Seskar

Seskar (Finnish: Seiskari) (Russian: Сескар) is an island in the Gulf of Finland, part of the Leningrad Oblast of Russia. The island was an independent municipality of Finland populated by Finns at least since 16th century, until 1940, when ownership was transferred to the Soviet Union following the Moscow Peace Treaty. The ownership was ratified after World War II.

Prior to the transfer of ownership to the Soviet Union, the island was also known by the name Siskar Island. The island has been involved in multiple shipwrecks over the years, which includes some ships sunk, wrecked or otherwise lost.

In 1777 the Great Britain ship Mercey was wrecked on Siskar Island. She was on a voyage from Saint Petersburg to London. [1]

In 1802 the Russian ship Roman Vasselevitch was wrecked on Siskar Iskand. She was on a voyage from Saint Petersburg to London. [2]

In 1807 the United Kingdom ship Nelly was driven ashore on Siskar Island, in the Gulf of Finland. She was on a voyage from London to Saint Petersburg, Russia. Nelly was later refloated. [3]

In 1815 the United Kingdom ship Graces was wrecked on Siskar island. The crew was rescued. [4]

The municipality Seiskari had been formed from the Koivisto municipality in 1903, and belonged to the province of Viipuri and to the South Karelia region.

Sources

• Risto Hamari, Martti Korhonen, Timo Miettinen, Ilmar Talve: Suomenlahden ulkosaaret; Lavansaari, Seiskari, Suursaari, Tytärsaari, Jyväskylä 1996; ISBN 951-717-879-4 (in Finnish)

1. "Lloyd's list". New Lloyd's List. 908. 5 December 1777.
2. "Lloyd's List". The Marine List. 4309. 21 December 1802.
3. "Lloyd's List". The Marine List. 30 June 1807.
4. "Caledonian Mercury". Lloyd's Marine List. 4 December 1816.