Kouvola is a Finnish city located along the Kymijoki River and,
along with Kotka, one of the centers of the Kymenlaakso province.
The city is home to 81,808 people, making it the 11th largest city
in Finland. The city covers an area of 2,883.29 km2 (of which
325.62 km2 are water bodies) and has a population density of 31.99
inhabitants / km2. Kouvola's neighboring municipalities are Hamina,
Heinola, Iitti, Kotka, Lapinjärvi, Loviisa, Luumäki, Miehikkälä,
Mäntyharju, Pyhtää and Savitaipale.
In the late 19th century,
the Kouvola station village, which belonged to the then municipality
of Valkeala, grew into a densely populated community inhabited by
railway workers after the completion of the Riihimäki-St. Petersburg
line. The Savo and Kotka lines built before the turn of the century,
as well as the railway connection to the rapidly industrialized
Kuusankoski paper mills, made Kouvola a crossroads station and a
business center. The densely populated community, founded in 1917,
was separated from Valkeala as its own municipality in 1922. In
1922–1945, Kouvola belonged to the Vyborg province. It received
commercial rights the following year and city rights in 1960 as one
of the first new cities in Finland. In 1940 and 1944, most of Vyborg
County was ceded to the Soviet Union and the remaining areas were
formed into Kymen County in 1945. By now, Kouvola had also become an
administrative center: from 1955 until 1997, it was the capital of
Kymen County.
The new city of
Kouvola was born on January 1, 2009, when the old Kouvola,
Anjalankoski, Kuusankoski, Elimäki, Jaala and Valkeala merged to
form a new city covering most of North Kymenlaakso, which became
known as Kouvola after its headquarters. Long before the
unification, Kouvola's city center extended to several
municipalities; for example, all the agglomerations of Kuusankoski
and a small part of Valkeala had grown up in Kouvola. Other large
agglomerations in Kouvola are Koria, located on the opposite bank of
the Kymijoki River, the main agglomeration of Valkeala, comprising
the church village of Jokela and Valkeala, and the southern railway
line Myllykoski and Inkeroinen.
Before the merger, Kouvola
had three neighboring municipalities, Elimäki, Kuusankoski and
Valkeala.
Kouvola can be reached by many means of transport. Already in ancient
times, the town was reached by boat along the Kymijoki. Today, you can
cross the river with a canoe, for example. There are good cycling routes
from the center of Kouvola to the towns in the area: Anjala, Inkerois,
Koria, Kuusankoski, Myllykoski, Sippola and Valkeala. Kouvola is a
crossing station. The railway was built for the needs of the export
industry in Kotka and Hamina. Passenger trains no longer run to Hamina,
but bus connections operate from all urban areas, Helsinki and
provincial cities. In Anjalan Wredeby, there is a private small airport,
which is e.g. popular with gliders. The location is in South-Eastern
Finland and e.g. popular with Russian tourists.
By train
Kouvola can be easily reached by train from all over Finland. Kouvola
has many railway stations where local trains stop. In the west is Koria,
in the east is Kaipiainen. In the south are Myllykoski and Inkeroinen
along the track leading to the port of Kotka. The Kouvola-Kotka railway
runs through the Anjalankoski area, or the former Sippola. There are
good train connections from Helsinki. It is 11 minutes from Kouvola
station to Myllykoski and 17 minutes to Inkeroi. You can get to Koria in
6 minutes and to Kaipiai in less than half an hour. However, not a
single train stops there anymore. The trip to Kotka port takes 45
minutes.
By bus
The bus station is next to Kouvola railway
station. From there, there are several bus routes to Kouvola, Anjala,
Inkerois, Koria, Kuusankoski, Myllykoski, Sippola and Valkeala. The city
has good connections to different parts of Finland, e.g. To Hamina,
Helsinki, Kotka, Lahti and Lappeenranta.
The Onnibus low-cost bus
company runs from Helsinki to Imatra via Kouvola and Lappeenranta.
Tickets from 3 euros.
By road
You can arrive in the city with
your own car, but when doing business in the city center, it is
recommended to use public transport, as there is no possibility of
driving a car in the pedestrian center of the city. Public transport in
the city is good, so nothing prevents you from strolling through the
city's markets and alleys.
