Kostomuksha: City Monuments and Water Park

The monument to Alexei Kosygin and Urho Kalevi Kekkonen stands at 1 Lenin Square in the city centre and was officially unveiled on 14 September 2013. The «Druzhba» monument commemorates Soviet-Finnish cooperation and is made of granite and bronze. A city route passes cultural and memorial sites as well as an Orthodox church. The «Siniranta» Water Park has swimming and bathing areas; check its current operating status before visiting.

Different forms of commemoration stand side by side in Kostomuksha. The monument to Alexei Kosygin and Urho Kalevi Kekkonen is dedicated to the two named figures. The «Druzhba» monument has a different focus: it commemorates Soviet-Finnish cooperation. Its materials, granite and bronze, are also part of its description.

The city’s history can thus be explored through specific monuments without treating the two memorials as interchangeable. Those interested in their themes will find a precisely located monument at Lenin Square and, in «Druzhba», a monument with an explicitly stated connection to cooperation between the Soviet Union and Finland.

The «Kostomuksha – Zhemchuzhina Karelii» city route passes the «Druzhba» Palace of Culture, the «Pavshim za vlast' Sovetov» monument, the memorial to the discoverers, the «Druzhba» monument and the Orthodox Church of the Intercession of the Most Holy Theotokos. The route therefore brings together culture, remembrance and religious architecture in a single sequence of stops.

The names bring the route’s different themes into focus: alongside the Palace of Culture and the Orthodox church are several memorials and monuments. If you want to explore Kostomuksha from a cultural perspective, this selection offers concrete examples of the places included in the city route.

The water park has a swimming pool with four 25-metre lanes, a hydromassage area, a children’s pool with a slide, a sauna, a Turkish bath or hammam, and a solarium. The pool with its lanes is clearly distinct from the other bathing and wellness areas; this distinction may be useful when planning your visit.

The listed facilities provide a specific overview of what is on offer, but do not guarantee current opening hours or availability. Check whether the water park is operating before your visit. This lets you take the facility into account without assuming that a visit is possible under fixed conditions.

The wider destination of the Republic of Karelia also offers distinctive nature and culture. Kivach Waterfall is on the Suna River in the central part of the republic; it has a drop of 10.7 metres. In Kivach Nature Reserve, an introductory excursion includes an outdoor walk to the waterfall and visits to the arboretum collection and the nature museum. Check conditions and booking details with the operator.

Near the excursion area, a 1,000-metre circular trail runs through a patch of woodland on the banks of the Suna. The excursion lasts 1 to 1.5 hours. The trail itself is described as a loop; these details help distinguish its length from the duration of the excursion.

Another highlight is the «Kizhi» Museum Reserve in the Republic of Karelia. In the open air, it displays 89 monuments of traditional wooden architecture, including chapels and houses, mills, granaries, threshing barns and drying racks. Visitors can see inside the Church of the Intercession of the Mother of God and peasant houses; traditional peasant crafts are demonstrated in the houses.

The rock carvings give the Republic of Karelia another distinctive cultural theme. The UNESCO World Heritage Site of the Onega and White Sea Petroglyphs comprises 4,500 Neolithic rock carvings. The Onega petroglyphs include more than 1,200 figures in Pudozhsky District. The White Sea petroglyphs are dominated by hunting and sailing scenes with equipment, as well as animal and human footprints. Thus, within the wider destination, wooden architecture, nature and prehistoric imagery sit side by side.

Discover more destinations: Yanishpole, Uzheselga, Lakhkolampi, Shyoltozero, Kalevala, Pryazha, Tungozero, Uya.

When was the monument to Kosygin and Kekkonen unveiled?

It was officially unveiled on 14 September 2013. It stands at 1 Lenin Square in the centre of Kostomuksha.

What swimming pools are at the «Siniranta» Water Park?

The facilities listed are a pool with four 25-metre lanes and a children’s pool with a slide. Check the current operating status before your visit.

How long is the circular trail along the Suna River?

The circular trail through the woodland near the excursion area of Kivach Nature Reserve is 1,000 metres long. The excursion lasts 1 to 1.5 hours.

Go to the wider travel overview: Republic of Karelia.