Having attacked at Juntusranta Red Army forces
quickly succeeded in reaching the Ensilä road fork
on the Suomussalmi-Kuusamo road. A part of the
invading forces headed northwards towards Kuu-
samo while the remainder turned south towards
Suomussalmi. At Alassalmi at a narrowing in the
waterways of Lake Piispajärvi the Finns succeeded
in repelling the progress of the aggressor during
a battle which lasted 6th - 16th December 1939.
Finnish forces included the 16th Special Battalion
from Kuusamo and the 65th Infantry Regiment
which arrived in the area around Christmas.
This monument was designed by a veteran of the
Suomussalmi campaigns, Toivo Rossi.
The inscription on the stone reads:
"Enemy progress northwards during the

On the southern shores of Haukiperä in the terrain around a fork in the road one of the most significant battles of the Winter War took place. Early in the morning before the mist had lifted an quite massive infantry troop of the Red Army succeeded in crossing the bay at Haukiperä.
The ice was too thin for their tanks to cross.
After a fierce battle the Finnish forces succeeded in pushing the aggressor back over the gulf to the opposite shore. The Red Army's breakthrough towards Oulu was thus thwarted.
The monument bears the text:
"The advances of enemy forces during the
Winter War were brought to a halt here
on 9th December 1939".

The monument was erected on the 30th May 1959.

The location of the memorial can be seen on the Kainuu outdoors map.

The area of Hulkonniemi, close to the centre of Suomussalmi village, saw fierce battles during the period 12.-28.12.1939 in which the Finnish forces regained territory. Finnish infantry forces repeatedly attacked the numerically superior Soviet force which had established itself at the end of the Hulkoniemi headland. The Finns suffered heavy losses. However, on 28th December 1939 the Soviets suddenly abandoned the area and began to withdraw along a road made across the frozen surface of Lake Kiantajärvi towards Juntusranta.
This monument tells of the heavy fighting which took place in the area.

The text on the plaques state:
"Hulkonniemi 1939
On behalf of Finland and Suomussalmi
Comrades-in-arms of Hulkonniemi"
The monument was erected in 1998.

The location of the memorial can be seen on the Kainuu outdoors map. 

During the Winter War, the Finns formed a defence line at the River Kuomanjoki to prevent Soviet reinforcements from reaching Suomussalmi village during the battle for the village on 12th December 1939. This defence line also succeeded in halting the leading edge of the Soviet's Ukrainian 44th Division at around Christmas time. The monument was erected in memory of two brothers from Infantry Detachment Mönttä who fell during the struggle.
The text on the plaque reads:
"Comrades-in-arms from Mänttä
Sulo Aalto 26.12.1939
Erkki Huttunen 4.1.1940"

This monument was erected in 1965.

The location of the memorial can be seen on the Kainuu outdoors map.

The Suomussalmi-Kuusamo road formed the Soviets' northern line of attack and maintenance channel. When on 28th December 1939 the Soviet forces began to withdraw from Suomussalmi village back towards Juntusranta some used the road while the rest marched up the frozen surface of Lake Kiantajärvi.
The Finnish Sixth Bicycle Battalion succeeding in blocking the road at Konttimäki in Kylänmäki and thus prevented the Soviets from retreating northwards. A plaque on the monument bears the text:
"At this site the retreat of enemy forces was prevented on the last days of 1939.
This stone was brought from Satakunta and erected by the Sixth Bicycle Battalion".

The monument was erected in 1958.

The location of the memorial can be seen on the Kainuu outdoors map.

At the start of the Winter War the main forces of 163rd Division of the Red Army mounted a surprise attacked on Suomussalmi via Lehtovaara in Juntusranta. A patrol sent by a small group (44 men) of Finnish soldiers stationed at Juntusranta village ran into the full brunt of the Soviet attack at this location.
The text on the monument reads:
"The first shots of the Winter War were fired at this spot on 30th November 1939.
Wilderness comrades-in-arms"

The monument was erected in 1963.

The location of the memorial can be seen on the Kainuu outdoors map.

Most historical monuments have their origins in
battles and the events of wars. A very large part
of these consist of portraits and statues in which
oligarchies and state apparatuses are assigned
their characteristic attributes.

During ancient times, by which I mean the earliest centuries of antiquity, monuments in the forms of both buildings and art sculptures were mostly related to associations between states and especially to the religious ceremonies which they practised. In some cases they were simply gifts.

The idea of creating a monument to the battles of Suomussalmi came from a large body of citizens. At a relatively early stage Colonel August Mäkiniemi was chosen to be the chairman of the committee which was to lead the project of building the monument. I mention this in particular because his viewpoint concerning the nature of the monument came to influence both its general form and, more importantly, its inner content. According to his understanding monuments to battles should not be aggressive but rather the dramatic and tragic elements always present in conflicts between nations should be emphasised.

