Varkaus
# Varkaus

Varkaus (before year 1929 Warkaus) is a Middle-Savonian industrial town and municipality of Finland. It is located in the province of Eastern Finland and is part of the Northern Savonia region, between the city of Kuopio and the town of Savonlinna.

The municipality has a population of 19,707 (28 February 2023) and covers an area of 524.48 square kilometres (202.50 sq mi) of which 138.45 $km^2$ (53.46 sq mi) is water. The population density is 51.05 inhabitants per square kilometre (132.2/sq mi).

The municipality is unilingually Finnish. In old Finnish 'Varkaus' meant strait, and this city is located in the lake district on straits between two parts of Lake Saimaa. An extension of the Saimaa Canal passes through the town.

## History

Varkaus was born in the late 19th century as an industrial community of the A. Ahlström paper mills. It was a part of the municipalities of Leppävirta and Joroinen until 1929 when Varkaus became a market town. During the Finnish Civil War in 1918 the town was taken over by the Reds, but because of its isolated location in rural Finland, it was soon taken by the Whites on the Battle of Varkaus 19–21 February. The whites proceeded to execute every tenth Red soldier.

The municipality of Kangaslampi was consolidated to Varkaus on 1 January 2005.

## Sport

The bandy team Warkauden Pallo-35, or just WP-35, plays in the highest division, Bandyliiga, and has become Finnish champions 16 times.

## Notable people

* Onni Hiltunen (1895–1971), politician
* Jukka Keskisalo (born 1981), steeplechaser
* Antti Kupiainen (born 1954), mathematical physicist
* Esa Pakarinen (1911–1989), actor and musician
* Esa Pakarinen Junior (born 1947), actor
* Piia Pantsu (born 1971), equestrian rider
* Lassi Parkkinen (1917–1994), speed skater
* Erkki Pulliainen (born 1938), biologist and politician
* Pekka Siitoin (1944–2003), occultist and neo-Nazi
* Petri Varis (born 1969), ice hockey forward

## Parts of the town of Varkaus

* Kaura-aho
* Käpykangas
* Kuoppakangas
* Kosulanniemi
* Lehtoniemi
* Puurtila
* Taipale
* Luttila
* Könönpelto
* Kangaslampi
* Kurola
* Hasinmäki
* Häyrilä
* Päiviönsaari
* Peltola

## Twin towns — sister cities

Varkaus is twinned with:

| Lu'an, China Nakskov, Denmark Rjukan, Norway Sandviken, Sweden | Petrozavodsk, Russia Rüsselsheim, Germany Pirna, Germany Zalaegerszeg, Hungary |
| - | - |
