The time of Edvard Gylling 1920 - 1935

Because of the politics in the Karelian Soviet Republic carried out by Edvard Gylling, Santeri Nuorteva, Kustaa Rovio and other Finnish leaders, the status of the Finnish language, was strengthened. Almost all the books published in Karelia in 1929-1933 were in Finnish, Finnish-language schools, periodicals and newspapers appeared on the scene. The many-sided activities of the Finns in the cultural field were called Karelization, which accepted the use of the Finnish language and Finnish culture. Finnish immigrants had a role in the leadership of many economic enterprises, with the North-American Finns in particular introducing new technologies into the Karelian pulp, engineering and forestry industries.

Having party membership also represented prominence and society. In 1934 the Finns made up 17 % of the entire CP membership in Karelia, but only 3 % of the total population. The discrepancy between the number of Finns in the population and the possibility of their exerting an influence on social issues was therefore very obvious. These circumstances led to suspicions from the side of the central administration and eventually led to the period of Edvard Gylling who later was executed.

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