The influence of the Orthodox Church in the frontier area between contemporary Russia and Finland, called Karelia, already began in the Middle Ages. During the following centuries, it contributed to the distinguished culture of the area. During the latter half of the nineteenth century Karelians, Orthodox by faith and speaking Finnic Karelian language, ended in-between Russian and Finnish nationalist projects, both trying to secure their loyalty. From the turn of the twentieth century onwards, the Finnish-speaking Orthodox priests negotiated the situation by consolidating the idea of the Finnish Orthodox Church. A part of these efforts was the integration of the originally Russian saintly cults of the area of Karelia into the Finnish Orthodox culture under formation. The article examines this process, utilizing the concepts of “mythoscape” and cultural memory in creating the context for the phenomenon.
