CULTURE AND HISTORY

Church hill is located in beautiful nature spot by the lake Saimaa. Curch hill is a memorable place to visit due to its old buildings, memorial statues and and natural beauty around the hills. On the top of the hill is the current church of the town which is the fourth church in total. However, the most well known building in Ruokolahti is bell tower. It is known to be the jewel of Finnish church architecture. In addition to these, you can find the local history museum, the summer café Kaiku, which operates in the Ruokolahti building during the summer.

Salpalinja is a defense line built on the eastern border of Finland in the 1940s, which extends from the Gulf of Finland to Salla. In Ruokolahti's Salpalinja, in a small area, you can see ready-made fortifications belonging to the Salpalinja, unfinished and collapsed dugouts and water-filled dugouts.

Picture: Anne Rasimus / Ruokolahden kunta

Sculpture park is magnificent art formation created by the artist Veijo Rönkkönen. Sculpture park withholds as many as 650 concrete sculptures. Sculptures can be seen in Koitsanlahti, Parikkala. 

Go check them!

Picture: Markku "Marsa" Anttonen

Summer theatres are Finnish culture creations in the form of open air theatre. Summer theatres are fun cultural shows to see. Near borderlines you can find summer theatres in Parikkala and Imatra. 

IIvanansaari means Iivana's island. It is a small island full of history. Eerik Johan Reinikainen also known as “Jäger Jussi” served in the Finnish Jäger Battalion. IIvanansaari is known for its tomb which was built by Jäger Jussi. The tomb is a replica of prison cell where Jussi imprisoned and waiting or his death penalty in Shpalernaya in 1916. 

Have you heard of Simo Häyhä? Or do you know why he was called The White Death? Come and find out everything about Simo Häyhä and the other soldiers of Battle of Kollaa in the Kollaa and Simo Häyhä - museum!