InterActive History

The objective

To create and introduce integrated museum services based on the study and interpretation of local heritage, interactivity and historic reconstruction principles to strengthen local identity and unique culture of the Euroregio Karelia region.

The expected change the project will make to the current situation

•    The diversity of cultural services is increased with new forms of cross-border cultural activities;
•    Skills and capacities of museum workers are improved through their participation in the development of new services;
•    Residents and tourists are more satisfied with services offered by local museums. Museum attendance is increased. The quality of cultural environment is improved;
•    Cross-border and intersectoral cooperation is reinforced through business and creative interactions between museums, creative industries, researchers and tourism industry;
•    The quality of cultural services in the program area is improved.

Target groups:
1. Employees of participating museums and museums as institutions;
2. Museum visitors: teenagers and young people (13-30 years of age) who come to museums for learning experiences and entertainment;
3. Family visitors, companies of friends and weekend tourists out of local people who opt for short trips (1-3 days) for recreation, shopping or visiting interesting places and events in their own area, in the neighboring regions or abroad;

The selection of locations and participants for the project is based on the historical and cultural principle. The participating museums have experience of the Russian-Finnish cultural cooperation and are located on international tourist routes.

North Karelia:
• The North Karelian Museum: Utra is a historic district in Joensuu which was formed around the site of the former sawmills and the glass factory of the 18th – early 20th centuries on the Pielisjoki river. Now it’s a city block with mostly private buildings and the park.
• The Outokumpu Museum located downtown in the former copper smelting plant of the 19th – 20th centuries. It is currently the main attraction of the city.
• Ilomantsi Museum Foundation: historic Karelian villages of the 19th – 20th centuries and routes that connect them.

Republic of Karelia:
• Kurkijoki Local History Center: Lopotti, a Viking Age “fort hill” (linnavuori). This wooded hill is opposite the local history center. A new international Syväoro-Parikkala border crossing point is planned to be opened near Kurkijoki with further development of tourism in the area of the Hiitolanjoki river.
• The Olonets Museum: site of the former fortress of the 17th – 18th centuries built at the time when the city of Olonets was an outpost on the Russian-Swedish border and the capital of the Olonets district. Nowadays it’s a city park.  The museum building is situated there.
• The National Museum of the Republic of Karelia: The architectural ensemble of the Round Square of the 18th – 19th centuries (Lenin square) and the Governor’s park in the historical center of Petrozavodsk.

Project office – Russia, Petrozavodsk, Liteynaya Square, 3 (Business Center “Yamka”), office 2.13

e-mail projectka3022@gmail.com

Programme is financed by the European Union, the Russian Federation and the Republic of Finland.