Entry 5 - Käkisalmi (Part 2; The Lumbermill and Surroundings)
"[...] In the next weeks or in the next month I will post the part II [...]"
Well, right, so about that 
At least I did make it before the end of the year! So we're still on our amazing average of 2.5 entries per year (I always try to bring some kind of special entry during holidays seasons)!
As mentioned earlier, today we will get to know the historic Kakisalmi lumber mill, the former paper factory in the city, the industrial park that developed around it and is now the largest employer not only in the city but in the region as well, in addition to the forests, rivers, farms, and villages that surround Kakisalmi.
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The industrial development of Kakisalmi began naturally with the extraction of timber from the region's dense forests. Over time, what started as simple wood extraction grew into a profitable industry for the Russian Empire, and with larger government investments after the World War I by the USSR, the Kakisalmi Lumber Mill was established, becoming one the largest in Southeast Karelia.
With housing for employees who live far away, connections by railway and a small port, several warehouses, and a large lumber mill, the timber extraction operation in Kakisalmi is one of the largest in all of Karelia.
Over the years, a pump and paper mill was built near the lumber mill in an effort to reduce logistics costs and create new jobs to increase the city's population, which was receiving various Soviet investments to develop Kakisalmi and the surrounding region.
This triggered the establishment of new industries in Kakisalmi, thus creating the Kakisalmi Industrial Park (formerly the Priozersk Industrial Park). The Soviet government built a railway and a small port to help with the transportation of products, but nowadays, these small docks have become practically obsolete, unable to fully handle the current production. It did not receive significant investments for expansion in the following decades, as this port is only connected to Lake Ladoga, unlike the Viipuri Port, which, in addition to being nearby, is located on the shores of the Gulf of Finland.
Very close to the southern entrance of the Industrial Park, a tiny village developed alongside a few farms.
On the northern shore of the Vuoksi River, also known locally as the city's entrance, another rural village, Larionovo, developed alongside the region's farms. With only a church, a small school, and a small market, its population heavily relies on Kakisalmi's infrastructure, as they are just 15 minutes away, or essentially only a bridge crossing that connects both banks of the river.
And this brief presentation concludes our tour of Kakisalmi, as the main highlights have already been covered... a little while ago, haha. I hope you enjoyed our tour, and I'll leave you with some farewell images. Will we meet again soon? I'm not sure if you still trust my promises, not that you're wrong to doubt, haha, but I hope to post a Christmas message before the end of the year. See you guys!
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