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The dwellers of Karelia joined the Novgorod citizens to participate their struggle against aggressive German and Swedish crusaders on the shore of the Baltic sea. At the end of the 13th century the crusaders seized part of the Western Karelian land where they founded the fortress Viborg (1293). But their farther advance was repelled. Under Orechvetsky treaty of 1323 the main part of Karelia and Korela, where a fortress was constructed by Novgorodians in 1310, was survived under Novgorod Republic.

Under Novgorod ruling (12-15 centuries) Karelia transformed from tribal into feudal state and the process of Karelian nation shaping had been overall completed including some Ves tribes inhabiting Olonetsky istmouth.

In 1478 Karelia and other lands of Novgorod the Great were attached to the Russian state. Estates of the Novgorodsky boyars were confiscated in favor of the state. As a result all the peasants turned into independent cultivators. A few of them were in monastery serfdom.

From the history of Karelia | the most important historical dates and events