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War memorials and historical sites

Salla lost almost half of its surface area to the Soviet Union during the war in 1944. There are several war memorials and sites around the vast municipality that tell about the history of Salla. The Salla Museum of War and Reconstruction brings periods from the past to life through an exhibition and guided tours.

 

Military history of Eastern Lapland

Paikanselkä war memorial site

Norwegian and Swedish volunteers participated in the battles of the Winter War in Lapland. The Swedish volunteer corps, Svenska Frivilligkåren (SFK), took responsibility for the front at Paikanselkä during the Winter War on 28.2.1940 and were there until the end of the Winter War on 13.3.1940. After the end of the Winter War, Marshal Mannerheim gave thanks to the Swedish volunteers in a speech at an open field in Paikanselkä on 26.3.1940. The volunteer corps lost 38 men. At the end of the Winter War, 13.3.1940, the frontline was at Paikanselkä.

There are several memorials around Paikanselkä. The Dyrssen memorial was erected in 1949 at the site where the commander of the Swedish troops, Lieutenant Colonel Magnus Dyrssen was killed on 1.3.1940.

The memorial commemorating the end of the Winter War was erected in Paikanselkä in 1971 and the memorial for the Knights of the Mannerheim Cross was erected in 1992.

The association for the Swedish volunteer corps donated a Bofors 37 mm anti-tank gun to Paikanselkä in 1995. It was with a similar gun that the Swedes destroyed a Soviet tank at Paikanselkä. There is also a restored dugout shelter located at the Paikanselkä battle site.

The Jänkäjääkäris Memorial

The memorial of the 12th Infantry Regiment is at Hautajärvi. The memorial was unveiled in 1977 and was designed by professor Ensio Seppänen. The 12th IR was called ‘Jänkäjääkäris’ (meaning Fen Jägers), because they were accustomed to working in wilderness conditions. The leader of the Jänkäjääkäris was Colonel Albert ‘Shooting Iron’ Puroma.

The Partisan Victims’ Memorial

The memorial in Hautajärvi was erected by the vocal and musical ensemble Vikapartio and the Hautajärvi village committee. The memorial was unveiled in 1992. Partisans killed five civilians who were stacking hay at Kiviaava on 15.7.1943. The memorial stone is part of the anti-tank obstacle of the Salpa Line from Aholanvaara. The second memorial for the victims at Kiviaava is located at the site where the killers were captured.

Sotka Cellar

Heikki Sotkajärvi moved with his family to ‘Sotka’ from the village of Märkäjärvi (now the village of Salla) in the 1910s. A crownland forest croft was established at this site, which served as a stopover point on the trip between Hautajärvi and Märkäjärvi. The Sotka Cellar is the only building that survived the Winter War, and it was restored in 1996. During the Winter War, four Finnish soldiers, who were warming up in the cellar, were surprised by a Russian patrol. The Finns locked themselves in the cellar and the Russians tried to attack them with hand grenades. The Finns clogged the ventilation duct with their backpacks so that the hand grenades exploded in the roof and did not hurt the Finns.

Memorial to those killed by landmines after the war

The memorial is located in Särkelä. It was designed and made by the artist Kari Tiukuvaara, commissioned by the Kotala village committee. The memorial was unveiled in 1997 to commemorate the seven civilians who were killed by uncleared landmines in Kotala and Mukkala between 1945-1949.

The Salpa Line

The Salpa Line is a defensive line approx. 1200 km long, built to defend the eastern border of Finland. The Salpa Line at Salla was built between the autumn of 1940 and the summer of 1941. In addition to stone and barbed-wire barriers, machine-gun and artillery bunkers, dugout shelters and defensive fighting positions were built. The Salpa Line can be seen in the centre of the village of Salla, on the right when heading to Kuusamo and on the left when taking the road to Kemijärvi.

In addition, there is a guided site about 2 km from the village of Salla towards Savukoski, on the left side of the road at Ruuhijärvi. In the village of Aholanvaara, in southern Salla, there is an anti-tank obstacle that is part of the Salpa Line and a military base for a reinforced company located at Kukasviita, near Tuohilampi. In the village of Särkelä in northern Salla, on the southern and western sides of Särkijärvi lake, there was a strong garrison that was tasked with blocking the Saija road.

Riutukka log-driving camp

The Riutukka log-driving camp is located along the Raakunjoki river. The Raakunjoki river is a part of the Kemijoki river system that has had up to 4000 km of log-driving waterways. The buildings of Riutukka’s logging site and log-driving camp, as well as the log flume, have been restored in 1991-1992. The first log drives in the region were already taking place at the end of the nineteenth century. There was high unemployment in the 1930s and the logging sites and log driving were an important source of income. Riutukka has not been restored as a museum, but it has been renovated to serve reindeer herders and other locals, as well as tourists in the area.

 

Driving directions

From Joutsijärvi along road 5, approx. 16 km in the direction of Kuusamo. Turn left (Raakku) and drive approx. 5 km, turn right and drive approx. 3 km. The site is on the right.

Eastern Lapland Cultural History Tour

Along the route, you can find a wide range of destinations in the regions of Salla, Kemijärvi, Savukoski and Pelkosenniemi-Pyhätunturi. The aim of the route is to highlight the rich cultural heritage and history of the region and how these have merged with contemporary times and currently appear in the everyday life of the people in Eastern Lapland. You can independently navigate the route, choosing the destinations that interest you. There are many cosy villages along the route, many of which offer accommodation and traditional Lapland dishes.

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