Skolts

<h2 id="history">History</h2>

<p>As a result of the <a href="/facts/Treaty_of_Tartu_(Russian%E2%80%93Finnish)/Mrzjqyte">Treaty of Tartu</a> (1920), the Skolt homeland was split in two:  the western part, <a href="/facts/Pechengsky_District/Y3SFP0jE">Petsamo</a>, became part of Finland and the eastern part became part of the <a href="/facts/Soviet_Union/m7wWsPto">Soviet Union</a>. The border became a threat to the identity of the Skolts as it grew difficult for them to live as they traditionally had with reindeer husbandry, hunting and fishing as the source of their livelihood. Many Finnish immigrants moved back to their traditional Skolt homeland. In 1926, one-quarter of Petsamo's population were Skolts, and in 1930 the proportion dropped to one-sixth.<a class="footnote-ref" id="fnref:2" href="#fn:2"><sup>2</sup></a>
</p><p>After the <a href="/facts/Winter_War/7xKG5CU5">Winter War</a> (1939), Finland lost its portion of the <a href="/facts/Rybachiy_Peninsula/xNgBNyFW">Rybachiy Peninsula</a> to the Soviet Union and after the <a href="/facts/Continuation_War/cPEIVbUq">Continuation War</a> (1941–1944), it lost Petsamo, too. As a result, the Skolts living in Suonikylä and <a href="/facts/Paatsjoki/heKg5cf0">Paatsjoki</a> were evacuated to Finland, with the Suonikylä Skolts settling in <a href="/facts/Sevettij%C3%A4rvi/sFowDp1N">Sevettijärvi</a>, the Paatsjoki Skolts in <a href="/facts/Kev%C3%A4j%C3%A4rvi/stX20g5b">Keväjärvi</a> and along the Rautujoki River of <a href="/facts/Sevettij%C3%A4rvi/sFowDp1N">Sevettijärvi</a>, and the Petsamo Skolts in the villages of Mustola, and Sarmijärvi in <a href="/facts/Nellim/7EQmumIj">Nellim</a>.
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<h2 id="demographics">Demographics</h2>
<p>Current estimates put the number of ethnic Skolt Sámi at around 1250, of whom approximately 400 can speak <a href="/facts/Skolt_Sami_language/kCWXq5Jf">Skolt Sámi</a>. Most of them live in Finland today.
</p><p>In Finland, Russia and Norway they number about 700, 400 and possibly more than 150.<a class="footnote-ref" id="fnref:3" href="#fn:3"><sup>3</sup></a>
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<h2 id="religion">Religion</h2>

<p>Saint <a href="/facts/Tryphon_of_Pechenga/4cL0A8xg">Tryphon of Pechenga</a> converted the Skolts to <a href="/facts/Christianity/nKyJHlqq">Christianity</a> in the 16th century and even today, the majority of Skolts are members of the <a href="/facts/Eastern_Orthodox_Church/5n20Akh5">Eastern Orthodox Church</a>.
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<h2 id="see-also">See also</h2>
<ul><li><i><a href="/facts/Je%CA%B9vida/frF7My11">Jeʹvida</a></i></li>
<li><a href="/facts/Tim_Ingold/BUSlaqcH">Tim Ingold</a></li></ul>

<h2 id="external-links">External links</h2>
<ul><li><a href="http://www.siida.fi/saamjiellem/english/tieto_etusivu.html">Skolt Sámi on Siida's website</a> <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20071006090455/http://www.siida.fi/saamjiellem/english/tieto_etusivu.html">Archived</a> 2007-10-06 at the <a href="/facts/Wayback_Machine/nmQ3a6JC">Wayback Machine</a></li>
<li><a href="https://www.facebook.com/pages/Skolt-S%C3%A1mi-culture-across-borders/192441044119315?sk=info">Skolt Sámi Culture Across borders</a></li></ul>

<h2 id="references">References</h2>

<ol>
<li id="fn:1"><p>https://www.sagat.no/nyheter/skoltesame-og-ikke-ostsame/19.45476. Sagat.no. Retrieved 2024-07-26 <a href="https://www.sagat.no/nyheter/skoltesame-og-ikke-ostsame/19.45476" target="_blank">https://www.sagat.no/nyheter/skoltesame-og-ikke-ostsame/19.45476</a> <a href="#fnref:1" class="footnote-back-ref">↩</a></p></li>
<li id="fn:2"><p>Tuija Saarinen Seppo Suhonen: Koltat, karjalaiset ja setukaiset, Snellman-Instituutti 1995 <a href="#fnref:2" class="footnote-back-ref">↩</a></p></li>
<li id="fn:3"><p>Walton, Stephen J. (2012-07-14). "Skoltesamar". Klassekampen. p. 3. Dei fleste bur i Finland, der gruppa tel om lag sjuhundre personar. I Noreg bur det vel 150 skoltesamar, og i Russland kanskje litt fleire. <a href="#fnref:3" class="footnote-back-ref">↩</a></p></li>
</ol>

Skolts open-in-new

Skolts