UPM's Stream Water Programme funded the removal of two fish migration barriers in Finland the Päijänne lake trout can now migrate up the Rutajoki the Pielinen lake trout can now migrate up the Ala-Kelvänjoki and the stream water habitats for other endangered species are improved The restoration work on Seinäkoski in the Rutajoki River in Joutsa was completed in mid-September The migration route from Rutajoki River to Lake Rutajärvi was restored by removing the dam at the Tammi mill The restoration of the Rutajoki River was managed by the North Päijänne Fisheries District and implemented by the Central Finland Fisheries Centre the project was funded by the Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry's NOUSU programme "The recovery of the trout river requires perseverance The return to the spawning river will take place at the earliest 5–6 years after the stocking," says Timo Meronen director of the Central Finland Fisheries Centre The Päijänne lake trout can now migrate up the Rutajoki river after the old dam was dismantled as the wall no longer exists after the dam was dismantled Seinäkoski (Wall rapid in Finnish) is now called Tammenkoski (Oak’s rapid) The restoration work on Ala-Kelvänjoki River in Lieksa was completed at the end of September which had been a barrier to migration in the Ala-Kelvänjoki was removed and a new bottom dam was built while the rapids were restored The project was carried out by the Vuonislahti sub-municipality and the Onni Turunen estate in cooperation with the North Savo ELY Centre the City of Lieksa and the Pielinen-Karelia Fishing Region were the financial backers of the project "Both projects have been implemented as planned It is great to see defunct dams demolished It is estimated that there are more than 5,000 energy-insignificant dams in Finland so there is still work to be done," says Mikael Rytkönen UPM has restored a road culvert on the Korisevanjoki river at the headwaters of the Kelvänjoki river The lower part of the road culvert was raised with boulders so that fish and other stream water fauna can now move through the road culvert in both directions Environmental DNA (eDNA) samples were taken from both the Korisevanjoki and the Ala-Kelvänjoki prior to the removal of the migration barriers new research methods will be used to study the effects of dam removal on water bodies Additional information:Mikael Rytkönen UPM, MediaMo–Fr 9–16 EESTtel. +358 40 588 3284media@upm.com UPM EnergyUPM Energy is the second largest electricity producer in Finland. We generate zero-carbon electricity in our own and co-owned power plants. In addition, we sell electricity and its derivatives on the electricity market and drive the energy transformation. www.upmenergy.com Follow UPM on X | LinkedIn | Facebook | YouTube | Instagram | #UPM #biofore #beyondfossils We use cookies on this website to ensure the best user experience and target personalised content and relevant advertising Some cookies are necessary to provide you with a trustworthy service and cannot be declined For more information, please see our Privacy Policy We and our business partners use cookies to collect information about you for various purposes: You may withdraw your consent at any time by clicking the Cookie settings in the footer of each page This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Services apply By subscribing, you agree to our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy Two studios have come together to create a one-of-a-kind lounge chair inspired by the natural world. Furniture maker Made By Choice runs its studio out of Halikko, a small municipality in Finland. The New York-based Snarkitecture is a fluid design and product firm that espouses an ethos of “not art Designed by Snarkitecture and produced by Made By Choice the LIEKSA chair is named after the city in Finland from which Snarkitecture designer Alex Mustonen hails Snarkitecture and Made by Choice reach new heights with ‘Lieksa’ a mountain-shaped furniture collection in bent birch plywood Working with Finnish design brand and Wallpaper* Design Awards 2022 winner Made by Choice they have created a series of chairs and tables with unusual undulating edges that give it ‘a distinct Snarkitecture look reminiscent of a mountain range or landscape,’ says Snarkitecture designer Clarisse Empaynado ‘We designed these pieces with creative collaboration and connection in mind as they were originally commissioned by our friends at Jayaram Law for a shared workspace dedicated to supporting innovation,’ explains Mustonen the natural warmth of the wood and the distinctive form will be a source of comfort and curiosity in any room.’ Produced at Made by Choice’s Halikko factory in southwestern Finland the collection – which comprises a dining chair and a dining or conference table – is made entirely of bent birch plywood The chairs adapt a simple design that involves a single piece of plywood that splits to form the seat and legs ‘After several material experiments and prototyping we ended up with a very Finnish way of making furniture; bending birch plywood which makes the chair new in its form language and at the same time very familiar in the way its been manufactured,’ says Antti Olin of Made by Choice and warm elements to contrast the industrial feel familiar in many creative spaces the series is also highly functional: the tables feature a concealed compartment to store small items such as phones Its lid can be reversed to reveal a hidden landscape that can be used as décor or a rest for small items escapism and design stories from around the world direct to your inbox As well as a distinctive and playful silhouette the respect for Finnish craftsmanship and close collaboration are the cornerstones of the collection ‘When different cultures and design languages meet the results are often unique and unexpected,’ concludes Made by Choice’s Niclas Ahlström The Lieksa collection by Snarkitecture for Made by Choice is available from madebychoice.com Léa Teuscher is a Sub-Editor at Wallpaper* A former travel writer and production editor and has been sprucing up copy and attempting to write clever headlines ever since Having spent her childhood hopping between continents and cultures She has written three Wallpaper* City Guides on Geneva According to the deputy head of department of Finland’s Border Guard the initiative to close the Parikkala and Inari checkpoints came from Russia “Now the border crossings will be permanently closed on the Russian side,” he added “They were established to import raw wood from Russia to Finland for industrial purposes,” Saareks said The municipality of Parikkala reportedly wants to keep the border crossing and hopes it’ll reopen for international traffic one day The city of Lieksa has also not yet approved the final decision to close the Inari crossing On January 9, Finnish Prime Minister Petteri Orpo said in an interview with Yle that the border with Russia should remain closed He believes that this is necessary to ensure that the situation on the border remains calm Published by: The Independent Barents Observer AS About us The Barents Observer follows the Code of Ethics of the Norwegian Press and the document Right and Duties of the Editor We report under full editorial independence and have no external interference Donate to our independent journalism Støtt oss via Vipps: 105 792 - Det betyr mye newstips@thebarentsobserver.com atle@thebarentsobserver.com thomas@thebarentsobserver.com☏ +47-905 73 143 denis@thebarentsobserver.com georgii@thebarentsobserver.com liza.vereykina@thebarentsobserver.com olesia@thebarentsobserver.com Privacy policy Open image viewerImage: Kari Kosonen / YleYle News24.10.2024 15:37Two temporary border crossing points in Parikkala and Lieksa have been closed for good These temporary border points in southeast Finland have not been used for several years Traffic was halted at the Inari post in the municipality of Lieksa in November 2021 and at Parikkala in April 2022 due to restrictions on exports of wood to Russia "The decision does not change the prevailing situation in any way and does not affect local residents," said Samuli Murtonen deputy commander of the North Karelia Border Guard while the Inari station is some 250 km further away in North Karelia – not in the municipality of the same name in Finnish Lapland where the Raja-Jooseppi border crossing point is located Open image viewerMap showing the locations of the two border crossing points near the city of Joensuu OpenStreetMapFinnish and Russian border guard officials agreed to close the temporary border crossing points earlier this month the Finnish government must amend the regulation on border crossing points to remove references to the Parikkala and Lieksa border posts The Border Guard districts of Southeast Finland and North Karelia have begun practical measures to implement the decision Following months of suspected instrumentalised migration by Russia, the Finnish government decided last spring to close all crossing points along on the eastern border indefinitely Officials said that Russian authorities had been funnelling undocumented third-country asylum seekers across the border as a hybrid pressure tactic The Border Guard is investigating the suspected organisation of illegal migration The video of the track "While Your Lips Are Still Red", written by NIGHTWISH leader/keyboardist Tuomas Holopainen as the main theme for the upcoming Finnish feature film "Lieksa!" is now available on YouTube The song features NIGHTWISH bassist/vocalist Marco Hietala on vocals Tuomas on keys and NIGHTWISH's Jukka "Julius" Nevalainen on drums Though "While Your Lips Are Still Red" is not exactly a NIGHTWISH composition it will be included as a bonus track on NIGHTWISH's forthcoming "Amaranth" CD single The movie "Lieksa!" directed and written by renowned Finnish movie director Markku Pölönen will premier in Finland during September 2007 NIGHTWISH has set "Dark Passion Play" as the title of its new album due on September 28 via Nuclear Blast Records (most of Europe),September 26 via Spinefarm Records/Universal (Finland) and September 28 via Roadrunner Records (USA) Check out the cover artwork at this location will precede the album on August 24 (Nuclear Blast) and August 22 (Spinefarm/Universal) It will be available in several different versions the details of which will be announced later To see the "Amaranth" cover artwork, click here "Dark Passion Play" will be NIGHTWISH's first album to feature 35-year-old Swedish singer Anette Olzon (a.k.a Anette Blyckert),who replaced the group's original vocalist Tarja Turunen (Thanks: Frank) HELSINKI FINLAND JUser: :_load: Unable to load user with ID: 58 The municipalities with the highest unemployment rates in Finland are found in Lapland and North Karelia, reports Tekniikka & Talous The highest unemployment rate of 18.8 per cent is found in Salla The regions with the highest unemployment rates are North Karelia (14.5%) and South-Eastern Finland (13.0%) Tekniikka & Talous writes that the figures are evidence of regional inequalities in employment prospects especially in light of recent improvements in the national unemployment rate The Ministry of Employment and the Economy has reported that the national unemployment rate stood at 10.3 per cent in November is particularly uncommon in Åland and Ostrobothnia where unemployed job seekers account only for four and seven per cent Aleksi Teivainen – HTPhoto: Vesa Moilanen – LehtikuvaSource: Uusi Suomi Advertisement inquiries and other after-sales issues: info@helsinkitimes.fi Helsinki Times is the first and only English language newspaper providing news about Finland in English A weekly print edition of Helsinki Times was published from March 2007 up until Feb Helsinki Times is an online-only publication and other groups and individuals interested in Finland from all around the world © Helsinki Times All rights reserved.  Terms of Use | Privacy Policy The local police have already independently launched their own investigation into a suspected case of incitement against an ethnic group and discrimination Open image viewerImage: Martti Heikkinen / Lieksan Lehti13.11.2013 12:27•Updated 13.11.2013 20:26A Somali group in the eastern town of Lieksa is filing a criminal complaint accusing a local Finns Party politician Saastamoinen led the Finns Party delegation on the city council he demanded that the delegation be given a new meeting room He said this was necessary because the current room was also used by a Somali working group at other times each week "The Finns Party chair told the city secretary that he feared that his members might catch something infectious if they used the room His party comrade then said in an agitated tone of voice that the venue should be fumigated," in order to sterilise it editor in chief of the local newspaper Lieksan Lehti no-one would have ever heard about it," she adds The Somali committee is aimed at improving cooperation between immigrants and the mainstream population in the town located about 100 kilometres north of Joensuu in the North Karelia region of eastern Finland which is a racist attack and an insult toward one part of the population These words were partly directed at children and women,” say committee chair Mohamed Hersi and deputy chair Liibaan Maalin in a statement City manager Esko Lehto tells Yle he has had good experiences with the committee and its work Lehto himself set up the group in the spirit of Finland’s Integration Act “I don’t have any criticism of them,” he says our meetings have always been held in a positive spirit and have been completely proper and businesslike.” Yle has not been able to reach the Finns Party's Saastamoinen He has since been replaced as a chair of the party delegation but continues to serve as first deputy chair of the Lieksa city council have been involved in a series of controversies over race-related comments and actions Open image viewerImage: Pekka Ovaskainen27.4.2015 7:32•Updated 27.4.2015 7:32In the North Karelian backwaters of Lieksa, the winding Kontiovaara dirt road takes travellers deeper into the wilderness not far from the Russian border. Eero Kortelainen has dealt in guided nature experiences around Lieksa for some fifteen years, and knows the Kontiovaara region and its wild inhabitants well. Leading the way to the small camouflaged huts made for wildlife observation, Kortelainen points out fresh bear tracks before bemoaning the disappearance of many species even in this remote corner of Europe. “Black grouse should be singing out loud by this stage, but there’s nothing to be heard. The lynx has also all but disappeared, and it seems that even wolves cannot survive here,” the nature guide laments. However, there is still enough wildlife around to attract nature-lovers and –photographers from around the world. The bears and wolverines that frequent the area are particularly popular, with visitors flying in all the way from the U.S., Australia and France – sometimes only for onenight – to see and photograph the beasts. Open image viewerImage: Pekka OvaskainenAt the time of writing, one small hut was occupied by photographers from