Location and transport connections
Climatic and nature peculiarities
Cultural and historical peculiarities
The author of the text - Kuchko A. A.
Location and transport connections
The territory of the region (the area is 4046 square meters, population 30,3 thousand people) is situated in the southwest of Belomorian Karelia and sides with the state border with Finland. There is an international entry point Ljuttja-Vartius, to which automobile and rail roads lead.
They connect Kostomuksha with the ports of the Gulf of Bothnia and the White Sea and with many regions of Karelia, including Petrozavodsk.
Kostomuksha is the main junction point of the Arkhangelsk corridor, which connects Scandinavia, Karelia and Archangelsky region.
Thus, Kostomuksha is a large international transport junction, which gives it some advantages:
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easy transport accessibility for both tourists from Russia and abroad,
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the possibility of going from Kostomuksha to Solovetskiye Islands and Kizhi, which are tourists objects of the of the world significance,
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possibility of going to the villages of Belomorian Karelia, where a famous epos "Kalevala" was born.
At the same time Kostomuksha plays an important transitive role, so hotel restaurant, communication infrastructure must be created here.
Climatic and nature peculiarities
The territory of the region has a flat, but very intended landscape. The main nature dominants of the area are the three river and lake systems, which are located in the north, southwest and south parts of the region. Each of them has its own peculiarities, which are important for tourists.
There is a system of the river Vuokijoki- the lake of Sudnozero- the western part of the lake of Verkhnee Kuitto in the North. Here large massifs of primitive forests, which make the basis of the national park "Kalevalsky", and some villages, where Elias Lonnrot have collected his runes, are located. The region is attractive for ecological and cultural tourism.
In the southwest the reserve of "Kostomukshsky" is located. The lake of Kamennoye and the river of Kamennaya famous for their beauty, form the heart of this district. Together with the primitive coniferous forests, these make the perfect basis for ecological tourism.
The reserve of "Kostomukshsky" is very famous in Finland and in some other countries for it forms a singe international park "Friendship" along with the Finnish nature park "Kuhmo". Nowadays, this is a famous tourist route.
In the south there is the system of the lakes of Luvozero – Volgozero – Kimasozero – Njuk, which are connected by short rivers. These are the best places for water and fishing tourism.
All the water systems are ecologically friendly and easy to access from Kostomuksha, which is especially important in the connection with the closeness of the Kostomushsky ore mining and processing enterprise. The relief in this area makes the drains of the enterprise to stream down to the northeast and not to touch the water systems.
At the same time tourist may be interested in nature and man-caused formations of the enterprise – its huge open pit and dumps of uncovered rocks. They may become the constant objects for the tourist shows.
Cultural and historical peculiarities
The territory of Kostomukshsky region is poor with historical and cultural monuments. They are represented mainly with the objects of modern times, which are connected with the history of ore mining and processing enterprise. These objects may be of tourist interest during one short excursion. However, the region can’t be considered historically poor for it has left a bright trace in the culture of two neighboring nations – the Karelian and the Finns. In the villages of the northern part of the region Elias Lonnrot collected the runes of a famous epos "Kalevala".
Nowadays, the northern villages of the central part of the region have a status of historical and cultural significance of all-Russian significance. Both Finnish and Russian authorities are intended to include the region in the World Heritage List of UNESCO.
The center of this territory if the village of Voknavolok, which has a well-preserved Karelian way of life. Along with the neighboring villages of Pirtiguba, Pongaguba, Sudnozero and Ladvozero it may become a center of a very perspective international complex. The heart of this complex will make the routes of "Along the traces of Ladoga" and "To the runes of "Kalevala". Evidently, this area is a cradle of Karelian and Finnish culture, so it will arouse tourist interest for this territory.
Besides, there are more than 30 architectural monuments in Voknavolok and neighboring villages. These are Karelian peasants’ houses, barns, and spirituous constructions. On the whole, the historical, ethnographical and architectural territory connected with the creation of "Kalevala" epos takes about 200 thousand hectares in the limits of Kostomukshsky region.
How to get
The railway connects Kostomuksha with Petrozavodsk, St-Petersburg, and also with some cities and ports of Finland. Using motor road you can get to St-Petersburg- Murmansk route. The motor road connects Kostomuksha wiyh the cities of Finland through the international entry point "Ljuttja-Vartius".
