Khiytola

Khiytola (Хийтола; Hiitola) is a rural locality (a settlement) in Lakhdenpokhsky District of the Republic of Karelia, Russia.

History
The Finnish name of the settlement (Hiitola) derives from "Hiisi", the name of a forest spirit in the Karelian-Finnish mythology.

Before the Winter War it was a municipality of the Viipuri Province of Finland.

During World War II, the settlement was captured by forces of VII Corps (Hägglund) on 11 August 1941 and came under Finnish occupation. With the Moscow Armistice of 1944, the town's continued allegiance to the USSR was confirmed.

Transportation
Khiytola railway station is a railway junction of the Vyborg–Joensuu and St. Petersburg–Khiytola railways. It has direct suburban connections with Vyborg, Sortavala, and Kuznechnoye. A long-distance train between St. Petersburg and Kostomuksha calls at Khiytola every second day.

Notable people

 * Eeva Kilpi (b. 1928), feminist writer
 * Martti Talvela (1935–1989), opera singer (see, for example, Pekka Hako, The Unforgettable Martti Talvela/Unohtumaton Martti Talvela, 2005)