National Awakening in the North Olonets

The Conditions Under Which the Residents of the Rebolsky Volost Wish to Join Finland

A committee consisting of V.T.Mavro, M.Ivanov, M.Gershin, P.Kornilov, F.Mikhailov, A.T.Terkhyonen, F.P.Romanov, A.Bobrov, V.Fyodorov, and P.T.Romanov proposed the following conditions at the Rebolsky volost council meeting held on August 2 and 3 for joining Finland:

Karelia is governed according to Finnish laws, but economically, Karelia is independent.
The population retains a proportional amount of Karelia’s forests sufficient for agriculture and personal needs.
Cultivable and already cultivated land is divided among peasants to ensure each household receives the necessary amount. Peasants retain 35-40 percent of all land as arable land and forest land.
Of the remaining land, 40 percent of uncultivable forest lands remain as communal volost forests, and 60 percent is allocated to the Finnish state for general expenses and the development of education and enlightenment in Karelia. Proceeds from the sale of communal volost forests are used to create a fund for communal needs, such as establishing schools.
The allocation of land should start immediately, and all related work should be completed quickly, within a maximum of 5 years. Any sale or donation of land is strictly prohibited. Permission to sell forest lands is granted solely based on a pre-drafted financial plan.
The Finnish government is requested to take measures for the speedy repair of existing roads, start construction of new ones, and begin constructing a railway from Lieksa through Reboly to the Murmansk railway line at Finland’s expense.
Local residents are exempted from Finnish military service for 30 years.
Public education should be organized so that teaching in schools is conducted in the native language, and church services should be held either in the native language or in Russian. It is desirable to establish a gymnasium in Reboly with instruction in the native language.
The population should be supplied with a significant amount of food – about 15 kg per month. This is justified by the fact that there is little livestock in Karelia, and the local harvest lasts only about two months. Since the prospects for this year's harvest are poor due to frost and drought, the Finnish government is urgently requested to supply the Reboly volost with 5,000 kg of seed grain and 5,000 kg of flour.
It is necessary to request the Finnish government to provide the Reboly volost with the required credit to improve current conditions. The poorest residents of the volost should receive targeted assistance.
No one should be punished for their political views unless they are a direct criminal.
The Finnish government is requested to take measures to free prisoners of war – local natives from Germany and Austria-Hungary.
The Finnish government is asked to take measures to return property confiscated by the current Bolshevik government of Russia, held in the provincial capital, to the Residents of the Rebolsky Volost, and to pay the full value of Russian state bonds held by the Residents of the Rebolsky Volost.

The committee's proposal was approved by the volost council.

The Large Council Meeting in Reboly

On August 2 and 3, a large council meeting was held in the Reboly church to discuss joining Finland. Ninety-five delegates attended from the villages of Reboly, Kolvas Lake, Koroppi Lake, Tulivary, Emelyanovskaya, Haukisaari, Chelki Lake, Kimovara, Suloy Island, Konets-Ostrov, Savas’tyan-Navolok, Rovkuly, Virdy, Peningi Lake, and Muezersk.

On the first day, A.Lazarev, deputy chairman of the Rebolsky volost council, chaired the meeting, and Ya.Netyainen was the secretary. Bolshevik police chief Yegorov from Poventsa observed the meeting.

After confirming with the police chief that the Bolshevik government’s laws on freedom of assembly and speech and the declaration of the right to self-determination were still in effect, the meeting began, having already established its legality and quorum.

Special guests from Finland, Second Lieutenant V.Sario and Master Lauri Hannikainen, along with school inspectors Hj.Basilier and A.Sadovnikov, agronomist Hagman, and teacher A.Ryynänen, attended the meeting. Sario briefly explained the issue of uniting Karelia with Finland, and Hannikainen elaborated on the Finns’ attitude towards the residents of East Karelia and the possible actions Finland might take if East Karelia and Finland were united. School inspector Sadovnikov and many delegates also spoke on this topic, gradually shifting the meeting's opinion in favor of joining Finland despite heated debates and clashes with Bolshevik and pro-Russian delegates.

On the second day, Nikolai Kyuttiev was elected chairman, and school inspector Sadovnikov was elected assistant secretary. A thorough 15.5-hour discussion of the conditions and wishes for joining Finland revealed the residents’ very serious attitude toward this crucial issue for their future.

Before the meeting started, the Bolshevik police chief and his aides deemed it prudent to leave the church and the village due to Sario’s firm speech and the people’s strongly anti-Bolshevik sentiment. The pro-British instigator also left the village.

On the second day, about 100 speeches were heard. The decision to join Finland was unanimously approved, and a four-person delegation was chosen to present this decision to the Finnish government.

After the official meeting, an unforgettable celebration took place, the likes of which had not been seen in Olonets. Speech followed speech, toast followed toast, and song followed song. The grand celebration ended with a toast from a former strong opponent of joining Finland: "Long live Finland, long live Karelia!"

The Residents of Lendery Also Wanted to Participate

When the decision from the Reboly meeting reached Lendery, a firm decision was also made there to join Finland, and a three-person delegation was chosen to present this decision to the Finnish government.

New Meeting in Reboly

On August 31 and September 1, a meeting was held in Reboly to mark joining Finland. Mr. Valde Sario, who temporarily relocated to Northern Olonets, attended the meeting, which saw a larger turnout than any previous meetings. Residents from all villages of the volost, some up to 40 people, attended. Loudly, they expressed support for joining Finland. At 5:28 PM on Saturday, the Finnish flag was raised on the roof of the Rebolsky volost administration, and it was decided that at midnight on September 1, the volost would join Finland, and the Russian border would move to the eastern border of the Rebolsky volost.

From September 1, volost institutions were aligned with Finnish standards.

Karjalaisten Sanomat -newspaper, no. 13-18, 1918

Translated by Margarita Matthew, 2024