Kuopio is a city in Finland and the regional center of
Pohjois-Savo, located on the shores of Kallavesi in the province of
Pohjois-Savo. The city has a population of about 119,000 and covers
an area of 4,326.35 km², of which 1,085.34 km² are water bodies.
The center of Kuopio is mostly located on Kuopionniemi, which
protrudes south from Kallavesi, which divides Kallavesi into two
almost separate parts. The population density is 36.74 inhabitants /
km². Half of the area is forest, and most of the water area is
Kallavesi. Kuopio is an archipelago association in accordance with
the Archipelago Act. Kuopio is the fifth largest municipality in
Finland in terms of area after Rovaniemi, Pudasjärvi, Kuusamo and
Kuhmo.
At the end of 2018, the population of the city center
was 89,307.
Kuopio is the center and largest city of the
Eastern Finland Empire. Kuopio's neighboring municipalities are
Lapinlahti, Iisalmi, Leppävirta, Rautavaara, Siilinjärvi,
Suonenjoki, Tervo, Pielavesi, Kaavi, Juuka and Tuusniemi. Kuopio was
the capital of Kuopio County until 1997, when Kuopio County and the
counties of North Karelia and Mikkeli were merged into the province
of Eastern Finland, whose capital became Mikkeli.
Kuopio is
known nationwide as one of the most significant study cities and
centers of attraction and growth. On the other hand, the history of
Kuopio since the end of the 1960s has been marked by several
municipal associations, as a result of which Kuopio now also has a
lot of countryside. When Maaninka joined Kuopio at the beginning of
2015, Kuopio became Finland's largest milk producer community and
Finland's second largest beef producer community. In addition, at
the end of the 2010s, Kuopio was marked by numerous large projects
and projects, which are the largest in the city nationwide
immediately after the Helsinki metropolitan area. With the large
tourist center in Tahko, Kuopio has also grown into a major tourist
city.
According to Kuntarating in 2017, Kuopio has the most
satisfied residents among the 20 largest cities, and according to
the 2018 survey, Kuopio is the best city for housing investors. In
the image of municipalities in the 2018 survey, Kuopio is the second
largest city. In a survey published by the Confederation of Finnish
Industries EK in February 2019, the Kuopio region ranked 14th, which
is the second highest ranking in Eastern Finland. In the survey,
which measures the satisfaction of business representatives, the
Kuopio region ranks higher than the national average by all
measures. The overall investment is pulled down by the weak
performance of the private sector in the statistical comparison,
which takes into account the level of entrepreneurship, the number
of enterprises in relation to the population and the number of
start-ups in relation to the total enterprise stock.
According to Kotus's special researcher Sirkka Paikkala, Kuopionniemi is believed to be inherited from the Kuopioinen of the old village of Kuopiola in Jääski parish, who maintained their wilderness areas in the area. The roots of the Kuopioinen, in turn, go back to the Karelian male name Prokopij. Viljo Nissilä, an authority on onomastics, has also been of the same opinion.
Kuopio is a port city surrounded by one of the largest archipelagos
in the interior. Another special feature is the large differences in
elevation; Puijo and Puijo Tower are visible throughout the city. Kuopio
Market Square is the undisputed center of the city and the city center
follows a densely built grid plan with several parks and narrow
alleyways. The passenger harbor area has been heavily renovated in the
2000s, and the actual expansion of the city is taking place southward,
to the Archipelago area. In relation to the current municipal
boundaries, Kallavestu has been considered Kuopio's inland lake.
The city is quite unique in terms of its environment. The surface forms
of the city centre, bordered by a body of water, vary to such an extent
that a flat plot is a desirable rarity. Settlement has spread outside
the city centre in a dense and sparsely populated pattern that is
advantageous for public transport, and new city districts have been
built all at once under the municipal leadership – for example,
Saaristokaupunki was under a building ban for the previous 25 years.
This planning tradition in Kuopio has a long history. Due to the
above-mentioned factors, the population density of the Kuopio city
centre is the highest in Finland. With the establishment of Petonen and
increased construction of detached houses, the population density of the
city centre fell to below that of the Helsinki urban area in the
mid-1990s, but in the 2010s, the Kuopio city centre again took the place
of the most densely populated urban area in Finland. The car ownership
rate is also the lowest after Helsinki (425 cars per 1,000 inhabitants,
national average 551/1,000). The valuable Kuopio Forestry Centre is
mainly located in the Kuopio and Siilinjärvi areas.
