Month: December 2025

The LRE Foundation is pleased to welcome the Ilomantsi Tourist Association, custodian of the Ilomantsi Battlegrounds Trail, as a new member in Finland. With its remarkable concentration of wartime sites and landscapes, Ilomantsi offers one of the most extensive and immersive historical environments in Northern Europe, which now becomes an essential part of the LRE Foundation’s growing international network. 

A Region Marked by Two Wars 

Ilomantsi holds a unique place in Finnish and European wartime history. It is the only municipality within Finland’s current borders that witnessed major division-level battles during both the Winter War (1939–40) and the Continuation War (1941–44). In total, an estimated 50,000 men fought in the area, leaving a dense constellation of sites that together tell the story of Finland’s eastern front. 

A 150-Kilometre Open-Air Archive 

The Ilomantsi Battlegrounds Trail, a 150-kilometre network of roads, connects dozens of historical touchpoints: memorials, restored fighting positions, museums, information boards, wartime buildings, and other preserved locations. With every site situated by the roadside or close to it, visitors can explore Ilomantsi’s wartime legacy with exceptional ease and depth. 

This comprehensive approach to preservation and interpretation makes Ilomantsi a model for how rural wartime landscapes can be activated to support remembrance, education, and sustainable tourism. 

Why Ilomantsi Matters to the LRE Network 

Strengthening our presence in Finland has been a long-standing goal for the LRE Foundation. Ilomantsi brings to the network: 

• A uniquely well-preserved and accessible wartime landscape, rare in its scale and continuity. 

• A strong local commitment to remembrance, demonstrated by decades of research, reconstruction, and educational work. 

• A strategic location, linking the Nordic region more closely to Liberation Route Europe’s multi-perspective narrative of the war. 

By bringing Ilomantsi into the network, we not only expand the geographical reach of the Liberation Route but also enrich the diversity of stories and perspectives represented across Europe. 

“Although the Winter War and the Continuation War have been regarded as separate wars between Finland and the Soviet Union, it is important to view them in a European context.” says Eero Tuomisto, Executive Director of Ilomantsi Tourism Association. “Ilomantsi has always been between East and West, and this has shaped our lives. The Battlegrounds Trail is a good reminder of how superpower politics can affect even the most remote areas.” 

“Having visited Ilomantsi last May, I saw how the Battlegrounds Trail offers an educational journey amongst the area’s atmospheric natural landscape” adds Emme Johnson, LREF Project Manager. “ We’re proud to collaborate with the Ilomantsi Tourist Association and connect this remarkable region to our wider European narrative. I look forward to bringing the sites and stories of Ilomantsi’s Battlegrounds Trail into the Liberation Route trails network” 

The Institute of History of the University of Wrocław and LRE Foundation are pleased to announce the signing of the Memorandum of Understanding. This agreement is an important step towards incorporating Polish academia, which values a reliable and modern approach to historical education, into our network. 

As a renowned research centre, the Historical Institute of the University of Wrocław brings expert knowledge, rich research experience, and strong teaching facilities to this agreement. Its involvement naturally complements the LRE Foundation’s mission to preserve and valorise the memory of the Second World War, making this history relevant and accessible, especially for younger generations. This is not the first point of contact between the two institutions: Prof. Joanna Wojdon, Head of the Department of History and Social Studies Education at the Institute, also serves on the LRE Foundation’s Historical Advisory Board, an ongoing involvement that further strengthens the foundations of this new partnership.

The signed memorandum paves the way for joint educational projects promoting history, workshops, seminars, and initiatives aimed at both young people and adults. The cooperation will include not only activities in Poland, but also future international projects, emphasising the importance of 20th-century history for contemporary Europe and the world.  

The combination of the experience of both institutions will create a space for the exchange of knowledge and the strengthening of social awareness of historical heritage. This is an inspiring step forward that reinforces our common goal of shaping a society that is sensitive to history and the need to preserve it for future generations. 

Establishing cooperation with the University of Wrocław gives us an opportunity to implement ambitious and valuable educational projects, which also contribute to expanding our network in Poland. This is an important step that will allow us to effectively popularize history and build informed memories of the past. – Joanna Roman, Director of LRE Poland. 

The LRE Foundation is pleased to announce a new and important step in strengthening its presence in Finland: the City of Kuhmo has officially joined our international network. After welcoming the Muisti Centre of War and Peace, followed by the Municipality of Miehikkälä together with the Salpa Line Museum, Kuhmo now becomes the third Finnish member of the Foundation. Its addition marks a significant step toward bringing Finland’s lesser-known but deeply meaningful Second World War history into the broader European narrative of remembrance. 

Finland’s wartime history is distinct within Europe. During the Second World War, the country fought two separate conflicts against the Soviet Union: the Winter War (1939–1940) and the Continuation War (1941–1944). Finland’s geographical position on the Soviet border, as well as its military strategies and political decisions, played a substantial role in shaping events on the Eastern and Northern Front. 

Kuhmo: A Landmark of the Winter War 

Located near Finland’s eastern border, Kuhmo is one of the country’s most historically significant Winter War locations. Here, the fighting continued throughout the entire conflict, mirroring the Winter War itself in miniature: defensive battles, guerrilla attacks, fierce counterattacks, and devastating motti battles. 

Today, Kuhmo preserves an extraordinary series of historical locations, memorials, and restored structures that help visitors understand the lived experience of soldiers and civilians during the conflict. From the battle sites of Kilpelänkangas, Saunajärvi, and Jyrkänkoski to the Kuhmo Winter War Museum, visitors can gain an in-depth understanding of the operations fought in the region. 

A New Chapter of Cooperation 

By becoming a member of the LRE Foundation, the City of Kuhmo joins a growing global network dedicated to preserving memory, promoting transnational cooperation, and making Europe’s WWII heritage accessible to a wider audience. Kuhmo’s landscapes, stories, and historical sites enrich the European map of remembrance, offering visitors a powerful perspective on resilience, strategy, and the lived experience of war in the Northern front. 

We look forward to working with Kuhmo and our Finnish partners to develop new routes, educational projects, and activities that highlight Finland’s important place in Europe’s wartime history and collective memory. 

“City of Kuhmo is pleased to join the LREF community in honour of the 86th anniversary of the outbreak of the Winter War (30 November 1939). Kuhmo has a rich history and numerous sites related to the Winter War, which can now be prominently showcased to international actors interested in Second World War history through the LRE network.” – Mr. Pekka Horttanainen, Business Manager, City of Kuhmo.