Destinations to explore
Sights
Kouvola urban area
Pharmacy
museum
Käpylä church, Käpylä
Kouvola Prisma Center, Korjala
Shopping center Hansa
Shopping center Valtari
Kaunisnurmi's museum
quarter, railwaymen's quarter
Town hall
Kasarminmäki's old
barracks area
Central Church
Kouvola house and Kouvola art museum
Kouvola city library
Kouvola Miniature Railway Museum
Kouvola
railway station
Kouvola RRT Kouvola RR terminal (rail-road terminal,
Rail-Road)
Kouvola theater
Käyrälammi campsite (Tykkimäki
Camping), Tykkimäki
Mielaka Ski Center
Orthodox church
Tube
Radio Museum
Ratamokeskus (hospital)
Tykkimäki amusement park
Tykkimäki motor sports center
Ahvionkoski and Kuovinkallio
Anjala
Anjala's mansion
Duckling
Anjala's church
Anjala
Kirkkovuori
Sippolan Hovi (now a school home), Finland's largest
wooden mansion
Sippola Church, Sippola
Wrede family cemetery in
Anjala village
The old Finnish word "kouvo" means bear, ghost, wolf, louse and
screaming bird.[8] Before 2009, the name meant the area of the former
city of Kouvola, which is the center of the current city. The village of
Kouvola has apparently been inhabited since the Middle Ages, and it has
belonged alternately to the churchwardens of Hollola, Iiti and Valkeala.
However, the actual development did not start until the 1870s, when the
Riihimäki–Pietari railway was built and Kouvola became Valkeala's
station village. Kouvola railway station was built based on a request
made by the founder of Kymintehta, Axel Wilhelm Wahren, to the railway
administration, on the basis of which the railway engineers ended up
recommending the establishment of a fifth-class station half a mile east
of the Otava guardhouse on suitable sandy soil. In the following decade,
the Savo railway was built north of Kouvola and the Kotka railway south
of Kouvola. This is how Kouvola station became one of the busiest
crossing stations in Finland.
Red and white terror raged in
Kouvola during the severe Finnish civil war in 1918. More than 200
people outside the fighting were killed in the municipality.
Shop
and city
Thanks to the railway, Kouvola, which grew rapidly, was
detached from Valkeala municipality in 1922 and joined to Viipur county
for the years 1922–1945. It received trading rights in 1923. Kouvola was
elevated to a city in 1960. Kouvola's coat of arms at the time had two
red keys crossed on a black and silver background, which describes the
city's key position as a traffic hub. In the years 1955–1997, Kouvola
was the capital of Kyme county. The barracks dominated the lives of the
people of Kouvola from the 19th century until 1990.
Before the
2009 municipal union, Kouvola's area was very small. Its topography was
largely hilly and there weren't many water bodies in its area, except
for the small Käyrä and Kalalampe. Almost any part of Kouvola could be
reached by bicycle in about fifteen minutes.
Kouvola's building
stock consists of massive concrete architecture from the 1960s and
1970s, such as tower blocks and the town hall.
Area connections
In 1922, separated from the northern parts of Kouvola village in
Valkeala municipality, Kouvola covered a small area around the current
core of the city, on both sides of the railway. The area of the store
expanded slightly in 1939, when the areas of Käpylä and Kotiharju were
added to it from Valkeala. In 1950, the large area including
Tornionmäki, Viitakummu and Palokanka was added to the township. 1956
The area from Ravikylä to Käyrälammi was joined to the township also
from Valkeala, in addition the areas of Kellomäki and Tantari were
joined to Kouvola from Kuusankoski. In 1966, among others, the areas of
Rekola, Eskolanmäki, Lehtomäki and Tykkimäki were joined to Kouvola from
Valkeala, and the Korjala area from Kuusankoski. In 1985, the northern
part of Valtatie 6 in the Korjala region was moved back to Kuusankoski,
while the Kymijoki riverside area south of the Lahti–Kouvola railway and
the land between Ravikylä and Valkealanväylä moved from Kuusankoski to
Kouvola. Kouvola's last regional mergers before the 2009 municipal
merger took place in 1991, when areas from the north bank of Kymijoki,
the south side of Vahteronmäki, between Lehtomäki and Valkealanväylä and
the east side of Tykkimäki were transferred from Valkeala to part of
Kouvola.