Kuopio has
6,340 kilometres of coastline. Kuopio has the most summer cottages and
holiday homes among Finnish municipalities. In 2020, the number of
summer cottages was 10,507. The number of summer homes in Kuopio has
increased in recent years due to municipal mergers.
Due to the abundance of water bodies, Kuopio has a remarkably favorable climate for its latitude, even for Finnish standards. The annual sum of effective temperatures in Kuopio is roughly as high as in places located much further south, such as Tampere and Lahti.
The first people arrived in the Kuopio region around 8000 BC.
In the early 1550s, under the influence of Mikael Agricola, among others, a church and a parish were founded on Kuopionniemi, from which some believe Kuopio originated. The church could also have been founded further north, near the royal manor of Tavinsalmi, in the area of the former Maaninga municipality, in which case Kuopio might never have been founded.
Governor-General Pieter Brahe granted the parish village of Kuopio parish city rights in 1653, but by the 1670s the city had already withered away into an ordinary parish village. The current city of Kuopio was founded in 1775. The founding date is considered to be 17 November 1775, when King Gustav III issued an order establishing the city as the capital of Savo-Karelia Province.
Three areas or streetscapes remain from Puu-Kuopio: Kuninkaankatu –
Minna Canthin katu and its surroundings (including the buildings of the
district museum), Puistokatu and its surroundings (including the
Puistokoulu, Puistokatu 13, 1899), Asemakatu and its surroundings
(including the Station School 1897) and the barracks area (wooden sniper
frames and Russian brick frames). In addition, a few individual wooden
houses remain.
List of some significant buildings from the
18th–19th centuries:
The Tuomiorovasti vicarage (Kuninkaankatu 12)
was completed in 1780.
The Minna Canthin house (Minna Canthin katu
22) from 1820 is not in museum use.
Kuopio Lyseo high school on the
edge of the market square was designed by C. L. Engel and completed in
1826. Since then, extensions and wings have been built.
J. V.
Snellman's home museum (Snellmaninkatu 19) was Snellman's residence in
1845–1849. It has been a museum since 1981.
The restaurant Satama
Helmi, Bastman's house, former Carlson's hardware store at Kauppakatu 2,
dates back to 1850.
Haminalahti Court in Haminalahti is the
birthplace of the von Wright brothers. The main building dates back to
1848–1850.
Kuopio City Hall dates back to 1885, designed by F. A.
Sjöström.
Kuopio Provincial Government Building (Hallituskatu 12–14),
designed by Constantin Kiseleff, completed in 1882.
Restaurant Vanha
Satama, former Customs and packing house in the passenger port, 1860.
Designed by Carl Albert Edelfelt.
Victor Barsokevitsch's studio, with
the VB Photo Centre (Kuninkaankatu 14), 1887–1926.
In the 19th century, the city's development was influenced by better transport connections: the completion of the Varkaus Taipale Canal in 1840, the opening of the Saimaa Canal in 1856 (the first tower of Puijo was completed in the same year), and the completion of the Savo Railway in 1889. In 1858, Kuopio was granted the right to direct foreign trade. Industries began to emerge in the city around the timber trade: sawmills, a rolling mill and a match factory. Agricultural products from the surrounding region also gave rise to industry, for example butter was a significant export product.
Kuopio's education system has a long history. The first Finnish army
officer school, founded by Yrjö Maunu Sprengtporten – the Haapaniemi
Military School (in what is now Satamapuisto) – began in 1780. The first
trivial school was founded in Kuopio in 1788 (although the trivial
school founded in Viipuri in 1534 had already moved to Kuopio in 1777)
and a gymnasium or upper secondary school in 1844. Finnish-language
education for the blind began in Kuopio in 1871 (a school for the deaf
and dumb in 1862). An industrial school was also founded in the late
19th century (1886), and with the strong contribution of Minna Canth,
among others, the first Finnish-language trade school was founded in
1887, on whose board Canth served until her death in 1897, a
coeducational school leading to university came second, six years after
Helsinki in 1892, and a nursing school (1896). In 1897, the
10,000-inhabitant mark was also broken.
