Skolts
Sámi ethnic group
title: "Skolts" type: doc version: 1 created: 2026-02-28 author: "Wikipedia contributors" status: active scope: public tags: ["skolts", "sámi-peoples", "sámi-in-finland", "sámi-in-norway", "sámi-in-russia", "indigenous-peoples-of-europe"] description: "Sámi ethnic group" topic_path: "geography/norway" source: "https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Skolts" license: "CC BY-SA 4.0" wikipedia_page_id: 0 wikipedia_revision_id: 0
::summary Sámi ethnic group ::
::data[format=table title="Infobox Ethnic group"]
| Field | Value |
|---|---|
| group | Skolts |
| native_name | Säʹmmla |
| Nuõrttsääʹm | |
| image | 250px |
| caption | Drawing of Russian Skolt Sami from 1871 |
| population | ** 1,250** |
| languages | Skolt Sámi, Finnish, Russian and Norwegian |
| region1 | Finland |
| pop1 | 500–700 |
| region2 | Russia |
| pop2 | 250–400 |
| region3 | Norway |
| pop3 | 150 |
| religions | Eastern Orthodox majority |
| Lutheran minority | |
| related | Other Sámi |
| :: |
| group = Skolts | native_name = Säʹmmla Nuõrttsääʹm | image = 250px | caption = Drawing of Russian Skolt Sami from 1871 | population = ** 1,250** | regions = | languages = Skolt Sámi, Finnish, Russian and Norwegian | region1 = Finland | pop1 = 500–700 | ref1 = | region2 = Russia
- Murmansk Oblast | pop2 = 250–400 | ref2 = | region3 = Norway | pop3 = 150 | ref3 = | religions = Eastern Orthodox majority Lutheran minority | related = Other Sámi
The Skolt Sámi or Skolts are a Sámi ethnic group. They currently live in and around the villages of Sevettijärvi, Keväjärvi, Nellim in the municipality of Inari, at several places in the Murmansk Oblast and in the village of Neiden in Sør-Varanger Municipality. The Skolts are considered to be the indigenous people of the borderland area between present-day Finland, Russia and Norway, i.e. on the Kola Peninsula and the adjacent Fenno-Scandinavian mainland. They belong to the eastern group of Sámi on account of their language and traditions, and are traditionally Orthodox rather than Lutheran Christians like most Sámi and Finns.
In 2024, Venke Törmänen, the leader of an NGO called Norrõs Skoltesamene, appeared in Ságat, a Sámi newspaper, saying "Eastern Sámi" should not be used to refer to the Skolt Sámi.
History
::figure[src="https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/a/aa/1.5-Skolt-Saami_traditional.png" caption="bibcode=2022PLoSO..1769648R }}Rantanen, Timo, Vesakoski, Outi, Ylikoski, Jussi, & Tolvanen, Harri. (2021). ''Geographical database of the Uralic languages'' (v1.0) [Data set]. Zenodo. https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.4784188"] ::
As a result of the Treaty of Tartu (1920), the Skolt homeland was split in two: the western part, Petsamo, became part of Finland and the eastern part became part of the Soviet Union. The border became a threat to the identity of the Skolts as it grew difficult for them to live as they traditionally had with reindeer husbandry, hunting and fishing as the source of their livelihood. Many Finnish immigrants moved back to their traditional Skolt homeland. In 1926, one-quarter of Petsamo's population were Skolts, and in 1930 the proportion dropped to one-sixth.
After the Winter War (1939), Finland lost its portion of the Rybachiy Peninsula to the Soviet Union and after the Continuation War (1941–1944), it lost Petsamo, too. As a result, the Skolts living in Suonikylä and Paatsjoki were evacuated to Finland, with the Suonikylä Skolts settling in Sevettijärvi, the Paatsjoki Skolts in Keväjärvi and along the Rautujoki River of Sevettijärvi, and the Petsamo Skolts in the villages of Mustola, and Sarmijärvi in Nellim.
Demographics
Current estimates put the number of ethnic Skolt Sámi at around 1250, of whom approximately 400 can speak Skolt Sámi. Most of them live in Finland today.
In Finland, Russia and Norway they number about 700, 400 and possibly more than 150.
Religion
250px|thumb|right|The wooden Skolt Sámi Orthodox Church in [[Nellim]] Saint Tryphon of Pechenga converted the Skolts to Christianity in the 16th century and even today, the majority of Skolts are members of the Eastern Orthodox Church. 250px|thumb|right|The Skolt Sámi Orthodox Chapel in [[Neiden, Norway|Neiden]]
References
References
- [http://www.ethnologue.com/show_language.asp?code=sms Ethnologue report for language code: sms]
- "Skolt Sámi on Siida's website".
- Østsamisk museum, Neiden
- https://www.sagat.no/nyheter/skoltesame-og-ikke-ostsame/19.45476. [[Ságat. Sagat]].no. Retrieved 2024-07-26
- (2022-06-08). "Best practices for spatial language data harmonization, sharing and map creation—A case study of Uralic". PLOS ONE.
- Rantanen, Timo, Vesakoski, Outi, Ylikoski, Jussi, & Tolvanen, Harri. (2021). ''Geographical database of the Uralic languages'' (v1.0) [Data set]. Zenodo. https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.4784188
- Tuija Saarinen Seppo Suhonen: Koltat, karjalaiset ja setukaiset, Snellman-Instituutti 1995
- Walton, Stephen J.. (2012-07-14). "Skoltesamar". Klassekampen.
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