Finland–Russia border in the context of "Murmansk"

Vyborg (/ˈviːbɔːrɡ, ˈviːbərk/; Russian: Выборг, IPA: [ˈvɨbərk]; Finnish: Viipuri, IPA: [ˈʋiːpuri]; Swedish: Viborg, IPA: [ˈvǐːbɔrj] ) is a town and the administrative center of Vyborgsky District in Leningrad Oblast, Russia. It lies on the Karelian Isthmus near the head of Vyborg Bay, 130 km (81 miles) northwest of St. Petersburg, 245 km (152 miles) east of the Finnish capital Helsinki, and 38 km (24 miles) south of Russia's border with Finland, where the Saimaa Canal enters the Gulf of Finland. The most recent census population of Vyborg is 72,530 (2021 census).

Vyborg was founded as a medieval fortress in Finland under Swedish rule during the Third Swedish Crusade. After numerous wars between the Russians and Swedes, the Treaty of Nöteborg in 1323 defined the border of eastern Finland, and would separate the two cultures. Vyborg remained under Swedish rule until it was captured by the Russians during the Great Northern War. Under Russian rule, Vyborg was the seat of Vyborg Governorate until it was incorporated into the newly established Grand Duchy of Finland, an autonomous part of the Russian Empire. Finland declared its independence from Russia in 1917, after which Vyborg became its second-most significant city after Helsinki, and represented internationally as its most multicultural city. During World War II, Vyborg's population was evacuated and the town was ceded to the Soviet Union. In 2010, Vyborg was conferred the status of "City of Military Glory" by Russian president Dmitry Medvedev.

Imatra is a city in Finland, located in the southeastern interior of the country. Imatra is located in the region of South Karelia, on Lake Saimaa and the River Vuoksi. The population of Imatra is approximately 25,000, while the sub-region has a population of approximately 37,000. It is the 42nd most populous municipality in Finland.

Imatra lies on the border with Russia. On the other side of the border, seven kilometres (4.3 mi) away from the centre of Imatra, lies the Russian town of Svetogorsk. The city of St. Petersburg is situated 210 km (130 mi) to the southeast, the Finnish capital Helsinki is 230 km (140 mi) away and Lappeenranta, the nearest Finnish city, is 37 km (23 mi) away.

Nuijamaa (Finnish: [ˈnui̯jɑˌmɑː]; literally translated the "club land") is a former municipality in the province of South Karelia in Finland. The municipality had 1,199 inhabitants and an area of 136 km² in 1988. Nuijamaa was a Finnish-speaking municipality. Nuijamaa bordered the municipalities of Lappee, Lappeenranta, Lauritsala, Taipalsaari, Lemi, Luumäki, Ylämaa, and Joutseno. It also shared a border with Russia. It is 26 kilometres (16 mi) from Nuijamaa to the city center of Lappeenranta and 39 kilometres (24 mi) to the medieval town of Vyborg, Russia.

Before the Winter War, Nuijamaa had an area of 356 km (137 sq mi). With the Continuation War in 1944, 220 km (85 sq mi) of the municipality was ceded to Russia. In 1975, an international border with Russia opened in Nuijamaa. The total crossings in 2007 were over 1.7 million.

The Finnish national road 9 (Finnish: Valtatie 9, Swedish: Riksväg 9) is a main route. It runs from Turku through Loimaa, Tampere, Jämsä, Jyväskylä, Kuopio, Outokumpu and Joensuu to the Niirala border guard station in Tohmajärvi, right next to the Russian border. The length of the road is 663 kilometres (412 mi).

Apart from the short section right near the center of Turku, highway 9 from Turku to Vuorela of Siilinjärvi is also part of the European route E63, which continues from Kuopio via Kajaani and Kuusamo to Sodankylä. In the case of Jyväskylä, the highway is known as the four-lane Vaajakoski Motorway (Finnish: Vaajakosken moottoritie). The road belongs to the main roads defined by the Ministry of Transport and Communications and to the Trans-European road network.

Svetogorsk (Russian: Светогорск, Finnish: Enso) is an industrial town in Vyborgsky District of Leningrad Oblast, Russia, located on the Karelian Isthmus, on the Vuoksi River. It is located one kilometre (0.62 mi) from the border with Finland, five kilometres (3.1 mi) from the Finnish town of Imatra, and 207 kilometers (129 mi) from St. Petersburg. Population: 15,981 (2010 census); 15,698 (2002 census); 15,594 (1989 Soviet census).