At that time, the main
developers of education and founders of schools were the city's cultural
figures (including J. V. Snellman), journalists (including Juhani, Kalle
and Pekka Aho) and the wealthiest businessmen (e.g. G. Ranin and H.
Saastamoinen). The equality work of the Women's Affairs Movement (which
included Minna Canth and Elisabeth Stenius-Aarneenkallio) progressed
from enabling voluntary and charitable work for women towards educating
women in craft and girls' schools and later in co-educational schools –
influenced by the Fennomans, already in Finnish at an early stage. In
the 19th century and early 20th century, schools largely survived on
donations and patronage.
After World War II, the city's population grew considerably, due to, among other things, the settlement of Karelian evacuees and the high birth rate. The explosive growth of the population forced the expansion of schools. In the late 1940s, school trips[56] were also subsidized and free school meals were offered (the poor had received this in Kuopio since 1902). The large number of young people and the occasional lack of activities also gave rise to various phenomena in the city, such as the market riot in 1965. In the 1960s, construction of the first proper suburb, Puijonlaakso, began. Since then, new areas have grown in turn: in the 1960s, Puijonlaakso and Tiihotar (as part of Saarijärvi); in the 1970s, Saarijärvi, Kelloniemi and Levänen; in the 1980s, Jynkkä and Neulamäki. The area of Kuopio increased considerably in 1969, when the rural municipality of Kuopio was annexed to the city, and in 1973, when Riistavesi was annexed to the city.
In 1966, a law was passed establishing a university in Kuopio, and its operations began in 1972. The new university brought with it many young people and new opportunities for the development of the city. The university became the University of Kuopio in 1984. At the beginning of 2010, the Universities of Kuopio and Joensuu merged to form the University of Eastern Finland.
The construction of the Suure Petonen area began in 1986. In 2003,
14,000 people lived there. The construction of Saaristokaupunki, which
connects Petonen and the city center, began in 2003 and will continue
until 2015. Once completed, the district will be home to 14,000
residents. The total cost of the project is 1.6 billion euros, of which
the city's share is 160 million euros.
The Archipelago City
project has utilized many new operating models. Ideas were sought for
it, for example, by participating in the Europan 8 architectural
competition. The construction of the area is guided by the Art Plan,
which is a master plan for art and culture, based on which the
Archipelago City will be built into a cultural environment for good
living. The art plan is related to a previously made decision according
to which the City of Kuopio's own construction projects must include art
at a rate of 0.5–1.5% of the construction costs. The Archipelago City
hosted a housing fair in 2010. Kuopio also hosted a housing fair in
1980.
The most drastic transformation has been experienced by the
Kuopio square city centre, which was mainly a wooden city a few decades
ago. A few old buildings have been preserved, including the area of
the block museum, which is an intact entity. The city centre's even
higher population density is increasing, especially in the harbour area,
due to the construction of apartment buildings.
Although Kuopio
is growing in the south, some parts of Siilinjärvi, located in the north
of the city near Kuopio Airport, are even closer to the center of
Kuopio. These areas, which are dominated by single-family homes, are
particularly popular with families with children. Commuting from
Siilinjärvi is strong – around 3,600 people work in Kuopio. Siilinjärvi
is the most popular place for Kuopio residents to work. In 2004, the
total number of commuters was around 8,600 people to Kuopio and around
5,000 people from Kuopio to other municipalities.
After the
agriculturally-dominated Maaninga was annexed to Kuopio, the city grew
to be the largest milk producer in Finland. A year later, however,
Kuopio narrowly lost this position to Kurika.
Kuopio has made itself known for, among other things, the fish cock, the Savo dialect and Puijo. The adjective cheerfulness has been associated with the people of Kuopio, which refers to benevolence, playfulness and enjoyment of life. The people of Kuopio have also been considered to be snobbish, always looking for alternative linguistic expressions to express their message.
Kuopio Market is the commercial center of the city. Banks, department
stores (Carlson and Sokos) and shopping centers (Vihtori, Aapeli, Minna,
H-talo, Sektori, IsoCee) are concentrated around it. The market itself
sells a variety of goods, especially during market time, but the most
famous products are probably fish cocks and meat pies. One of the most
famous products, especially among locals, of the market hall built in
1902 on the edge of the market is probably the Kotileipomo Hiltunen
barley cake, which has been baked for two generations. There is also a
lively restaurant and entertainment scene near the square, in the grid
area.
