World War II ended on 27 April 1945 for Finland when the last German soldier left the country after the Lapland War ended. Since then, the Finnish Defence Forces have concentrated on peacetime duties.

60 years of peace for the Finnish Infantry at the Infantry Museum

The Infantry Museum in Mikkeli is Finland’s only museum to have an exhibition on the activities of the Defence Forces after World War II. The exhibition introduces visitors to the military equipment of the Finnish Infantry and the development of its activities from 1945 to the present.

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The territorial losses that Finland suffered in the Winter and Continuation Wars were also visible in Southern Savo, as Karelian refugees, whose houses had remained on the Soviet side of the border, settled in the region. Juva became home to many of these refugees, especially those that had left Rautjärvi. In addition, the Orthodox Monastery of Valamo moved from Valaam Island in Lake Ladoga to Heinävesi.

Juva’s Karelian Museum

The exhibition at the Karelian Museum in Juva has items that Karelian refugees who settled in Juva brought with them from their homes in areas that were ceded to the Soviet Union. These items carry with them the memories of the area they had to leave behind. Juva became home to Karelian refugees from several parishes that are now on the other side of the border. Juva was the main town that the refugees from Rautjärvi settledin and the majority of the museums’
artefacts are from that parish. The museum has furniture, textiles and agricultural and stock-farming tools on display.

See museums site