The unique nature of the monument has affected its form. This is no ordinary urban or street sculpture. It stands alone in the remote forests of Northern Finland. The surrounding scenery, the special landscape forms of northernmost Finland and the modest proportions of the forest themselves form the background. The monument carries no real symbolism or theme. Neither has its creator striven to effect any metaphorical or seminatural meaning. Instead, the form of the monument has, in its creator's opinion, grown directly from the tragedy of human life as well as from the natural environment and conditions in which man lives. Nevertheless, the viewer himself should be able to project content in the angles and curves of each form and in this way the monument may carry a certain emotional value for the viewer.

This monument is cast from bronze and takes the form of a leaning asymmetrical column representing a linear opposite to the vertical character of Northern Finland's pine and spruce forests. At the same time the scale of the monument and its surface formations
reflect the ever-changing proportions of the wilderness forest.
The monument is fixed to a base of granite and its actual environment is made up of a gradually sloping hillside and surrounding broad landscapes. Perhaps the long winters and snowy forests have to some extent influenced the choice of materials while the way in which the sculpture rises from the ground has been harmonised with the rich and snowy terrain. The monument stands nine metres high, rising above the tree canopy without, however, doing so in a disproportionate way. Since the monument is the work of an architect it is natural that it does not mimic natural themes or represent any kind of symbolic image designed to elicit particular emotions. The creator of this work considers that sentiments should be the result of some kind of free relationship between the monument and the viewer.

The monument was sculpted by Heikki Häiväoja and the casting work performed by Pentti Lappalainen. The stone base and platform are the work of Nurmeksen Kiviveistämö. The sculpture was erected on 30th August 1959 to mark the 20th anniversary of the Suomussalmi battles.
Fixed onto the base is a metal plaque showing the battlegrounds of Suomussalmi while at its front is an inscription of General Hjalmar Siilasavuo's words: "The lives of many brave soldiers ensured the great victories of Suomussalmi. They showed their nation an honourable path which was hard but which offered no alternative."

The location of the memorial can be seen on the Kainuu outdoors map.

The field fortification of the Purasjoki Line at the River Purasjoki fell into three stages:
Stage I: 16.10. - 11.11.1939 (period of additional training)
Stage II: January - February 1940
Stage III: April 1940 - June 1941

During Stage I the field fortification of the Purasjoki Line was the task of reserves from the Suomussalmi Training Centre along with groups of non-reserve civilians. On either side of the road defence posts of some 300 men were set up.

A reinforced anti-tank barrier was erected along the western bank of the river. Remains from this are still visible today at the bend in the river. Behind the anti-tank barrier a trench was dug and reinforced with wood. This also
contained machine-gun posts, again protected with wooden
constructions, and a number of covered observation points.
Behind this trench connecting trenches were dug. No dugout
buildings as such were constructed. Instead shell-resistant
bunkers were built at the sides of the connecting trenches.
After capturing the defence post the Red Army forces, which
had no tents, used these bunkers for accommodation, fitting
them with temporary "wood stoves".

During the second stage, on retaking the defence post the
Finns repaired it and improved its fortifications as far as circumstances would allow. This work was performed by the 64th Infantry Regiment and 15th Special Battalion.

In Stage III during the period of interim peace the defence post was further reinforced as part of the Salpa Line (= a defensive line from the Gulf of Finland up to Salla in north) Work was carried out by both soldiers and civilians.

The constructions from the above-mentioned three phases are difficult to distinguish from one another as they were built and reinforced one on top of each other. Some of the original constructions were destroyed during the straightening of the road and building of the new bridge.

The Purasjoki line is located on the Raate museum road, near Raatteen Portti Winter War Exhibition and Frontier Guard Museum. The specific location can be seen on the Kainuu outdoors map.

Located on the Raate Museum Road by the yard of the house at Likoharju is the Raate Road Monument. Fierce battles were fought in this area at the beginning of January 1940. A large section of the invading Russian force was isolated here and defeated by Finnish soldiers.
A plaque on the monument has the text:
"This monument has been erected in memory of the courageous battles fought along the Raate road during 1939-1940.
Wilderness comrades-in-arms"

The monument was erected on 11th August 1963.

The location can be seen on the Kainuu outdoors map.

Attacking from the direction of Juntusranta in the
north the Soviet forces reached Suomussalmi village
on 6th December 1939. The retreating Finns were
faced with a difficult decision, namely to burn the
village before abandoning it to the enemy. This
would deny the aggressor shelter from the snow
and frost in the houses of the village. Only a few
buildings remained intact and the village centre
was completely destroyed.

On the wall of one hut which served as a stock
of explosive for a shop in the village stands the
grim text: During 6.-27.12.1939 fierce battles
raged in Suomussalmi village. This war-battered
"building" is all that remains to tell of those days.

This monument is situated at Haukkila where a large
number of Soviet soldiers was separated from other
Soviet forces during the Winter War. Indeed this was
the largest single body of Soviets to be isolated in
this way. The head of the Ukrainian 44th Division was
brought to a halt here around Christmas 1939. At the
beginning of January the Finns attacked at Haukkila
and in the days up until 8th January succeeded in
cutting off and destroying the Soviet forces almost
to the last man.
The Ukrainian language text on the plaque of the
monument states:
"In memory of the fallen from their grateful descendants
and the authorities of the City of Novograd-Volynskiy in
the Ukrainian province of Zytomir"

The monument was erected by Ukrainians on 13.3.1998.

