Saimaa Canal
Between 1918 and 1940, the island was a part of Finnish territory, and was called "Ravansaari". It was inhabited by nearly one thousand Finns, who earned their livelihood mainly from the timber industry. During World War II, in 1940, it was annexed by the Soviet Union (along with the surrounding territory) and became a part of the Karelo-Finnish SSR. In 1941, it was recaptured by Finnish troops and returned to Finland. In June 1944, the island fell to the Red Army, and once again became part of the Soviet Union, eventually a small part of the Russian Federation. The island was renamed "Malyj Vysotsky". A treaty was signed in 1963 to lease the island and the nearby Saimaa Canal to Finland for fifty years.