Pakri Islands are two Estonian islands in the Finnish Gulf: Suur-Pakri and Väike-Pakri. Administratively they belong to the town of Paldiski. For centuries the islands had been inhabited by Estonian Swedes, until during the Second World War the entire population was forced to leave.
An aerial photo of the Pakri Islands and the Pakri Peninsula.
Northern coast of Väike-Pakri.
Suurküla (Storby) on Suur-Pakri in 1934
Suurküla (Storby) on Suur-Pakri in 1934
The Gulf of Finland is the easternmost arm of the Baltic Sea. It extends between Finland to the north and Estonia to the south, to Saint Petersburg in Russia to the east, where the river Neva drains into it. Other major cities around the gulf include Helsinki and Tallinn. The eastern parts of the Gulf of Finland belong to Russia, and some of Russia's most important oil harbors are located farthest in, near Saint Petersburg. As the seaway to Saint Petersburg, the Gulf of Finland has been and continues to be of considerable strategic importance to Russia. Some of the environmental problems affecting the Baltic Sea are at their most pronounced in the shallow gulf. Proposals for a tunnel through the gulf have been made.
Satellite image showing the gulf entirely frozen over in January 2003
Malusi islands in Estonia are one of the main habitats of grey seals in the Gulf of Finland.
Overseas Guests by Nicholas Roerich, 1899
Shipwreck of Kazanets near Osmussaar, in Estonia