The municipal association of 2009
On December 31,
2008, the previous city of Kouvola was abolished and merged with five
other municipalities into a new municipality from January 1, 2009. In
this case, the former city of Kouvola, city of Anjalankoski,
municipality of Elimäki, municipality of Jaala, city of Kuusankoski and
municipality of Valkeala were abolished and a new municipality
comprising their areas at that time was established in its place, which
adopted the name Kouvola and the designation of city. At the same time,
a new coat of arms was confirmed for the city. Iitti from the Kouvola
region was excluded from the municipal association. The Kouvola region
has experienced large migration losses in the second half of the 1990s
and the 2000s. The population of the region has been over 102,000 at its
best, while in 2008 it was less than 96,000. At the beginning of 2009,
the population of Kouvola was almost 90,000 and the area was about 2,800
square kilometers. In terms of population, it is the 11th largest city
in Finland. In terms of surface area, it is the largest municipality in
Southern Finland and the 19th largest of the entire country's
municipalities.
With the merger of municipalities in 2009, the Kouvola area covers a
large area in North Kymenlaakso. The first Salpauselkä divides the area
into a northern part with plenty of lakes and forests, and a southern
part with few lakes, which is more flat and contains more crops. In the
division of Finnish landscape provinces, the northern parts of the city
belong to the lake region of eastern Järvi-Finland's Southwest Savo, and
the southern parts to the southern and southeastern farming region of
the southern coast.
Most of the city area belongs to the Kymijoki
watershed. Kymijoki flows in the city area from Pyhäjärvi downstream to
the beginning of the western descent branch, i.e. Hirvikoskenhaara. The
southeastern parts of the city belong to the Summanjoki watershed. In
addition, small areas in the southeast belong to the Vehkajoki and
Virojoki watersheds and in the west to the Taasianjoki watershed. The
largest lake is Vuohijärvi located in the northern part, through which
the waters of the Mäntyharju route flow into Kymijoki. Between the first
and second Salpauselka, the Valkeala route flows from its western parts
in the city area.
Even in the 1980s, the city of Kouvola experienced a migration gain,
but since the 1990s, it has suffered a migration loss. In Agencyaato,
the loss has only deepened so that at the end of the 2010s, Kouvola was
Finland's worst emigration loss area. Natural population growth has also
been negative when, for example, in 2017, more than 450 people died in
the city more than new ones were born. The reason has largely been found
to be the radical reduction of jobs in the area and the absence of the
Itäraila.
The following diagram shows the population development
of the city every five years since 1980. The regional division used
corresponds to the situation on 1 January 2017 from 2010 onwards.
Lutheran congregations
According to the 2018 regional
distribution, Kouvola has the following parishes of the Evangelical
Lutheran Church of Finland:
Anjalankoski parish
Elimäki parish
Kouvola parish
Kuusankoski parish
Jaala chapel congregation
Valkeala parish
These parishes form the Kouvola congregation.
Former Lutheran congregations
The following list mentions the
dissolved Lutheran churches in the current area of the city of Kouvola.
Anjala parish (joined to Anjalankoski parish in 1999)
Inkeroinen
parish (joined to Anjalankoski parish in 1999)
Jaala parish (joined
to Kuusankoski parish in 2009)
Myllykoski parish (joined to
Anjalankoski parish in 1999)
Sippola parish (joined to Anjalankoski
parish in 1999)
Other churches
Among the member congregations
of the Pentecostal Church of Finland, Elimäki Pentecostal Congregation,
Inkeroinen Pentecostal Congregation, Kouvola Pentecostal Congregation
and Valkeala Pentecostal Congregation operate in Kouvola. Tuohikoti
Pentecostal congregation and Voikkaan Saalem operate as independent
Pentecostal congregations in Kouvola.
Kouvola is home to St.
Ursula's parish of the Helsinki Diocese of the Catholic Church. The
parish area covers Kymenlaakso, Päijät-Häme and South Karelia.
