Association

For the Karelian Cultural Society (KSS), everyone who considers themself a Karelian is Karelian. We wish to offer an environment for collaboration and promote cultural dialogue. 

KSS activities focus on language and culture, history and tradition, publishing and Karelian skittles. The society records, revives and disseminates knowledge of Karelian traditions and history. We support and create ways to keep Karelian culture vivid in the everyday so that it also appeals to young people. 

The study and use of the Karelian language is increasingly popular. Popular music, theatre, literature and social media groups in Karelian witness of the growing language community. Nevertheless, Karelian is an endangered minority language in Finland. 

Teachers, teaching methods and support for learning are crucial to language revitalisation. KSS invests in teacher training, the development and publication of teaching methods and learning materials, and language courses. We support the publication of Karelian literature and the preservation of old language and poetry treasures from generation to generation. 

Recording history and tradition is an established activity of KSS. The society receives historical material and items and takes care of their appropriate archiving or preservation. We support Karelian identity by investing in genealogical research: we promote collaboration between members who do genealogical research and provide historical materials needed by genealogists (e.g. church records and other documents in Karelia and Finland). 

KSS promotes research of Karelian culture and history, either through its own research or publication activities or by awarding grants. 

KSS is known for active publishing. In addition to our own magazine Karjalan Heimo, we also publish high-quality literature. 

KSS took the initiative in the revival of Karelian skittles (in Finnish kyykkä) in 1951 when playing began in Seurasaari, Helsinki. In addition to its own gaming activities and events aimed at various communities, schools and companies, skittles unites Karelian people across borders. 

KSS operations comply with the society’s rules, strategy, administrative and financial regulation, investment strategy, and the annual action plan and budget.