During the summer months, the Kuopio Passenger Port area
near the city center is also vibrant due to its own square, events
organized in restaurants and restaurant ships, and tourism. The
expansion of the Port of Kuopio and several tourism projects targeting
the area are in the works.
The Kuopio Museum and the Kuopio Art Museum are located in the center
of Kuopio. The nationally significant Finnish Orthodox Church Museum is
located near the city center next to the Great Cemetery. Kuopio
Cathedral and J.V. Snellman Park form a unified environmental entity.
Kuopio is also home to the St. Nicholas Cathedral, built during the
period of autonomy, which served as the main church of the Finnish
Orthodox Church in 1940–2017. In addition, the nationally significant
and renowned Kuopio Music Center is located on the edge of the city
center.
The Minimi Dance Theater was awarded the 2007 Theater of
the Year award.
In connection with the renovation of the Kuopio
City Theatre, two new stands were completed: one with 464 seats and one
with 212 seats. An open-air stage was built outside the theatre. The
renovated theatre building was opened in August 2014.
Kuopio has
memorial plaques installed in various parts of the city. There are more
of them than in any other Finnish city, 67 plaques, in addition to which
there are 59 other public works of art and monuments in the outdoor
areas. During the time of Chancellor Heikki Viitala, who is considered
the father of the plaques, as many as 50 plaques were erected, starting
in the 1970s. New plaques have hardly been ordered in the 21st century.
Spede Pasanen's memorial plaque in front of Päivärinteentie 21 near the
bus station was unveiled in April 2015. clarify
According to the
business survey conducted by the Sarka – Creative Northern Savo project
in 2009, there were 450 creative industry companies operating in Kuopio
at the time, while there were 900 in Northern Savo as a whole.
The Kuopio region will be a European Gastronomic Region in 2020–2021. It
is an internationally respected recognition that is awarded annually to
one or more European regions. The recognition is the first of its kind
in Finland. The European Region of Gastronomy cooperation brings
international events and seminars to Kuopio annually. The entity is
managed by Savonia University of Applied Sciences, Pro-Agria Eastern
Finland, Agricultural and Household Women of Eastern Finland and
Savogrow.
Several large Christian summer events have been organized in Kuopio.
The revival party has been organized in Kuopio five times: in 1910 in
Julkula, 1938, 1959, 1989 and 2017 in Nilsiä. The summer parties of the
Vanhoillislestadio members have been organized in Kuopio in 1948 and
1957.
Well-known events organized in Kuopio include the Finland
Ice Marathon skating event, Kuopio Dances and Sings, Kuopio Rock, Puijo
Ski Jumping Competitions, Kuopio International Wine Festival, ANTI –
Contemporary Art Festival and the BarokkiKuopio Festival.
Kuopio is a traditional sports city, with teams playing in several
different sports at the major league level. In the late 2010s, there has
also been a rise in success in floorball (Salibandyseura Welhot) and,
above all, in American football (Kuopio Steelers). In 2017, a real major
volleyball club, Savo Volley, was founded.
The city's sports life
is largely centered around the Väinölänniemi Stadium, the Kuopio Central
Field (formerly Magnum Areena), the ice rink in Hatsala known as
Niiralan Monttu, and Puijo. A new multi-purpose arena for sports and
other large public events is planned for Kuopio on the site of the
central field.
The ice rink, also known as Niiralan Monttu, built
in the 1970s and 1980s, is being renovated and expanded. In addition to
the renovation of the ice rink, a modern and spacious swimming pool is
being built in the same area in Kuopio. These are related to the City of
Kuopio's Kuntolaakso project, which will also bring housing, restaurant
and parking construction to the Montu area of Niirala. The project is
expected to be completed in 2020.
Kuopio was also once a major
skiing and ski jumping city. In the late 2010s, Kuopio ski jumping
received a boost when Mika Kojonkoski decided to build a Chinese ski
jumping home in Kuopio. After a long break, international ski
competitions are also being attracted back to Kuopio with major
improvements to the Puijo sports valley.
When the cities of
Nilsiä and Kuopio merged on 1 January 2013, the Tahkovuori ski and
holiday centre became part of Kuopio.
Kuopio also has the Kuopio
Hall for indoor sports and large public events, as well as a karting
track, which is located in Neulamäki. The Kuopio racetrack is in the
Sorsasalo district.