On the movement of toponyms (based on the Leningrad region oikonymy

The author considers examples of transfer of historical toponyms (oikonyms) to different objects - most often at a distance of several kilometers. The research area is the districts of the Leningrad region adjacent to St. Petersburg from the north (Vsevolozhsky district), from the south (Gatchinsky district) and from the southeast (Kirovsky and Tosnensky districts). The time frame of the study is the Soviet era (1918-1991). Across this territory, oikonyms exist in two versions - Russian (official) and Finnish (used by the Finnish population and appearing in Finnish sources). To consider the phenomenon, the author takes Russian forms of oikonyms, and only in some cases Finnish ones are involved. The author showed the connection of the transfer of toponyms with a change in the ethnic map of the Leningrad Region in the post-war period (population change). Sources of this study are historical news, lists of settlements, maps, and, mainly, field materials collected by the author. Sources of Finnish names are Nimiarkisto (Helsinki) as well as the authors’ eld material. The work addresses the history of Ingermanland Finns. The Finnish population of this territory was forcibly evicted (deported) in 1936, 1942, 1943, and in 1945-1949. Subsequently, the Finnish population of the Leningrad region scattered throughout the USSR. In the 1980s and 1990s (the author’s field studies), the pre-war population of the former Finnish Ingermanland was only represented by some individuals. The author's informants among the Ingermanland Finns lived in various areas of the Leningrad region, in other regions of Russia, in the Karelian Republic, in Estonia and Finland. In this work, the author considered 23 facts when historical toponyms (oikonyms) were used as the names of new settlements. The author identified two models of such nominations. In the first model, the original object disappeared, and its name was used as a name of another object. In the other model, the historical oikonym became the name of a number of settlements. The common point is to move the oikonym to another place. The resulting homonymy creates some dificulties. The reasons for this phenomenon, according to the author, are associated with the elimination and disappearance of the indigenous population of this territory - both Finnish and Russian - and can be defined as ignorance and lack of serious attitude to nomination from the local administration.