Production

Ortjo Stepanov began his literary career with descriptions and stories. His early works also include a screenplay, which has been published as a film novella. After the early production he began writing novels. First came out a novella called Koetus Korpikylässä, which tells about Viena Karelians in an area occupied by Finns. After that, during two decades was born a novel series in six parts, which was given the common name Kotikunna tarina (Story of My Homeland). The novels in order of publication are:

• Kotikunnan tarina, 1969 (Story of My Homeland) Later the first novel was renamed as Haapalahden arkea, when all the series was named as Kotikunnan tarina.
• Sakun Jaakko – rahvaan mies, 1973.
• Kuuma kesä, 1979. (This book was published in a collection so far published compilation of Story of My Homeland.)
• Lesket, 1983.
• Prokon Maksima, 1986.
• Käki kukkui jäihin, 1989.

The six-part series was issued as re-edited in series Karjalan kirjallisuuden klassikot (Literature Classics of Karelia) in two volumes in 2002.

All his literary production Ortjo Stepanov has written in Finnish, but used dialects in replies. In 1970s and1980s these novels were translated into Russian. They were published in issues of 100 000 copies. Today all his novels have been translated into Russian. Last translation came out in 2010. In addition to this, his novels have been published as a sequence in Finnish newspapers in Australia and in the United States.

THE WORKS OF ORTJO STEPANOV

• Häädetty kurki, 1958
  
• Suurilla selkosilla, a story, 1961
  
• Joutsen, a film novella, 1963
  
• Vako vaolta, a collection of stories, 1964
  
• Koetus Korpikylässä, novella,1967, reissued 1995 ja 2005
  
• Kotikunnan tarina, 1969
  
• Sakun Jaakko – rahvaan mies, 1973
  
• Kuuma kesä, 1979, in the compilation Kotikunnan tarina, 1979
  
• Lesket, 1983
  
• Prokon Maksima, 1986
  
• Käki kukkui jäihin, 1987
  
• Kotikunnan tarina I ja II, 2002
  
  
  

Critiques of Ortjo Stepanov's greatest work (in Finnish):
http://www.locallit.net/lehdet1/nieminen1990.html
http://www.locallit.net/lehdet2/nieminen1995.html