Koporye

Koporye (Russian: Копорье; Finnish: Kaprio; Swedish: Koporje) is a historic village (selo) in Leningrad Oblast, Russia, located about 100 km (62 mi) west of St. Petersburg and 12 km (7.5 mi) south of the Koporye Bay of the Baltic Sea. Its population in 2017 was 1,603.

History

The first wooden fortress on the coast of the Koporye Bay was built by the Teutonic Knights in the winter of 1240, only to be destroyed by Alexander Nevsky the next year.¹ The second fortress was built in stone by Alexander's son Dmitry Alexandrovich in 1280.² Enraged by the prince's independence, the Novgorodians razed the fortress two years later.³⁴

The Swedes took advantage of the lack of a fortress and occupied the banks of the Narva River. The Novgorodians had to restore the stone fort in 1297. Koporye was the strongest stronghold in the region and survived numerous attacks during the Swedish–Novgorodian Wars. In the 14th and 15th centuries, the town was given several times to mercenary princes invited by Novgorodians to protect the northern territories of the republic. While the town had an important fortress, the residences of a prince and several lesser landowners, and was the centre of an important iron-working district, it remained very small, with only 18 households by the end of 15th century.