Among the congregations of the Finnish Orthodox Church, the Hamina
Orthodox congregation operates in the Kouvola area.
The Paulus
congregation of the Evangelical Lutheran mission diocese of Finland has
been operating in Kouvola since 2005. The members of the congregation
are mainly from Pohjois Kymenlaakso.
Town council
There are 59 councilors in the Kouvola city council.
Its distribution of places in the years 2021–2025 is:
The coalition
has 14 seats
SDP 14 seats
Basic Finns 12 places
Center 8 places
Greens 4 seats
Christian Democrats 3 seats
Left Alliance 2 seats
Mainio Kouvola 1 place
Juha Huhtala 1 place
The chairmanship
of the city council in the period 2021-2025:
Paula Werning (Chairman,
Sd.)
Ville Kaunisto (1st vice-president, Kok.)
Sheikki Laakso (2nd
vice-president, Ps.)
Jenny Hasu (3rd vice president, Central)
Boards
Kouvola has seven boards:
Central Election Commission
Kyme waste board
Board of education and training
Sports and
Culture Board
Board of Audit
Technical board
Licensing division
of the Technical Board
Public roads pass through Kouvola in different directions:
Koskenkylä (Loviisa), Kouvola, Lappeenranta, Joensuu, Kajaani (Southwest
/ East)
Rauma, Tampere, Lahti, Kouvola (to the west)
Kotka,
Kouvola, Mikkeli (To the South / Northeast)
Heinola (Northwest)
Kouvola can be reached by rail in four directions: 1) via Lahti to
Helsinki and Riihimäki, 2) Kotka, 3) Mikkeli and from there on to
Pieksämäki (Savo railway) and 4) Luumäki, from where the railway
branches off via Lappeenranta to Joensuu (Karelian railway) and via the
Vainikkala border station to Russia. The proximity of Russia in
particular has a great influence on Kouvola's train traffic. You can see
a lot of Russian oil wagons in the city's railway yard.
The
fastest train journey from Kouvola to the center of Helsinki takes one
hour and 16 minutes. The fastest train journey between Oulu and Kouvola
takes 6 hours and 54 minutes via Riihimäki, and the same time via
Kuopio. The journey to Vyborg is 1 hour and 11 minutes. St. Petersburg
is 2 hours and 20 minutes away.
Highways 6
(Koskenkylä–Kouvola–Lappeenranta–Joensuu–Kajaani) and 15
(Kotka–Kouvola–Mikkeli) also pass through Kouvola. In addition, highway
12 (Rauma–Tampere–Lahti–Kouvola) ends there. Highway 6 used to run
through the city center, but in 1978 a bypass road bypassing the north
side of the city center was completed.
The 138-kilometer journey
from Kouvola to the center of Helsinki takes 2 hours and 10 minutes on
the fastest bus. The 214-kilometer journey from Kouvola via Heinola to
Jyväskylä takes 3 hours and 15 minutes with the express bus service. By
train, the fastest journey between Kouvola and Jyväskylä via Pieksämäki
takes 2 hours and 31 minutes.
Kouvola's local transport is
handled by buses and there are 19 lines, a bus runs on them
approximately every hour.
The nearest airport offering passenger
traffic to Kouvola is located approximately 85 kilometers away in
Lappeenranta. The distance to Helsinki-Vantaa airport is approximately
130 kilometers.
Uti Airport, which is used by the military, as
well as Savero, Selänpää and Ummeljoki airports are located in the city
area.
Kouvola is the transport, commercial, administrative, legal and
educational center of its urban area. The people of Kouvola make their
living mainly from service professions, and the city's job
self-sufficiency is 121%. Stockmann had a department store in Kouvola
between 1976 and 1982.
In the 21st century, a significant
economic project in Kouvola has been the development of a logistics
center. On the east side of the city center in Kullasvaara, a combined
railway and road terminal Kouvola RRT is under construction, which will
be completed in 2023. A large logistics and business area is planned
around it. The aim is to make Kouvola "the leading railway expertise and
business center in the border area between the European Union and
Russia".
