Photo: Finnish Heritage Agency, photographed by Aarne Pietinen, 1936
Life in the shadow of war
Thanks to the information obtained about Käylä’s lotta history, the joint efforts of the villagers and the wider support of the people of Kuusamo, a lotta memorial stands next to the Käylä church. There is a plaque attached to the stone of the Salpa Line, which honours all the lotta who served in the area.
Information about the local lotta activities has been collected in Käylä. In the minds of the people of Käylä and in their family circles, there was scattered information about the lotta of Käylä. There had been little lotta training, air surveillance and a call centre. In Tiermas, the wounded were treated and on the shore of Käylänkoski there was an evacuation centre for the fallen, KEK, where the fallen were put in coffins in order to take them back to their home municipalities.
While working on the Lotta memorial in Käylä, it was noticed that people had a need to talk about their experiences. Many of the memories were scary and heavy, but there was more. The priest went to bless the dead at the evacuation centre. When it was heard in Ronttivaara that the priest was coming, a child was brought there to be baptised. The priest blessed the dead and baptised the Tyyne girl in the shelter of a spruce. Life continued in the shadow of war.
The Käylä lotta memorial was erected in Finland’s 100th anniversary year. According to the villagers, it’s like a gift to 100-year-old Finland. The memorial was one of the Suomi-100 events.
Collecting the memories of the lotta monument and the information behind it was important not only for remembering, but also for the preservation of information.
(Excerpts from Arja Kilpivaara’s veterans’ celebration speech, Käylä church 2021)