Säʹmmla Nuõrttsääʹm | |
|---|---|
 Drawing of Russian Skolt Sami from 1871 | |
| Total population | |
| c. 1,250 | |
| Regions with significant populations | |
 Finland | 500[1]–700[2] |
 Russia | 250[3]–400[1] |
 Norway | 150[3] |
| Languages | |
| Skolt Sami,Finnish,Russian andNorwegian | |
| Religion | |
| Eastern Orthodox majority Lutheran minority | |
| Related ethnic groups | |
| OtherSámi | |
TheSkolt Sámi orSkolts are aSami ethnic group. They currently live in and around the villages ofSevettijärvi,Keväjärvi,Nellim in the municipality ofInari, at several places in theMurmansk Oblast and in the village ofNeiden inSør-Varanger Municipality. The Skolts are considered to be theindigenous people of the borderland area between present-dayFinland,Russia andNorway, i.e. on theKola Peninsula and the adjacentFenno-Scandinavian mainland. They belong to the eastern group ofSámi on account oftheir language and traditions, and are traditionallyOrthodox rather thanLutheran Christians like most Sami and Finns.
In 2024, Venke Törmänen, the leader of an NGO called Norrõs Skoltesamene, appeared in Ságat, a Sami newspaper, saying "Eastern Sami" should not be used to refer to the Skolt Sami.[4]
As a result of theTreaty of Tartu (1920), the Skolt homeland was split in two: the western part,Petsamo, became part of Finland and the eastern part became part of theSoviet Union. The border became a threat to the identity of the Skolts as it grew difficult for them to live as they traditionally had with reindeer husbandry, hunting and fishing as the source of their livelihood. Many Finnish immigrants moved back to their traditional Skolt homeland. In 1926, one-quarter of Petsamo's population were Skolts, and in 1930 the proportion dropped to one-sixth.[7]
After theWinter War (1939), Finland lost its portion of theRybachiy Peninsula to the Soviet Union and after theContinuation War (1941–1944), it lost Petsamo, too. As a result, the Skolts living inSuonikylä andPaatsjoki were evacuated to Finland, with the Suonikylä Skolts settling inSevettijärvi, the Paatsjoki Skolts inKeväjärvi and along theRautujoki River ofSevettijärvi, and the Petsamo Skolts in the villages ofMustola, andSarmijärvi inNellim.
Current estimates put the number of ethnic Skolt Sámi at around 1250, of whom approximately 400 can speakSkolt Sámi. Most of them live in Finland today.
In Finland, Russia and Norway they number about 700, 400 and possibly more than 150.[8]
SaintTryphon of Pechenga converted the Skolts toChristianity in the 16th century and even today, the majority of Skolts are members of theEastern Orthodox Church.
Dei fleste bur i Finland, der gruppa tel om lag sjuhundre personar. I Noreg bur det vel 150 skoltesamar, og i Russland kanskje litt fleire.
