LAKE LADOGA – THE SEA OF KARELIA

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…

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…

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.…

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...

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 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...

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 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 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...