussi Markkanen and Petteri Nokelainen, were born in Imatra. They both played in the National Hockey League.

Imatra is also famous for its motorsport road races. These races took place from 1963 to 1986. The town even hosted the Finnish motorcycle Grand Prix for many years. Racing stopped after a serious accident in 1986 but started again in 2016.

Every year, Imatra hosts an indoor rowing race. Rowers from all over Finland come to compete.

Culture and Arts

The Black & White Theatre in Imatra has put on more than 20 plays. They also made a movie called "Murderer." Since 2004, they have organized the Black & White Theatre Festival in Imatra. You can find more information at https://blackandwhitetheatre.fi/.

Getting Around Imatra

Vt6 Imatra
National Road 6

The main road, National Road 6, goes through Imatra. This road connects many important towns in Finland. There is also a border crossing point into Russia in Imatra.

A railway line also passes through Imatra. The Imatra railway station handles both passenger and freight trains. There's also a railway line that goes towards Russia. However, plans for regular international passenger trains between Imatra and Saint Petersburg have stopped because of Russia's war against Ukraine.

The closest airport is Lappeenranta Airport. It has flights to different places, including some holiday destinations. There is also a smaller airport called Immola Airfield. It is used by the Finnish Border Guard and for hobby flying.

Famous People from Imatra

  • Marlo Koponen, ice hockey player
  • Jarmo Koski, actor
  • Arvo Kyllönen, wrestler
  • Jussi Markkanen, ice hockey player
  • Petteri Nokelainen, ice hockey player
  • Lilli Paasikivi, artistic director
  • Jouni Pellinen, skier
  • Jarmo Sandelin, professional golfer
  • Anneli Taina, politician
  • Taiska, singer

Town Partnerships

Imatra has special partnerships with other towns around the world. These are called twin towns or sister cities. They help promote friendship and understanding between different places.

Twin towns:

Sister cities:

Co-operation cities:

Gallery

  • Vuksi River , Island - panoramio

    Vuoksi River

  • Imatrankosken kuohuja

    Imatrankoski hydroelectric power plant

  • Imatrankoski 2017 15

    Nature around Imatrankoski

  • Imatrankosken ratapiha

    Imatrankoski rail yard

  • South Karelia, Finland - panoramio (9)

    Imatra in winter

  • Imatran kylpylä

    Lake Saimaa and Imatra Spa Hotel

  • Imatra - Pehr Adolf Kruskopf - Finland framställdt i teckningar - 64

    Illustration of Imatra in Finland framstäldt i teckningar edited by Zacharias Topelius and published 1845-1852.

See also

Kids robot.svg In Spanish: Imatra para niños

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