The Cooperative for Cultural and Experience Travel in Lahti Region (Cooperative Elma)
has several Developmental projects joining the development of our business infrastructure.
In 2015, the Cooperative launched the Via Kalevala 2016-2035. The project has led to the establishment of a cooperation network in Kalevala tradition around themed tourism on both sides of the border between Finland and Russia. Another project is Hennala 1918 project and third the “Ylinen Viipurintie” that aims to built cultural, natural and adventure tourism content for Green International Belt project and Salpausselkä Geopark project.
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Via Kalevala 2016-2035 – Via Kalevala 2016-2035 was started in 2015 in Petrodsavodsk during Finnish-Russian Cultural forum with Russian Partners in Carelian Republic Russia. The first step of project was 1000 km walking event during 64 days through Finland and Russian North Carelia, year 2016. Next year we started to find Elias Lönnrot footsteps from Suomussalmi and Vuokkiniemi (village opposite site of Suomussalmi in Russia). The events were organized for the memory on Finland’s independence 100 memorial year. |
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Ylinen Viipurintie
– in 2020 Elma started “Ylinen Viipurintie” project. That means the new tourist road building thorough Salpausselkä from Hämeenlinna – Lahti – Wyborg. The first step of the project is to set up digital guide services in the City of Lahti for the old main road. Later we have planned to get that road well known for international cultural, history and nature travellers. |
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Hennala 1918
– In the year 2018 our Cooperative started Hennala 2018 project for the memory of 100 years of Finnish civil war. In Hennala was situated one of the biggest prisoner lagers arrested by German troops in Finnish civil war after the surrender of Finnish Reds. The aim of Hennala project is to set up archive and archeological project for identicifation of the victims who were buried in this area together with Finnish National Arcive. After that we have made a proposal for monument for the victims who were died in Hennala Lager. That project has enlarged to Wyborg. This city was part of Finland during Finnish civil war, but nowadays is part of Russia. Also there has been a lager for Finnish Reads and the victim number more than 1200 is almost the same amount. |
