Kuhmo village

The village of Kuhmo was bombed 48 times during the war. 245 planes took part in these attacks. At 28th January 1 940 there were about 60 bombers flying over the village. They dropped 1267 explosion bombs and 1 102 incendiary bombs. The planes also attacked 16 times using their machine guns. Kuhmo was the 5th most bombed locality in Finland.

The Soviet troops also used artillery bombardment against the village. Their guns were in the Rasti area, for example in Kankivaara.

During the Winter War, 327 buildings were destroyed in Kuhmo. In the village 16 residential buildings and the granaries of the state and landowners’ association were destroyed.

Buildings that were destroyed in the Kuhmo village:

  • Postila (the Kainuu Cooperative Store)
  • Komula (Maalaistenkauppa Oy Ipatti)
  • Kivelä (Aug. Korhonen Oy)
  • Louhela (Municipal offices)
  • District Courthouse (The Kuhmon Säästöpankki bank)
  • Maurola (the pharmacy)
  • Tuomela (former house of the Civil Guard)
  • 2 granaries
  • Lower elementary school

These buildings were also destroyed in the bombings: Vännilä, Lahtela, Kolehmala, Nurmela, Vilmilä, Peltola, Niskala, Kylmälä, Tähtelä, Matala and Takala.

Important buildings in Kuhmo during the winter war:

  • Tuupala (field mail, headquarters, accommodation and warehouse)
  • Rajala (headquarters)
  • Korpilinna (storage for ammunition etc.)
  • Elementary school (meeting place for evacuees)
  • The church

There were several bomb shelters. One of them was under the “Huokausten silta” bridge (“The Bridge of Sighs”, which used to be a romantic place for young people before the war).