Karzimen Revolution

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## Karzimen Revolution

### Location

Karelian Soviet Socialist Republic (now the Former Soviet Republic of Karelia)

### Caused by

* Killings of 165,000 people during the Karelian Genocide
* Autocracy
* Promotion of communism

### Goals

Establish a centralized government for Karelia in order to secede from the Soviet Union

### Methods

* Protest marches
* Rallying

### Resulted in

Revolutionary victory• Karelia's secession from the Soviet Union

The **1989–90 Karzimen Revolution** *(Russian: Карцимен Революция, Finnish: Karzimenin Vallankumous)* was the longest protest in world history, from October 6, 1989 to April 3, 1990, which occurred in the Karelian Soviet Socialist Republic. The protest relies on major anti-Soviet activism, causing Karelia to secede from the Soviet Union on April 3, 1990.

## History

During the Soviet era of Karelia, about 165,000 people were killed by order of Karelian Soviet leader Mikhail Seitovich after he noticed that the Karelian SSR is losing its social and economic productivity. The autocracy policy that was applied in all Soviet republics was being criticized by people's complaints. Communism was strongly promoted to people, as propaganda films, posters, and books have increased in number.

After hearing this, some of the members of the secret Karelian Freedom Fighters Party attempted to protest outside of the Leader's Building on October 6, 1989, but they were eventually being forced out by the Karelian Soviet Army with sounds of gunshots. Luckily, no one was injured.

The protest strikes again on October 8 by the KFF, but with more people from two parties: the Pro-Democratic Party of Karelia and KareliaNOW. The KSA then shot 9 members of the PDPK point blank. The protesters were forced out for the second time. The shot members were taken directly to hospital, two confirmed dead, while seven were under recovery.

Seitovich described the incident as "the most offensive protest against the Soviet ideology".

On October 14, 1989, thousands of Karelians gathered around the Leader's Building, and threw potteries on the walls of the building. A man identified as Raikou Tallistö made a daring attempt to destroy the Lenin Monument, which caused him to be sent to a prison camp in the Russian SFSR.

Upon a shocking failure of the protest, Joel Karzimen, a Karelian anti-Soviet representative and leader of the conservative party A Free Karelia, organized the protest and convinced pro-democracy activists to join, thus giving the name "the Karzimen Revolution".

On November 3, 1989, about 24,000 protesters joined together in a protest march in preparation of the riot. Police guards lined through the streets where the Leader's Building leads to. When riots broke, about an estimated 600 people were injured.

One person reported to be named as Lasse Raikkonen, committed suicide from atop an office building at 19:32pm EEST, hours when the riot slowly stopped.

Seitovich called the riot a "disgrace to the Soviet willpower".