Hello, dear readers. In this blog, I will tell you of a mysterious and unique place called Kuhmo, a true oasis of culture in the wilderness of the Kainuu region in Eastern Finland.
History of Literature in Kuhmo
Kuhmo is just a small town surrounded by forests and lakes with around 8000 inhabitants. That isn’t much, but what it might miss in scale, it surely makes up in historical significance. Perhaps you have heard of one of the most important books in Finnish history – the national epic Kalevala. Well, it just so happens that its author, Elias Lönnrot, used Kuhmo as an important stop point in his story-collecting travels. He lived for 20 years in the Kainuu region. In fact, he signed up for the third part of the Old Kalevala script in Kuhmo. It will come as little surprise that UNESCO awarded Kuhmo with the designation of Literature City.
Why would I come to Kuhmo?
I understand, just the fact that Elias Lönnrot lived and worked on Kalevala in Kuhmo might not be enough to convince you to come to visit. But consider another angle. Kuhmo is a quintessential mix of everything that makes Finland so appealing. Authentic culture mixed with untamed wild nature. Lakes and forests anywhere you look, but among the wilds lays the oasis of culture and history that is Kuhmo.
Even if you are, like me, more into historical literature, you will still have something interesting to experience. Notice how Kuhmo is right on the edge between Russia and Finland? Well, obviously it means there has to be something historic here about the Winter War – and there is! A Winter War museum in the Kalevala village of Kuhmo will satisfy the needs of all those history nerds that read too much non-fiction in their life.
All of this is the perceived pre-experience of Kuhmo you could get online. Not bad for a small town in the middle of nowhere, eh?
Thank you all for reading! Hopefully, this post gave you some image of what to expect from Kuhmo. Don’t be shy to leave a comment and share your vision of the place!