Salla is in the Eastern Lapland and as a border area has been affected the Second World War. Soviet troops invaded Finland at Salla during the Winter War but were stopped by the Finnish Army (see Battle of Salla). Parts of the municipality were ceded to the Soviet Union after the war. The ceded part is sometimes called "Old Salla" or Vanha Salla. During the Continuation War the old town of Salla was on the Soviet side of the border. The German XXXVI Corps attacked the Soviet positions in an operation code-named Polarfuchs. With the help of the Finnish 6th Division it managed to occupy all of the ceded territories. At the end of the war the German troops were pushed out of Lapland by Finnish troops in the so-called Lapland War.
The following villages were ceded to the Soviet Union: Korja (Korya), Kuolajärvi (Kuoloyarvi), Kurtti, Lampela, Sallansuu, Sovajärvi, Tuutijärvi and Vuorijärvi (Vuoriyarvi)
