Built in 1293 by the Swedes on the place of the Russian settlement, this border city is also a harbor and a sea port. During the Northern War between Russia and Sweden (1701-1721) the city was conquered by the Russian army under the command of Peter I and appended to Russia.

In 1811 Vyborg became the part of Grand Principality of Finland After the Russian revolution of 1917 it became the part of Finland, which was granted independence by Bolsheviks. As a result of the Soviet-Finnish War of 1940 Vyborg was appended to the USSR.