LAKE LADOGA – THE SEA OF KARELIA

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...

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...

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 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…

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...

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…

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 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...

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…