Among Finnish municipalities, Kouvola has the third
largest number of summer cottages, a total of 7,150 at the beginning of
2009. Kouvola's service structure is as follows:
Primary production
1.2%
Industry 21.8%
Trade 13.0%
Traffic 11.1%
Business
services 13.6%
Public and other services 34.9%
Industry unknown
1.3%
The industry structure of jobs is as follows:
Working
primary production 0.8%
Refinement 21.1%
Services 77.1%
Unknown
1.1%
The current Kouvola has had financial problems almost throughout its
existence; for example, in 2019, the city even made a loss of more than
27 million euros. Financial problems have led to cutting back on
services, especially in rural areas. In November 2018, a new school
network was drawn up, in which Kouvola's current network of 34 schools
will be reduced, leaving 17 schools in the city. In 2019, the closure of
sports facilities was also considered.
Residents living outside
of Kouvola's city center area have condemned the city of Kouvola for
concentrating most of the city's services in the city center and, on the
other hand, cutting services from areas outside the city center,
especially rural areas.
University-level research in the field of business economics and
logistics is carried out at LUT University's Kouvola unit. LUT
University started a leading teaching program for university-level
degree education in Kouvola in 2022. Previously, the University of
Helsinki's Department of Translation Studies, which trained translators,
also operated in the city (initially the Kouvola Language Institute,
later the University of Helsinki's Translator Training Institute), but
its operations were transferred to Helsinki in 2009.
In Kouvola,
the Southeastern Finland University of Applied Sciences offers
university of applied sciences education in business administration,
design and media. Vocational training in several fields is organized by
the Kouvola regional vocational college.
Basic education
There
are 33 elementary schools in Kouvola, which offer general education for
children aged 7–16 years. 22 of the schools are elementary schools, 5
are middle schools and 6 schools are unified schools, i.e. combined
elementary and middle schools. The number of elementary schools in
Kouvola has decreased a lot after the municipal merger, as there were
still 47 elementary schools in Kouvola in 2010. The city of Kouvola has,
among other things, closed down many schools in small rural villages,
mainly for cost-saving reasons.
In 2017, the city of Kouvola
started a large school network survey, and in November 2018, the city
came to the conclusion that 18 elementary schools will remain in Kouvola
and 16 schools will be closed. Kouvola will be built in the next 10
years, when? nine new schools, and some existing schools will be
renovated. The city has justified the reduction of the school network by
applying for savings and the fact that most of the current school
buildings are old and in really bad shape.
Elementary schools
Here is a list of elementary schools in Kouvola.
Kouvola area
Eskolanmäki school (unified school)
Kaunisnurmen school (primary
school)
Mansikkamäki School (elementary)
Sarkola School (primary)
Vahtero school (elementary)
Kouvola joint school (secondary school)
Sports park school (secondary level)
Kuusankoski
Naukio
Unified School
Kymintehtaa school (unified school)
Central school
(primary)
Pilka school (elementary)
Pilkanmaa School (primary)
Tähteenkatu school (elementary)
Voikkaan School (primary school)
Hirvelä school (secondary school)
Svenska skolan (Swedish-language
unified school)
Anjalankoski
Inkeroien joint school (joint
school)
Anjala's school (elementary)
Kaipiaiinen School
(elementary)
Saviniemi School (primary)
Sippola school (primary
school)
Tehtaanmäki school (elementary)
Viiala school (primary
school)
Myllykoski joint school (secondary school)
White area
Jokela school (elementary)
Kirkonkylä school (primary) (operates in
evacuation facilities next to the old school that was demolished in the
summer of 2018, the new Valkeala unified school will be completed in
2024)
Kääpälä school (elementary)
Niinistö School (elementary)
Uti school (primary)
Valkeala middle school
Elimäki
Elimäki
Unified School
Korian School (primary)
Yawl
Jaala school
(elementary)
High schools
Kouvola Yhteislyseo, which also
houses Kouvola evening high school.
Kuusankoski high school
During
the current Kouvola period, three high schools have been closed in the
city. Anjalankoski high school, which was located in Inkeroinis in the
former city of Anjalankoski, was closed in 2015. Valkeala high school
and Elimäki high school were closed for good in June 2021.
Kindergartens and early childhood education
There are a total of 45
daycare centers in Kouvola, of which 38 are city daycare centers and the
rest private company daycare centers. Some kindergartens also have
preschool services.
