Colourfull History of Rovaniemi

* The Motorcycle at the photo is not present at the exhibitions of Arktikum.

The Lapland War (1944-1945) was waged as determined by the ceasefire agreement with the Russians: the Germans were to be driven out of the country. However, there was no great desire to fight against the former comrades-in-arms and no one wanted to be the last victim of the war. The scorched earth technique used by the Germans almost entirely destroyed Lapland. The withdrawal schedule dictated the pace of the war, and it held right to the end. Military equipment abandoned by the Germans can still be found in the forests of Lapland.

Stories: Ajatus Oy

The Arktikum tells a story about the people of the North

The Arktikum in Rovaniemi provides a unique insight into the way of life, culture and history of the North. It is a museum, science centre, popular cultural venue with impressive meeting and congress facilities and an architectural sight in its own right.

The permanent and temporary exhibitions portray culture, history, traditions and modern life in the Arctic regions. Come and find out about the livelihoods of the Northern peoples and animal life in the Arctic, or travel through history… far back to ancient times through to the recent past.

In the Provincial Museum’s permanent exhibition Northern Ways you will find out about the life of the moose and bear in the wild as well as the mythology surrounding these great northern animals. You will also hear the sounds of the Lappish animals. The exhibition presents Sámi culture, with its costumes and languages, and small-scale models of Rovaniemi from 1939 and 1944 with the stories behind the buildings. In terms of time, the exhibition traverses from prehistory to the present day. Dioramas and small-scale models make prehistory tangible.

The Arctic in Change is the permanent exhibition of the University of Lapland’s Arctic Centre. In the exhibition visitors have the opportunity to wander through the four main sections: - one introducing the Arctic in highly visual and interactive way, the second providing detailed information about how humans, fauna and flora have adapted and survived in the harsh environment, the third mostly concentrating on the current changes in the Arctic and demonstrating the global aspect of the changes and the fourth questioning visitors about the future of the Arctic from a very positive and optimistic perspective. The Arctic Centre exhibition deals with the current changes in the Arctic.

Panorama

The Arktikum's glass main corridor
The distinctive structure of the Arktikum is its glass tube, 172 metres long.