Basic introduction

In the Winter War museum the Finnish-Soviet Winter War period (30.11.1939 - 13.3.1940) in Kuhmo is presented. The exhibition portrays the everyday lives of the Finnish and Soviet soldiers. The civilian problems are also strongly presented. The topics include e.g. evacuation, frontline service, battles and the post-war time. There is also the miniature model of the Luelahti encirclement battle and models of two Soviet planes. There is also a reference library in the museum.

Winter War Museum in Kuhmo

The Winter War museum, owned by the town of Kuhmo, exhibits objects, photographs, scale models and sound effects that illustrate what happened in Kuhmo during the Winter War. In the museum you can learn about the life of civilians that were evacuated and also about the experiences of Finnish and Soviet soldiers. The exhibition is divided into themes such as evacuation, village centre, maintenance, medical care, battles and life after the war.

Photographs and objects:

  • Photographs (by photographer Veikko O.Kanninen and other sources
  • Maps and objects from Kuhmo
  • Anti-tank gun 37K/36
  • Artillery tractor T-20 Komsomolets m 1940

Scale models:

  • 1:100 scale model of the Luvelahti motti in Saunajärvi
  • Scale models of airplanes Polikarpov R-5 and Tupolev TB-3
  • Korpilinna, House of the Civil Guard

The museum building:

  • Designer: architect Heikki Kukkonen
  • The building was ready 20.6.1991
  • Opening ceremony for the Winter War exhibition: 1.7.1994

Researcher’s Corner:

  • Library: Interviews and literature about the Winter War and copies from the military archives concerning the battles in Kuhmo area, including battle memoirs and material about the Lotta and Civil Guard organisations
  • Headphones: Farmer Eino Pulkkinen (born in 1911) tells about the war

Most of this material is in Finnish.

Products for sale:

Postcards and literature

Days of celebration:

  • 13.3.     The day that the Winter War ended
  • 27.4.     National Veterans’ Day
  • 17.5.     Memorial day
  • 30.11.   The day that the Winter War started

Learn about the battles in Kuhmo here >>