Australia and Canada, who had come to Lieksa for three days. In social media, impressive wildlife shots spread throughout the world in an instant, bringing an increasing amount of queries from abroad, Kortelainen says. A BBC camera crew is set to arrive to Kontiovaara in the summer. However, all visitors are not vying for the perfect wildlife shot. “Lots of people just come to look at life in the wilderness, without an obsession to photograph. For many, the silence and remote peace of this place seem to be extraordinary experiences,” Kortelainen notes. After hiding out in a small hut for nearly four hours, a wolverine appears out of nowhere. The animal stands still for a moment, and then starts to walk around the snowy forest opening, intently looking around and listening to forest sounds. The small bearlike creature comes close to the hut, as if looking for a hidden food stash, but soon disappears into the forest empty-pawed. In addition to wolverine-spotting, the site is well-known for bear sightings. Open image viewerRemy Charamond and Olivier Larrey were after wolverines in Kontiovaara. Image: Siru PäivinenThe strong likelihood of seeing wolverines is what attracted Frenchmen Olivier Larrey and Remy Charamond to Kontiovaara.  “For several years, we’ve been shooting for a book on the life and mammals of the Taiga, which is a joint project with Finns. Now the book is almost ready, and we’re here to collect some video material for its marketing,” says Charamond, happy with the material gathered so far. Open image viewerThe plaid slippers have been an iconic Finnish brand since the 1930s. Image: Ari Tauslahti / YleYle News18.4.2019 13:23Finnish textile firm Finlayson announced on Thursday that it has bought the branding rights to Reino and Aino slippers. PK Kappi, the North Karelian-based company which made the easily-recognisable plaid slippers declared bankruptcy earlier this year. Finlayson's creative director, Kukka Kurttila, said the firm is looking for a reliable European manufacturer that meets its demands on quality, cost and responsibility. Kurttila said it is regrettable that the shoes can no longer be feasibly produced in Finland, noting that PK Kappi went bankrupt even though the slippers still sell well. He characterised Reino and Aino as a "national property." "Therefore we want to secure continued production," he said, adding that product development and sales will continue to be handled in Finland. The slippers - Reinos for men and Ainos for women - have been keeping feet warm since the 1930s. The soft shoes have been worn at home, in offices, outdoors and even local shopping centres by people of all ages. The brand received a shot in the arm in the mid-2000s after the vintage-style slippers became popular with youths. Kurttila said Finlayson plans to restore the nearly century-old brand to its roots. "There have been attempts to make it a fashion brand. But that's not our plan. I think the heart of Reino and Aino is one that does not follow trends," he said, but added that there is a possibility of expanding other products under the brand. PK Kappi's manufacturing facility in North Karelia's municipality of Lieksa officially closes on Thursday. The bankruptcy forced the company to dismiss 17 employees, including Satu Turunen, who's worked at the factory for the past decade. Open image viewerSatu Turunen has worked at the PK Kappi factory for the past ten years. Image: Marja-Liisa Kämppi / Yle"It seems quite shocking that a Finnish product is now being exported abroad. The slippers have been made in Finland since the '30s," Turunen said, adding that most of her work colleagues are now unemployed. a legendary beauty spot in eastern Finland has drawn a record number of visitors this summer Open image viewerKoli has been seen as one of Finland's iconic landscapes for more than a century Image: suomen valokuvataiteen museo17.8.2017 20:01Koli attracted a record number of visitors during a damp Accommodation in the area was almost fully booked Koli has a long history as a wilderness holiday destination with the first tourist lodge and nature trail opening in 1896 However Koli was not officially designated as a national park until 1991 they saw it as the cradle of Finnish folklore and the Kalevala epic poem These artists' glowing depictions helped to earn Koli's reputation as "Finland's best-loved national landscape," a slogan that is being used actively to sell it in this centenary year of national independence Open image viewerHiking trail by Lake Pielinen Image: Ismo Pekkarinen / AOPAccording to the Finnish Meteorological Institute last month was exceptionally cool and rainy in North Karelia Koli posted an all-time record tourism season but we've had a really great summer," says Veli Lyytikäinen managing director of the Koli Tourism Association "The number of visitors has risen dramatically The cafés and restaurants are also showing growth of 15 percent Accommodation isn't growing that much because our capacity has been almost entirely full." There are some 2,300 berths for visitors