See & Do in Suomussalmi

As author Ilmari Kianto moved to Suomussalmi, he built his house in the backwoods. He called the house Turjanlinna (=Castle of Turja; Turja = a Lapp witch). This building was burnt down in the Winter War. He had it rebuilt, but fire destroyed this building, too. Finally, he had to settle for a small temporary building called Abel’s Church or Iki’s (Kianto’s pet name) Cottage. The rest of his life Kianto spent in Helsinki, but every summer he returned to his beloved Turjanlinna, that is one of the most interesting tourist attractions in Suomussalmi. At summertime, guided cruises are arranged from Suomussalmi center to Lake Kiantajärvi and to Turjanlinna.

Venja Niemi, a good friend of Ilmari Kianto, lived in a house called Pesiönlinna, which was a lively trading place near the railway and Pesiö railway station. Venja Niemi owned the only camera in the whole Pesiökylä area, with which he captured numerous shots of Ilmari Kianto, some of which can still be seen in Pesiönlinna. The photo collection is significant, as the Kianto family’s own photograph collections were destroyed in the Turjanlinna fire. Letters written by Kianto to Niemi and his wife can also be seen in Pesiönlinna. In addition to the Kianto exhibition, there is a museum shop in Pesiönlinna. The house is open according to agreement.

In the Vuokki area in Suomussalmi, you will find one of the oldest known and mapped thoroughfares in Finland. This route from the Finnish side to Viena Karelia was once an important route, and was also used by Elias Lönnrot during his poetry collection trips when he compiled the Kalevala. Lönnrot left for these trips from the village of Vänkä, which is today considered as the official starting point of the Viena route. The marked route is 27 kilometers long and ends on the border zone on the Finnish side.

Ämmänkoski rapid and the nearby watersheds may well have inspired the well-known poet Isa Asp, for she lived in the area for some time,  his father working as a clerk at the ironworks in the late 19th century. Since then, the scenery of Emäjoki River has changed, as a hydroelectric power plant designed by architect Aarne Ervi was built on the site of the ironworks, at the mouth of the Emäjoki River in Ämmänkoski, in 1959. Today, all that is left from the old community is a small, wooden storehouse, which has been relocated in the area of House Museum in Suomussalmi. Today, the building displays information on the history of Ämmän Ruukki ironworks, as well as iron objects and lake ore from the old time.

The historic and world-famous Raate road, the scene of two decisive Winter War battles, is located in Suomussalmi. Raatteen Portti Winter War Museum with its outdoor areas is the largest winter war museum in Europe, with plenty to see and experience. Near the museum you’ll find the Winter War Monument. By the Museum Road there is also the Russian Memorial, the Purasjoki monument and the Likoharju monument. At the eastern end of the road, there is the Raate Frontier Guard Museum. Visitors can tour the exhibition on their own or hire a guide. The road has inspired several writers and ended up as the topic of many books. The eloquent history of the road is certainly a topic that writers will continue to draw from in the future.