IMATRA

town, Kymi lni (province), southeastern Finland, on the Vuoksi River (Russian Vuoksa), near the Russian border, northeast of Lappeenranta. Imatra was formed in 1948 from parts of the communes of Ruokolahti, Joutssmo, and Jski. The Imatra Rapids are 3,225 feet (983 m) long and formerly descended approximately 60 feet (18 m). When a dam and power station was built there in the 1920s to provide electricity for southern Finland, including Helsinki and Turku, Imatra became an important industrial centre. The dam deprived the rapids of much of their force, but they remain a major tourist attraction. Industry in Imatra includes pulp and cellulose mills, lumber mills, and copper-extraction and chemical plants. Nearby is Vuoksenniska Church, designed by the 20th-century architect Alvar Aalto. Pop. (1991 est.) mun., 33,525.