Primorsk Приморск | |
|---|---|
 Primorsk from bay | |
_(2007).png) Coat of arms | |
 Interactive map of Primorsk | |
  Primorsk Location of Primorsk Show map of Leningrad Oblast.svg) Primorsk Primorsk (European Russia) Show map of European Russia Primorsk Primorsk (Baltic Sea) Show map of Baltic Sea Primorsk Primorsk (Europe) Show map of Europe | |
| Coordinates:60°22′N28°37′E / 60.367°N 28.617°E /60.367; 28.617 | |
| Country | Russia |
| Federal subject | Leningrad Oblast[1] |
| Administrative district | Vyborgsky District[1] |
| Settlement municipal formationSelsoviet | Primorskoye Settlement Municipal Formation[1] |
| First mentioned | 1268[2] |
| Town status since | 1940 |
| Elevation | 5 m (16 ft) |
| Population | |
• Total | 6,119 |
• Estimate (2024) | 6,334 (+3.5%) |
| • Capital of | Primorskoye Settlement Municipal Formation[1] |
| • Municipal district | Vyborgsky Municipal District[4] |
| • Urban settlement | Primorskoye Urban Settlement[4] |
| • Capital of | Primorskoye Urban Settlement[4] |
| Time zone | UTC+3 (MSK  [5]) |
| Postal code[6] | 188910 |
| Dialing code | +7 81378[7] |
| OKTMO ID | 41615108001 |
| Town Day | Third Saturday of September |
Primorsk (Russian:Примо́рск;Finnish:Koivisto;Swedish:Björkö[8]) is a coastaltown inVyborgsky District ofLeningrad Oblast,Russia and is the second largest Russianport on the Baltic, afterSt. Petersburg. It is located on theKarelian Isthmus, 137 kilometers (85 mi) west of St. Petersburg, at the northern coast of theGulf of Finland, nearBeryozovye Islands (Finnish:Koivusaari (Koivistonsaari), Tiurinsaari ja Piisaari;Swedish:Björkö) which are protected as a sea bird sanctuary. Population:6,119 (2010 census);[3]5,332 (2002 census);[9]6,637 (1989 Soviet census).[10]
Kingdom of Sweden 1293–1721
Russian Empire 1721–1917
Grand Duchy of Finland (Russian Empire) 1811-1917
Republic of Finland 1917–1918
Finnish Socialist Workers' Republic 1918
Republic of Finland 1918–1940
Soviet Union 1940–1941
Soviet Union 1944–1991
It was first mentioned in Russian chronicles asBeryozovskoye (Берёзовское, lit.birch settlement) in 1268, when the Hanseatic merchants fromGotland petitioned theNovgorod Republic to secure their passage to theNeva River.[11] The original Finnish nameKoivisto means "a group of birch trees", "a birch forest". Swedish nameBjörkö means "birch island". Swedes annexed the region during theThird Swedish Crusade. Novgorod formally ceded the area to Sweden in theTreaty of Nöteborg in 1323. Thereafter Primorsk was organized under the control of theFief of Viborg. It became a separate parish from the parish of Viborg in 1575.[12] The Russians retook the islands at the close of theGreat Northern War in 1721. This was confirmed by theTreaty of Nystad in 1721.
In 1710, during theGreat Northern War, the troops ofTsarPeter the Great included the whole area of the modernVyborgsky District to Russia. In the course of Peter'ssecond administrative reform, the area became a part ofVyborg Province ofSt. Petersburg Governorate.[citation needed] The 1721Treaty of Nystad, which concluded the war with Sweden, finalized the transfer of this part ofOld Finland to Russia.[2]In 1744,Vyborg Governorate, with the seat inVyborg, was established.[13] After several changes, Vyborg Governorate was renamed Finland Governorate in 1802.[13] In 1811, it was renamed back and included in theGrand Duchy of Finland, which was previously ceded to Russia by Sweden.[13] In Finland, it became known as theViipuri Province. On July 24, 1905, Wilhelm II of the German Empire and Tsar Nicholas II of Russia signed theTreaty of Björkö (Treaty of Koivisto) as a secret mutual defense accord.[14][15]In 1918, the Viipuri Province became a part of independentFinland.
Koivisto, together with the rest of the Karelian Isthmus, was ceded byFinland to theSoviet Union by theMoscow Peace Treaty as a result of theWinter War. It was recaptured by Finns in early September 1941 following the Soviet defeat at theBattle of Porlampi. The Finns held Koivisto duringContinuation War but again ceded the town to the Soviet Union after theMoscow Armistice. This secession was formalized after signingParis Peace Treaty in 1947. The population was resettled to Finland and population from Central Russia was moved to populate the Karelian Isthmus.
On May 16, 1940, Koivisto became theadministrative center of the newly establishedKoyvistovsky District inLeningrad Oblast.[16] At the same time, Koivisto was granted town status.[citation needed] On October 1, 1948, the town was renamed Primorsk and the district was renamed Primorsky.[16] On April 3, 1954, Primorsky District was abolished and merged intoRoshchinsky District, with the administrative center inRoshchino.[16] On January 4, 1957, Primorsk was transferred to Vyborgsky District.[17]
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Primorsk evolved in the 20th century as anoutport for the town of Vyborg.
Within theframework of administrative divisions, it is, together with twentyrural localities, incorporated withinVyborgsky District asPrimorskoyeSettlement Municipal Formation.[1] As amunicipal division, Primorskoye Settlement Municipal Formation is incorporated within Vyborgsky Municipal District asPrimorskoye Urban Settlement.[4]
The town is the site of reportedly the largestBaltic Sea oil terminal,Port of Primorsk. It was developed as a terminus of theBaltic Pipeline System at a cost of two billion US dollars. The terminal started to operate in December 2001, supplantingVentspils and other foreign rivals within one year.[18] In 2006, Primorsk was ranked first in Russia in crude oil export, with the export volume of 5,863,000metric tons.[19]
In the wake of the2022 Russian invasion of Ukraine, on April 29, 2022,Rosneft was not scheduled to export any diesel from Primorsk in May, as demand from Europe dropped off due to sanctions.[20] On 12 September, 2025, Ukraine bombed the Port of Primorsk to try to limit oil exports from Russia, which are Russia's main source of revenue.[21]
The town is on the railway line linkingSt. Petersburg toVyborg. There is suburban train service toFinland Station in St. Petersburg.
The town is connected by roads with Vyborg and withZelenogorsk and is also linked by bus to other localities nearby.
