Imatra is a town and municipality in eastern Finland. Imatra is dominated by Lake Saimaa, the Vuoksi River and the border with Russia.
The main employers are pulp and paper manufacturer Stora Enso Oyj, the Town of Imatra, engineering steel manufacturer Ovako Bar Oy Ab, and the Finnish Border Guard.
The town manager of Imatra is Kai Roslakka. The town’s nicknames include Imis, Ibiza and Nahkalippis City (Leather Baseball Cap City).
Places to visit
Attractions
- Crown Park
- Imatra Art Museum
- Imatrankoski
- Imatra City Museum
- Imatra State Hotel
- Theater Imatra
- Church of the Three Crosses
- Lotta and Veterans Museum
- Church of St. Nicholas
- Border MuseumTown hall
- Mellonmäki
- Imatra Cultural Center
- Imatra SpaImatra hydropower plant
- Imatra leisure center
- Industrial Workers’ Housing Museum
- Imatrankoski Church
- Vuoksi Fishing Park
- Tainionkoski Church
- Tainionkoski power plant
Events
- Imatra Day
- Memorial Imatranajo
- Black and White Theater Festival
- Unlimited rhythm
- Rock to the River
- Art week
- Early music event In the old reserve better!
History
An Art Nouveau or Jugend style castle, currently known as Imatran Valtionhotelli, was built near the rapids in 1903 as a hotel for tourists from the Russian Imperial capital Saint Petersburg.
During the Continuation War, Carl Gustaf Emil Mannerheim met with Adolf Hitler in secrecy near the town for the former’s 75th birthday.
Imatra was founded in 1948 on the territory of three municipalities – Jääski, Ruokolahti and Joutseno. Finland ceded 11% of its territory to the Soviet Union after the Winter War. Jääski lost 85% of its territory and it was decided that a new municipality, Imatra, should be established on the remaining 15% of Jääski and some areas of Ruokolahti and Joutseno. This is why the Imatra coat of arms has three flashes – in honour of those previous municipalities that granted areas to it. It gained its municipal charter in 1971.
Education
Basic education and early childhood education services in Imatra are organized according to a regional model. The city has four districts with schools and kindergartens as independent units. In recent years, the closure of many schools has been planned and in 2008 decisions were made to close schools. The problem is population decline and the location of schools on the sidelines of settlement.
Basic education is provided in the following units:
Vuoksenniska area
- Vuoksenniska school (grades 1-9, plus Jopo class (Flexible basic education) and special groups; VIP classes and small classes).
Mansikkala – Imatrankoski area
- Imatrankoski School (grades 1-6)
- Meltola School (grades 1-6)
- Strawberry School (grades 1–9, in addition to the Jopo class. It is also possible for students to apply for music-focused teaching).
The area of the border statue
- Kosken school (grades 7-9, plus Jopo class).
- School of Eastern Finland (grades 0–9)
Afternoon activities are organized on behalf of both the city and the organizations in all areas on the premises of schools and kindergartens.
Upper secondary education in the following units:
- Imatra Joint High School , the premises also house the South Karelian IB High School and the High School of the Finnish-Russian School in Eastern Finland .
South Karelia Vocational College offers vocational undergraduate degrees to young people. There are several sub-options: hotel and restaurant sector, household, visual arts, handicrafts and crafts, business, agriculture and horticulture, technology, and health and social care. The offices are located in Lappeenranta , Imatra and Ruokolahti .
Abandoned schools:
- Sienimäki School (grades 1-6)
- Tainionkoski School (grades 1–6)
- Kaukopää School (grades 1-6)
- Virasoja School (grades 1-6)
- Linnala School (grades 1-6)
- Teppanala School (grades 1-6)
- Tainionkoski School High School (grades 7-9)
- Vuoksenniska High School
- Tainionkoski High School
