
Kostomuksha is a town located in the northwestern part of the Republic of Karelia, Russia, thirty kilometers from the border with Finland and on the shore of lake Kontoki. The nearest large towns in Russia are St. Petersburg and Petrozavodsk, which are connected to Kostomuksha by rail. The nearest towns are Kuhmo and Kajaani in Finland. The population is 29,746 (2002 Census). The town was established in 1977 as an urban-type settlement and populated by people from various regions of the Soviet Union. It was mostly built by Finnish building companies, according to an agreement between the Soviet and Finnish governments. Town status was granted in 1983. The town was later expanded by Soviet building companies but maintaining plenty of green areas. There is also a railway station, an airport (with no regular flights), and a federal road.