Raatteen Portti | Exploring Finland
Raatteen Portti lies to the east of Suomussalmi in Eastern Finland. It is the gateway to Raatteentie, the Raate Road. The road played an important role for Finland during the Winter War. It was from here that the Soviets tried to split Finland in half. Today the road is a museum road and Raatteen Portti is the main museum area.
A Short History of Raatteen Portti
The Winter War between Finland and the Soviet Union took place between November of 1939 and March of 1940. The battles fought here, mainly the Battle of Suomussalmi and the Battle of Raate Road, are considered to be two of the more important victories for Finland during the conflict. It is these battles and the many skirmishes that are remembered here at Raatteen Portti.
Things to Do and See
Visiting the Raatteen Portti offers the free option to explore the monument and a few of the larger equipment outside of the museum. Then there is the museum itself with the exhibitions of the Winter War. Either way you decide, it is hard not to get a feeling of the size of these battles.
Winter War Museum
The large museum tells the story of the war and the surrounding conflicts. Especially in regards to the captured Soviet equipment and the conditions of the fighting. The outdoor area includes some of the larger equipment such tanks and artillery.
Winter War Monument
Standing on a field of stones, placed here in memory of the soldiers that perished in the battles. The stones don’t focus on the Finns, it is in memory of the soldiers from both sides. The numbers from Finland estimate that around 900 Finnish soldiers and 24,000 Soviet ones fell in these battles. The Soviet number is contested by the other side.
The monument consists of about 17.000 large stones in memory for all these lost lives. The monument in the middle of the field has 105 brass bells, one for each day of the Winter War.
How to Get to Raatteen Portti
- Flights: The closest airport in Finland is in either to north in Kuusamo or to the south in Kajaani.
- Car: Raatteen Portti is located along the rural road 912, to the east of Suomussalmi.
The driving distance from 5 major Finnish cities, according to Google Maps:
- Helsinki – 680 kilometers (7 h 50 min)
- Turku – 743 kilometers (8 h 40 min)
- Vaasa – 488 kilometers (5 h 50 min)
- Oulu – 216 kilometers (2 h 50 min)
- Joensuu – 312 kilometers (3 h 50 min)
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