Civic colleges
Kouvola's civic college
operates in Kouvola, whose main office is located on Salpausselänkatu in
Kouvola. It also operates in Elimäki, Jaala, Kuusankoski and Valkeala.
Literature
The main building of the city library was completed in
1971. At that time, with the new library building, the Kouvola city
library also became the Kymenlaakso county library. The county's
libraries have a common library system, and the same library card is
valid for the entire region. The Kouvola city library organizes the
popular Kouvola detective days in the summer in the premises of the
Kouvola theater. In addition to the main library, the Kouvola city
library includes 8 neighborhood libraries and two library vans.
Music
Kouvola's cultural offering is represented by, among others,
Kymi Sinfonietta, which is a joint small symphony orchestra of Kouvola
and Kotka made up of 29 full-time professional musicians. There are
nearly a hundred public concerts every year. The program is extensive:
it ranges from baroque and Viennese classical music to entertainment and
rock. In addition, you can study almost everything related to the field
of music at Pohjois-Kyme music college. The amateur-based chamber
orchestra Vox musicae also operates under the patronage of the music
college.
Proceedings
Several large Christian summer events
have been organized in Kouvola. The revival celebration has been
organized in Kouvola twice: 1963 and 1997.
Well-known bands from
Kouvola
Aleksanteri Hakaniemi
Degree
Ever
Testicular
traction Go Go
Stonewood Druid
Children's cemetery
Loose Prick
Stomach Virgo
Mira Kunnasluoto
Mistreat
Norma John
Nost3 &
Protro
Peer Günt
Ragheads
Noise
The Barefoot Brothers
The
Legends
The Souls
To/Die/For
Scythe
Food culture
In
the 1980s, herring rolls, pea soup, vinegar mushrooms and talcum powder
were named Kouvola's signature dishes.
Kouvola licorice has been
named the best licorice in Finland in 1995 and the best licorice in the
world for three years in a row 2019, 2021 and 2022.
Twin cities
Current Kouvola has three sister cities: Balatonfüred in Hungary,
Mülheim an der Ruhr in Germany and Vologda in Russia. Kouvola has
cooperation with its twin cities at the administrative level and in the
fields of business life, education, sports and culture. However, at
least so far, the activity has been rather small-scale.
Athletes and sports teams from Kouvola have been successful in
several sports. In recent years, clubs from Kouvola have been
particularly successful in basketball, football and American football.
Kymenlaakso's pride KPL has also returned to the brightest top of
Superpesis. Ice hockey is also a permanent favorite in Kouvola, which is
represented by KooKoo.
Lumon Areena (Kouvola ice rink) in the
center of Kouvola is one of the largest arena-like ice rinks in Finland.
Kouvola's central sports field has served as a venue for major athletics
competitions. In addition to these, Kouvola has numerous sports fields,
several sports halls, a soccer field that meets UEFA regulations, 4 ice
rinks and 4 swimming pools. The Palomäki chewing track is located near
the center.
In the vicinity of the city center, the Kouvola
racetrack is located in Ravikylä, and the motor track in Tykkimäki. In
addition, the Palomäki hill center is located next to the fire station.
Sports clubs
Kouvola Indians: American football
Kouvola Ski
Club
Kouvola's Ball hitters: baseball
Kouvola's Guides
Kouvola's Athletes
Kouvola figure skating
Cups: basketball
Kouvottaret: basketball
Wolves: floorball and soccer
KoLe:
volleyball
Kouvola Rock n Rollers: roller derby
KooKoo: Hockey
KooKoo Ice Masters
MYPA: football
Kuusankosken Kumu: football
Kuusankoski Sports Club
Kuusankoski Puhti
Kuusankoski Veto
Kuusankoski Cowboys: American football
HC Kuusankoski: ice hockey
Voikkaan Pallo-Peikot: football
Kouvola Tennis Club
Kouvola
Wrestlers
Kouvola swimmers
Kajo of Valkeala
Valkeala Kiekko:
ice hockey
Korian Ponsi
Korian Club: floorball
Sippola Fitness
Stiff back
Anjalankosken Kiekko: ice hockey
Terho of Inkeroisen