The location of the memorial is available in the
Kainuu outdoors map.

By the side of the Raate museum road, about one kilometer from Raatteen Portti Winter War Exhibition, stands the Russian monument in honour of all those who died in the war. The monument was designed by the Moscow sculptor Oleg Komov and his architect wife Nina Komova. At the foot of the monument is a text in both Finnish and Russian:
"To the boys of the fatherland - Sorrowful Russia".

The monument was erected on 19.9.1994 and blessed by Aleksi II, Patriarch of Moscow and the whole of Russia.

Close to the monument is a Russian mass grave in which 57 Russian soldiers are buried.

The location of the memorial can be seen on the Kainuu outdoors map.

Located in Suomussalmi church village, on the wall of Wanhan Kalevan café, formerly operating as an inn. Placed there 10.10.1998, on the memorial is written: "At this site was situated Inn Kaleva, where the headquarters of SU.HK began operations 10th of October 1939. Reserve troops were called in to Suomussalmi church village from Suomussalmi, Puolanka, Hyrynsalmi and Ristijärvi. -Winter War began 30th of November 1939. Former Soldier Boys."

The location of the memorial can be seen in the Kainuu outdoors map.

By the side of the car park to Raatteen Portti Winter
War Exhibition is a large slab of stone with plaques
bearing texts: On the front side of the monument
there is the inscription: "In memory of our brother
soldiers from Russian Karelia. All honour to the freedom
fighters who, holding by their convictions, bravely
followed the flag of freedom. The Raate road was
the main channel for the fighters and refugees from
Russian Karelia.
The War of Independence Heritage League and the
War of Independence Heritage Association of Kainuu".

The inscription on the rear face of the monument reads: "As a consequence of the War of Independence the Malmi-Kuisma Volantary Expedition was sent from Finland to provide protection during the period 21.3.1918 - 2.10.1918. It contained some 500 men including 15 Finnish Jägers. The Russian Karelians took part in the struggle dreaming of their own nation. The municipalities which had joined Finland, Repola (in August 1918) and Porajärvi (in October 1919), were defended by soldiers of the Finnish Army accompanied by a company of volunteers and possessing in all a total of 23 Finnish Jägers. According to the Tarttu peace treaty of 14.10.1920 the region was returned to the Soviet Union. The Russian Karelians' own War of Independence was fought during the period 28.10.1921 - 20.2.1922. Of approximately 3000 soldiers loyal to the short-lived Russian Karelian government some 500 were Finnish, including 27 Finnish Jägers . After the independence struggle was crushed by superior forces some 11 000 refugees left Russian Karelia for Finland. The majority of these returned but the Finnish state provided refuge for some 4000 refugees up until the Winter War".

This monument was designed by the architect Anita Tuhkanen and unveiled on 12.7.1998.

The location of the memorial can be seen on the Kainuu outdoors map.

At the eastern end of the Raate Museum Road, in front of the new guard post, is a monument to the 3rd Army Corps which fought in Uhtua area (in the Soviet Union) during the Continuation War.
A plaque on the memorial bears the text:
"3rd Army Corps
Our road to battle passed along here 1941-1944"

The location of the memorial can be seen on the Kainuu outdoors map.

The Winter War Monument was erected in honour of the veterans of the Winter War 1939-1940 as well as those others who were involved or who suffered. The monument is located along the side of the old Raate road. The bloodiest battles of the war were fought in this area.

The monument forms a part of the Raatteen Portti Winter War exhibition. It was designed by Suomussalmi's Erkki Pullinen and was consecrated on 13th February 2003.

Stones standing on an area covering almost three hectares represent the number of soldiers who died in the Winter War battles of Suomussalmi. This stone field reminds us of the human suffering which the war brought. It impels the viewer to reflect on the mindlessness of war.

The central monument "Wide Embrace" stretches its protective wings over the silent field of stones. The monument contains 105 brass bells, one for each day of the Winter War. When the wind blows the bells sound a quiet message of the mindlessness of war. A text on the central monument reads, "Although man dies - his memory lives on."
The Winter War Monument is a powerful message for peace. It communicates to its viewer the idea that war is a horror that no-one alive today need experience. The idea of peace is particularly stressed by the fact that here on the Raate road a joint monument has been built to commemorate the dead of two nations which fought against each other. The Winter War Monument project comprises a study in which researchers from Finland and Russia are together investigating the history of the Winter War and related issues. Such a strong desire to collaborate with a former foe is possibly unique anywhere in the world. Perhaps this is the real meaning of peace work.

The Winter War Monument project is financed by the EU Interreg III A Karelia programme, Suomussalmi Municipality and the Employment and Economic
Development Centre of Kainuu.

The location can be seen on the Kainuu outdoors map.

Click here for the official site of Raate Gateway.

Address:
Raatteentie 2
89800 Suomussalmi kk