Kymenlaakso Museum

The Kymenlaakso Museum operates in the Maritime Centre Vellamo in the Old Port of Kotka. The Museum tells stories about life and everyday toil in the border region, about the river and the sea as well as about life in the rough industrial region and port town. The Kymenlaakso Museum also maintains the art collections. The museum is situated in the same building with the Maritime Museum of Finland.

After World War II Kymenlaakso was among the world’s leading paper producers. Nowadays South-Eastern Finland has one of the biggest industrial forestry clusters in Europe. The museums in Vellamo offer means for viewing one’s own life, livelihood and family as part of the course of history. They do not provide set answers or a single truth, but keys to thinking and understanding. Links from the past to the present and the future are created through personal experiences and interactive displays.

The experiential exhibition Shifting to wood - a tribute to the Kymenlaakso forest industry - turns the spotlight on the everyday heroes working in an industry that brings together generations. Its silhouette continues to be an integral part of the Kymenlaakso cityscape as well as the mental landscape of the local residents. The exhibition focuses on a precious raw material that is used to create something that is even more meaningful.