In the centre of Kostomuksha, at 1 Lenin Square, stands the monument to Alexei Kosygin and Urho Kalevi Kekkonen. It was ceremonially unveiled on 14 September 2013. Its location and date make the monument a clearly identifiable destination for a culture-focused stay. At the same time, it is a public memorial in the heart of the city and a concrete landmark for finding your way around.
City route with cultural and memorial sites
The city route “Kostomuksha – zhemchuzhina Karelii” passes the “Druzhba” Palace of Culture, the “Pavshim za vlast Sovetov” monument, the memorial to the explorers, the “Druzhba” monument and the Orthodox Church of the Intercession of the Most Holy Mother of God. The named stops offer a selection of different themes: culture, remembrance, a monument and a church. This makes it possible to explore the city beyond a single monument. You can view the route as a thematic overview of different cultural and memorial sites.
The “Druzhba” monument has a clearly defined subject: it commemorates Soviet-Finnish cooperation and is made of granite and bronze. Its purpose and materials give this stop a distinctive character. Also note the two stops with “Druzhba” in their names: the route list includes both the “Druzhba” Palace of Culture and the “Druzhba” monument.
A different focus: the water park
The “Siniranta” water park offers a different focus from the monuments and city route. Its swimming pool has four 25-metre lanes; there is also a hydromassage area, a children’s pool with a slide, a sauna, a Turkish bath (hammam) and a solarium. This means the listed facilities include both swimming and other water and bathing options. If you would like to include the water park in your plans, confirm that it is currently operating before your trip.
The broader setting: the Republic of Karelia
The Republic of Karelia also offers a separate perspective as a broader travel destination. The following natural and cultural topics belong to the Republic of Karelia and are not stops on the city route in Kostomuksha. At the Kivach Nature Reserve, an introductory excursion includes an outdoor walk to Kivach Waterfall, as well as a visit to the arboretum and the nature museum. The waterfall is on the Suna River in central Karelia; it is 10.7 metres high. A 1,000-metre circular trail runs through a wooded area along the banks of the Suna near the excursion area. An excursion along this trail takes 1 to 1.5 hours.
The Kizhi Museum Reserve offers another cultural highlight in the Republic of Karelia. Its open-air collection features 89 monuments of traditional wooden architecture, including chapels and houses, mills, granaries, threshing barns and drying racks. Visitors can see inside the Church of the Intercession of the Mother of God and peasant houses; traditional peasant crafts are demonstrated in the houses. The Kizhi Pogost also includes an architectural ensemble with the world’s only multi-domed wooden Church of the Transfiguration.
The Onega and White Sea petroglyphs also shape the cultural landscape of the Republic of Karelia. The World Heritage site comprises 4,500 Neolithic rock carvings. More than 1,200 of the Onega petroglyphs are in Pudozhsky District; most are located on the central capes of Pery Nos, Besov Nos and Kladovets. The White Sea petroglyphs mainly depict hunting and sailing scenes with related equipment, as well as animal and human footprints. These prehistoric images are the focus here, while the Kostomuksha city route lists contemporary cultural and memorial sites.
Discover more destinations: Otrakkala, Derevyannoye, Kurkiyeki, Yushkozero, Ruskeala, Shyoltozero, Veshkelitsa, Essoyla.
For the broader travel overview: Republic of Karelia.
