Air surveillance lotta Ellen Kiuru as a model for Finnish propaganda photographers and German propaganda photographers in Lahdenpohja in 1942 (Photo: SA-kuvat).
Käkisalmi Museum's new exhibition Lake Ladoga – Karelian Sea guides visitors through the history of Europe's largest lake, from its post-glacial origins right up to the golden age of Karelia. The exhibition brings together the natural history of Lake Ladoga, the emergence of trade routes, the development of Karelian culture, and the lives of people on the shores and islands of the lake.
Lake Ladoga was not merely a large lake – for centuries it was the heart of Karelia and an important waterway between East and West. The exhibition tells how the water routes of Ladoga connected the trade networks of Novgorod, the Baltic Sea, the White Sea and the Nordic region as early as the early Middle Ages. At the same time, the first permanent settlements, trading posts and monasteries emerged on the shores of Ladoga, shaping the entire history of Karelia.
The exhibition also examines the development of Karelia into a prosperous region. Forests, fishing, water transport and later the sawmill industry, agriculture and trade created a strong economic foundation for the area. The towns, ports and villages of the Ladoga coast were part of international connections during an era when water routes were the most important means of transport.
There is an abundance of historical photographic material, maps, artefacts and stories about the people of Lake Ladoga – fishermen, merchants, monastery inhabitants, shipbuilders and travellers. The exhibition also highlights the special characteristics of Lake Ladoga: the open water, the archipelago, the storms and the unique significance of the lake to Karelian identity.
The exhibition material is based on extensive research and archival material concerning the history of Lake Ladoga, as well as collections that have recorded the cultural heritage of Karelia.
Lake Ladoga – Karelian Sea offers a comprehensive journey into the history of Karelia – into how a great lake gave birth to a culture, united peoples and laid the foundation for a region whose influence is still visible in Finnish culture.
The exhibition is open at the Kakhisalmi Museum until 31.8.2026.
