Idensalmi

Idensalmi, or Iisalmi, lies in the lake country of northern Savolax. Its parish was separated from Kuopio in 1627, and settlement grew around the church and the waterways. Between Lake Iijärvi and Lake Porovesi lies Koljonvirta, named for an early settler, Lauri Koljonen. During the Finnish War, Swedish and Russian forces fought at Koljonvirta in October and November 1808. On 27 October Swedish troops under Colonel Sandels defeated a Russian attack at the crossing. The fighting destroyed nearby farms, including the house at Koljonvirta, and left a lasting mark on the landscape of fields and shores.