Parppeinvaara Traditional Village

Few places bring Karelian traditions to life as vividly as the Parppeinvaara Traditional Village. The hill is named for Jaakko Parppei (1792–1885), a bard and kantele player, whose songs inspired the Kalevala epic. The folked-up harpsichordlike sounds of the kantele can be heard throughout the village and you can see this unique stringed instrument on display, along with various other Karelian cultural artefacts, in the small museum. The collection of Karelian buildings is a powerful evocation of history with informative guides wearing feresi (traditional Karelian work dress) and answering questions about the displays. The small Orthodox Church at the back of the village was actually built as a film set, but with genuine icons it makes a convincing stand-in. In summer there are theatre shows based on Karelian culture.