Hogland
Gogland or Hogland (Russian: Гогланд; Finnish: Suursaari; Swedish: Hogland, Estonian: Suursaar, German: Hochland) is an island in the Gulf of Finland in the eastern Baltic Sea, about 180 km west from Saint Petersburg and 35 km from the coast of Finland (near Kotka). Hogland has an area of approximately 21 km2 (8.1 sq mi); its highest point is 173 m (568 ft). It belongs to Russia's Kingiseppsky District in the Leningrad Oblast.
Hogland's tourist industry is growing in importance, with most tourists coming from St. Petersburg, and some from Finland. In 2006, however, Russian authorities declared Hogland a "border area", which means that foreign nationals are not allowed to travel to the island without special permits. This limits tourism from abroad to small groups, admitted one at a time, and adds extensive bureaucracy to applications for permission to visit the island.
There is some confusion regarding the transliteration of the name from the Russian language. The name Hogland has never actually changed; however, in Russian, the letter "h" is traditionally rendered as "г" ("g") in older transliterations, thus the Russian version of the name has always been Gogland. Since being ceded to Russia, the Russian name form, as seen on many maps, is often used in western languages.
Hogland has been inhabited by ethnic Finns since at least the 16th century, but it has changed hands several times. Throughout much of its history the island was part of the Kingdom of Sweden, which controlled Finland; however, after the Great Northern War (as part of which, the Action of 22 July 1713 took place near the island),the Russian Empire, under Tsar Peter I, claimed the island. Peter then had the island's first lighthouse built in 1723.
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