in the Koli area He hopes that a new hotel would be built in the region Visitor numbers are also rising swiftly at Koli National Park which straddles the municipalities of Lieksa Lyytikäinen expects the park's visitorship to rise sharply to more than 200,000 this year Open image viewerThere was still snow at Koli on May 7 this year Image: Ismo Pekkarinen / AOP"More than 20,000 people came to the Ukko Nature Centre in July which is an all-time record," he notes Koli attracts Finnish travellers as well as holidaymakers from central and southern Europe "There are lots from Switzerland and the Netherlands," says Lyytikäinen "Italy and Spain have been growing steadily." How have the Swiss and Spaniards found their way to this corner of eastern Finland Open image viewerKoli lies about 100 km from the Russian border Image: Yle Uutisgrafiikka"Years of work," says Lyytikäinen "Of course the extremely hot weather in southern Europe may have also had an impact in that they've headed north for their vacations then why not?" Lyytikäinen says with a chuckle In the past Koli – which lies just over 100 kilometres from the eastern border – has pulled in many Russian tourists The exchange rate for the rouble appears to be having an effect again I think they'll come back next winter," predicts Lyytikäinen The nimble lumberjacks have so far claimed more than one million Facebook views as they charmed viewers with their fancy footwork Now widely practised as a sport in many logging communities log rolling was traditionally the work of lumberjacks in times when lumber was floated down rivers as a means of transportation With their gravity-defying stunts and display of strength and dexterity brothers Joni and Toni Mikkonen show themselves to be smooth operators on slippery surfaces as they work the logs including through dangerously frothy rapids The Mikkonen brothers are two of some fifty Finns who devote their time to maintaining the tradition Apart from a valuable skill lumberjacks had under their belts log rolling also evolved to serve as entertainment in riverside logging communities By Monday afternoon the video had garnered some 1.8 million Facebook views and 16,000 shares from Yle's main news service Logging communities the world over host log rolling competitions and Finland is no different The Finnish national championships will take place on August 27 - 28 in central Finland near Jyväskylä. Competitors will take the measure of each oother in traditional  logrolling and rafting events. More information about the event hereOpens an external website (in Finnish). Open image viewerMarja Vanamo Image: Yle / Janne Ahjopalo3.5.2012 19:34•Updated 3.5.2012 19:36The man, from the eastern town of Lieksa, was sentenced to 60 days' imprisonment on Thursday. His jail time may be replaced by community service. Five other people from Lieksa were fined for taking part in the same online group last autumn, which featured insults and violent threats aimed at immigrants. Their fines ranged between 150 and 500 euros. Charges against two others were dismissed. District prosecutor Marja Vanamo said the judgement set an important precedent. She said she believed this to be the first time someone had been deemed responsible for disseminating comments made in an internet discussion group. "The principle is that the same rules govern comment on the web as in other forms of communication," says Vanamo. According to Deputy Prosecutor General Jorma Kalske, the fact that other hate crimes have been committed in the Lieksa area underlines the danger of the comments written on Facebook. He had sought suspended jail terms of at least four months for two of the defendants. Police say they are investigating another hate crime in Lieksa. They have begun a preliminary investigation related to the publishing of a Somali man's bank statement on Facebook. According to the tabloid Iltalehti, a woman who was among those fined on Thursday is also suspected of involvement in this invasion of privacy. Lieksa, a town of nearly 13,000 people north of Joensuu, is home to some 200 Somali immigrants. The matter was reported first by Lieksan Lehti Open image viewerImage: Yle12.11.2013 15:48•Updated 18.2.2015 17:46Lieksan Lehti reports that Esko Saastomoinen the leader of the Finns Party group on Lieksa’s town council has demanded a “clean meeting room” apparently because a Somali working group meets about once a month in the one they use now The municipal secretary Matti Taponen confirmed the incident to Yle saying that the meeting space in question is used by many groups Last week Lieksa’s health and social affairs committee gave the Somali working group permission to use the meeting space the Finns Party group chair made his displeasure clear "Saastomoinen brought the matter up before Monday’s council meeting,” said Taponen The regional chair of the Finns Party in North Karelia suggested to Yle that Saastomoinen might not have thought his actions through before making his comments Saastomoinen also serves as a regional deputy chair in the North Karelian party