The Karelian Association of Proletarian Writers (KAPW) is founded

The first literary organization of Karelia - the Karelian Association of Proletarian Writers (KAPW) - was established on July 8, 1926, on a meeting of the literary public. T. K. Trifonova, who worked as a teacher in schools of Tiudia and Petrozavodsk, has played an important role in its formation. She was elected as Executive Secretary of the KAPP. T. Alimov and Y. E. Virtanen have entered Executive Bureau. The national poet of Karelia Hjalmar Erikovich Virtanen was elected as Chairman. He led the organization of writers for over 10 years.

Initially, there were 14 writers among the members of the association, including T. Alimov, Y. E. Virtanen, L. Helo, H. K. Tihlya, F. P. Ivachev. The main objective of the organization was engaging in the literary movement “the factory workers and farm laborers from the plough-tail.” The structure of the organization was divided in the Russian, Finnish and Karelian sections. Stanislaw Vitalievich Kolosenok was elected as Secretary of the Russian section of KAPP. Six months later, there already were 29 people the Karelian Association of Proletarian Writers. From July to December 1926, the organization has carried out about 20 literary voluntary Saturday meetings, during which the works of writers-members of the association were read and discussed, and also were delivered the reports.

Literary works in Russian writers were publishing on the pages of “Krasnaya Karelia” (“Red Karelia”) newspaper and the “Karelian-Murmansk Krai” Magazine. “Puna-Kantele” (“Red Kantele”) literary almanac in the Finnish language, which has become a general publication for Finnish-speaking writers of Leningrad and Karelia, began to circulate in the city of Petrozavodsk in 1928.

In June 1934, during the first All-Karelia Conference of Soviet Writers, attended by 45 writers, the organization was renamed to the Regional Branch of the Union of Soviet Writers - the “Union of Writers of Karelia.” Conference selected Y. E. Virtanen, E. B. Parras, S. K. Norin and N. Gribachev as the delegates to the first All-Union Congress of Writers.

In the second half of the 1930s the development of national literature of the republic had faced an enormous damage. The Finnish-speaking schools, the newspapers and magazines were closed in the Leningrad region and in Karelia. Many workers of culture, education and literature were arrested.

In 1940, the First Congress of Karelian Writers took place, after which some new names – A. N. Timonen, F. A. Trofimov, V. K. Ervasti and others have appeared in the Karelian literature.

The national storytellers M. I. Mikheeva, J. I. Hamalainen, F. I. Bykova, A. M. Pashkova, and P. I. Ryabinin-Andreev have joined the Union of Writers. They were creating a novelty and an epic runes dedicated to public figures, war heroes.

During World War II, many Karelian writers fought at the front, in partisan units. Their works were publishing on the pages of front newspapers and raising the spirit of the fighters.

After World War II the Union was led by writers Uljas Karlovich Vikstrem, Nicholay Grigorievich Laine (N. Gippiyev), Peter Abramovich Mutanen, Yakov Vasilyevich Rugoev, Antti Nikolayevich Timonen. There were the poetry, prose, criticism, and translation sections in the structure of the organization. The Bureau of Fiction Propaganda and the Branch of the Literary Fund of the Union of Writers of USSR were affiliated with the Union. The Special Commission has provided persistent assistance to beginning writers, the meetings of young writers were regularly held.

Now, a successor of the Union of Writers of Karelia - Karelian Regional Branch of the “Union of Russian Writers” all-Russian non-government organization. A national writer of Karelia Marat Vasilievich Tarasov heads the organization. The main objectives of the organization are: a strengthening of the creative community of writers, an active participation in the noetic life of society, a contribution into the development of literatures of all peoples living in the republic.

Lit.: Дюжев Ю. И. Союзы писателей // Карелия : энциклопедия. В 3 т. Т. 3. Р-Я. Петрозаводск, 2011. С. 131; Колосёнок С. В. 30-е годы // На фронте мирного труда : воспоминания участников социалист. строительства в Карелии, 1920 -1940. Петрозаводск, 1976. С.264-274; Колосёнок С. В. Культура Советской Карелии. Петрозаводск, 1959. Из содерж.: Литература Карелии. С. 51-63; Машин А. Молоко и сливки литературы : 8 июля 1926 г. была создана первая писат. орг. Карелии - Карел. ассоц. пролет. Писателей // Курьер Карелии. 2008. 3 июля. С. 6.