The Manamansalo Monument Church was built in 1959 on the site of a wooden church destroyed during the Russo-Swedish war. It was the first and one of the few churches in Kainuu in the 16th century. Kainuu’s first church cemetery also located there. During the Russo-Swedish war in 1578, the church was burned down and the church bell was stolen and transported to the monastery of Soloveski on the island of the White Sea, where it still is today.
The Monument Church was designed by architects Tuomas Väyrynen and Eero Huotari. In addition to the copper-covered concrete tower and wooden bell tower, the monument includes an altar, pulpit and benches with seating for about a hundred people.
Prehistoric findings have also been made in the vicinity of the monumental church, suggesting that the area was inhabited already almost 8,000 years ago. The church serves as an end point for the Deer Trail, which presents the cultural history of Manamansalo island.
The church and the parking area next to it can be accessed during snowless time of the year.
Manamansalo Monument Church is one of Rokua Geopark’s cultural attractions.
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