The cavalry are honoured as Lappeenranta’s greatest heroes and the 1772-built former garrison (the town’s oldest building) at the Linnoitus fortress tells how this band of red-trousered warriors began as the finest mounted forces in the Russian Empire and throughout the 1920s and ‘30s became Finland’s national heroes. The skeleton jackets, weapons and implements for castrating horses give a small but intriguing glimpse into that lost world. Following repairs, it's expected to re-open in early 2018.
Cavalry Museum
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Focusing on the history of Lappeenranta – and of its two sister towns, Käkisalmi (Priozersk) and Vyborg, lost across the Russian border in 1939, this…
Nearby attractions
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This art museum at the Linnoitus fortress has a permanent collection of modern paintings by Karelian and other Finnish artists. A large part of the space…
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At the Linnoitus fortress, Finland’s oldest church was completed in 1785 by Russian soldiers and features a glittering iconostasis and other saintly…
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Standing guard above the harbour, this hulking hilltop fortification was begun by the Swedes and finished by the Russians in the late 18th century. Today…
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Focusing on the history of Lappeenranta – and of its two sister towns, Käkisalmi (Priozersk) and Vyborg, lost across the Russian border in 1939, this…
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Built in 1826, this lovingly preserved Russian home was owned by the merchant Wolkoff family from 1872 to 1986, and its 10 rooms have been maintained as…
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On the lakeshore, this sandy beach has an outdoor swimming pool, beach volleyball, a water slide and kiosk, along with the Myllysaari beach sauna. Hardy…