The history of Karelia and the stories of the evacuees live on in Heinola.
The Käkisalmi Museum showcases the history and stories of Karelia from the dawn of time up to the years 1939–1944. The permanent exhibition covers significant milestones in the history of Käkisalmi and Karelia, with a special section dedicated to the lives of the Karelians who resettled in the Heinola region. The museum’s presentation combines traditional artifacts with modern display technology, offering both information and an engaging experience.
The majority of the artifacts were on display at the museum in Käkisalmi during the 1930s, thereby reinforcing the museum's core concept. While photographs, display panels, and digital media play a significant role in the museum, the presentation of authentic artifacts offers visitors a tangible glimpse into the past. The exhibition also depicts the formation of the Karelian Isthmus and the Vuoksi River from the dawn of time.
The museum also displays rare items, such as a recreation of the drawing room at the Ampiala Manor in Käkisalmi, as it appeared in the 19th century. The museum houses the piano used by composer Erkki Melartin to entertain the manor’s summer guests.
Operating in conjunction with the museum is... Café Käki – a tribute to Karelian hospitality and conversation culture. There, you can enjoy traditional Karelian delicacies in a cozy atmosphere. Käkishop ...is the online store of the Käkisalmi Foundation, where you can purchase high-quality products as keepsakes or gifts.
Reading room and meeting room Käenpesä It also offers a space for small-scale celebrations. Thanks to the versatility of the facilities, the museum can also host a wide range of public events for up to 60 people.
Heinola was chosen as the location for the Käkisalmi Museum because it served as a resettlement area for evacuees from Käkisalmi after the Second World War. The population of Heinola doubled in the 1940s with the arrival of Karelians in the town. The museum is situated in Heinola’s cultural quarter, which also houses the Heinola City Museum.
Käkisalmi – the city of apple blossoms
Permanent exhibition: Where your roots are, Kexholm 1294-1939, The creation of the Karelian Isthmus and the Vuoksi, Kexholm between East and West, Kexholm peasant culture, Spiritual life in Kexholm, Karelian trailblazers in the Heinola region.
Karelian pioneers
The tribal chief known from the market square – Veikko Mykrä
Market Walter, market trader, leader of the international match cheering squad, host of the Käkisalmi celebrations, Karelian tribal leader and much more. Veikko Mykrä managed to be in many places and be many things. The people of Heinola knew him as a market trader wearing a birch-bark hat, but the man was also known at the Stockholm Olympic Stadium. Mykrä was originally from Antrea. However, he came into the world on a train on the way to the Viipuri maternity hospital. Secondary school, which began in Imatra in the autumn of 1939, was interrupted by the Winter War and
Kerttu Luhtala – teacher and philanthropist
Teacher Kerttu Luhtala suddenly suffered a severe medical emergency and passed away in Heinola on 6 October. She was born in Kanneljärvi on 26 December 1913. Kerttu Luhtala left a significant mark on the educational and cultural history of Heinola. She worked for the betterment of her own town, possessing the fine qualities of a teacher. She was a strong-willed, fair and demanding person. These qualities have been for her own
Eino Kolli – a man of his word, a Karelian evacuee
Eino Kolli (14.11.1925 – 17.7.2016) was born in the village of Alapuusti in Käkisalmi rural municipality on the Kolli farm, the youngest of five children in a farming family. The homestead had been in the Kolli family since at least 1687. Eino's parents, Tuomas and Kaisa Kolli, had married in 1912. Eino had two sisters, Jenny and Lahja, and two brothers, Viljo and Väinö. Living on the farm was
