Kollaa

The Kollaa (Russian: Колласйоки, Finnish: Kollaanjoki or Kollasjoki) is a 76-kilometre (47 mi) long river in the Republic of Karelia, Russia. It starts from Lake Kollasjärvi in the Suoyarvsky District and flows to Lake Tulmozero (Finnish: Tulemajärvi) in the Pryazhinsky District.

Kollaa Колласйоки, Kollaanjoki
Native name	Kollasjoki (Finnish)
Location
Country	Russia
Region	Republic of Karelia
Physical characteristics
Source	Lake Kollasjärvi
• elevation	117 m (384 ft)
Mouth	Lake Tulmozero
• coordinates	61.672°N 32.2337°E / 61.672; 32.2337
Length	76 km (47 mi)
Basin features
Progression	Lake Tulmozero→ Tulemayoki→ Lake Ladoga→ Neva→ Gulf of Finland

Road R21 crosses the river at Kolatselga

Before World War II, the source of the river was a part of the Finnish municipality Suistamo and it flowed further through Suojärvi to Tulemajärvi on the Russian side.

Battle

During the Winter War in 1939, the area was a scene of the Battle of Kollaa.^[1] The river became part of Finnish history, as the Red Army failed to break through there. A memorable quote, "Kollaa holds" (Kollaa kestää), became a legendary motto for the Finns.^[1] The river and area are associated with the exploits of the Finnish marksman Simo Häyhä, dubbed "the White Death",^[2] the gunman with the highest number of confirmed kills in any major war. Captain Aarne Juutilainen, dubbed "the Terror of Morocco", was also remarkable figure in the battle.^[3] The battle areas around the river are a preserved monument and tourist site.^[4]

The asteroid 1929 Kollaa is named after the river.^[5]