During the Winter and Continuation Wars, the Ladoga region formed an important inland waterway defence area for Finland. The Valaam archipelago, the outer islands of Lake Ladoga and the coast of Sortavala were part of an extensive coastal artillery system, the task of which was to secure the water traffic on Lake Ladoga, to prevent the enemy’s…

The new exhibition at Kexholm Museum, Ladoga – The Sea of Karelia, guides visitors through the history of Europe's largest lake, from its formation after the Ice Age to the heyday of Karelia. The exhibition brings together the natural history of Lake Ladoga, the emergence of trade routes, Karelian culture…

The Lake Ladoga basin has formed since the last ice age as a result of even dramatic natural upheavals. The water level of Lake Ladoga has fluctuated on many occasions by even tens of metres, and the fluctuations have, among other things, submerged settlements located on the shores of the lake...

The boats typical of Lake Ladoga developed over hundreds of years to suit the conditions of the lake. Influences came from many directions. Models and lessons were taken, among other places, from the White Sea. According to Western sailors, White Sea vessels in the 16th century were clinker-built…

During the interwar period, the northern shore of Lake Ladoga developed into one of Finland's best-known tourist regions. Sortavala in particular rose to become an internationally renowned tourist town, through which people travelled to the Ladoga archipelago, the Valaam Monastery and the ridge landscapes of Karelia. At the same time, Käkisalmi, or…

The early hours are only just turning into a grey dawn as the boat pulls away from the shore of Lake Ladoga. The air is calm, but experienced fishermen know that the lake can turn merciless in an instant. Europe's largest lake does not forgive...

Ever since the Stone Age, Lake Ladoga has been part of a versatile waterway network used for travel between the White Sea, Lake Ladoga, Lake Saimaa, Lake Päijänne, Lake Inari, the Gulf of Bothnia and the Gulf of Finland. The routes were used in both winter and summer for hunting and trading journeys.

The Karelian railway network was the densest in Finland before the wars. The main lines built during the autonomy period ran between Riihimäki and St Petersburg, and between Vyborg and Joensuu. Karelia also had many branch lines and spurs. For the construction of the railways…

The Kexholm Coastal Fishermen’s Association was born at a time when Lake Ladoga was both a source of livelihood and a demanding working environment for the coastal people. The fishermen of the Kexholm coast were known especially for their skill in bait and hook fishing, travelling far in their large boats...

The origin and time of settlement of the Finno-Ugric peoples and languages have been a research challenge for several different scientific disciplines since at least the 19th century. Archaeologists, linguists, historians and more recently also palaeoanthropologists have put forward a number of different theories...

Sawmills were a typical industry in the north-western and northern parts of Lake Ladoga. The area offered them favourable conditions. There was plenty of timber in the forests, during the open-water season it was easy to transport sawn timber along Lake Ladoga, and the region's many rivers...

The monasteries of Lake Ladoga were born between two histories. For centuries, the monasteries of Valaam and Konevits, located on the islands of Lake Ladoga, have been the spiritual centres of Orthodox Karelia. However, their origin history is not unambiguous. Research and ecclesiastical…

Lake Ladoga has not always been Lake Ladoga. People speaking Finnic languages called Europe's largest lake Lake Neva, and this name was also in use by Russians as late as the 16th century. Evidence of this is King Gustav of Sweden…

In the open waters of Lake Ladoga, there still existed in the early 20th century a distinctive hunting culture that combined fishermen's livelihoods, old beliefs and an exceptional knowledge of nature. The Ladoga ringed seal, the Ladoga seal (Pusa hispida ladogensis), was an important supplement to the livelihood of many coastal fishermen...

In the open waters of Lake Ladoga, there still existed in the early 20th century a distinctive hunting culture that combined fishermen's livelihoods, old beliefs and an exceptional knowledge of nature. The Ladoga ringed seal, the Ladoga seal (Pusa hispida ladogensis), was an important supplement to the livelihood of many coastal fishermen...

During the Eastern War, also known as the Crimean War or the Åland War, Lake Ladoga was of great importance, also in the transportation of food. At that time, Finland was dependent on grain imports, and that traffic shifted from the Gulf of Finland to the interior. Freight traffic ran from Russia across Lake Ladoga...

Forests and waters were the most important natural resources of the Viipuri Province and the Lake Ladoga region, but minerals were also of great significance. From Ladoga Karelia, stone was transported from the Ruskeala quarry to St Petersburg for significant buildings from the mid-18th century. Ruskeala marble...

Research data and traditional lore tell different stories about Valamo and Konevitsa. Located on the islands of Lake Ladoga, the monasteries of Valamo and Konevitsa have for centuries been the spiritual centres of Orthodox Karelia. Their origin history is not, however, unambiguous.…

Hillforts are elevated terrain features or islands with man-made stone or earth ramparts or other man-made structures. In the region of the ceded Karelia, there are numerous places whose names refer to a fort or surveillance.…

The vast water system of Lake Ladoga and the connections it enabled to distant regions were key prerequisites for the development of Karelia's ancient culture and the accumulation of wealth. Flowing into or out of Ladoga are rivers along which people travelled southeast to the Volga…