The Kianto Institute

Closed

The so-called backwoods writer Ilmari Kianto is an important part of the history of Finnish literature and Suomussalmi. Th e aim of the project was to design and establish a permanent, nationally and internationally known cultural centre, the Kianto Institute. Th e institute would cherish Kianto’s literary and other cultural heritage and present the local and Karelian traditions. Th e starting point for the project were Kianto’s enthusiasm about White Sea Karelia, which started in 1896, his numerous travels there and his subsequent resulting valuable works, which entice a traveller to explore White Sea Karelia. Th erefore, the object of the project was also to design and test cultural trips to White Sea Karelia and Kainuu under the theme ”Ilmari Kiannon jalanjäljillä” (In the Footsteps of Ilmari Kianto). Another aim was to increase the knowledge about the cultural and literary traditions of Suomussalmi from the perspective of cultural tourism. A high-quality Kianto Exhibition was planned in the premises of the Suomussalmi vocational college, as well as enriching and developing the Kianto collection and renewing the web pages of Kianto. Kianto’s production had been previously researched relatively little, so another starting point for the project was to awaken research interest; the project also included research work and cooperation with various parties and the organisation of related events.

Medium