Degerby Igor Museum

Location:
Degerby Igor Museum
Furuborgintie 6
Degerby 10160
Finland

Contact:
Tel. +358 40 5418526
igor[at]degerby.fi

Opening Hours:
May to August
Tuesdays to Saturdays 11 am - 16 am
Year round by appointment

www.degerby.fi

Description: 

The main theme at the Degerby Igor Museum is the lease period of 1944-1956 in which the Soviet Union leased the region of Porkkala, a 1000 m² area in the west of Helsinki. It was a consequence of the continuation war between Finland and the Soviet Union (1941-1944). The strongly secured and isolated area of Porkkala was used as a Soviet military base for more than 30.000 inhabitants, soldiers, and civilians. The lease period of Porkkala was a unique epoch in the political history of Finland. It was also a threat to Finnish independence. Only now interest is awakened through our receiving a steady flow of information which is helping to form a complete picture of this puzzling lease.

The Igor museum was founded by the Village Council of Degerby in 1997 and celebrates its 20 year's anniversary in 2017. It consists of two buildings, the older one was the former municipality office until 1944, when the area was leased to the Soviet Union. The Village Council has improved and enlarged the other building for exhibition purposes.

Cold War Interests: 

The year 2017 is the 100th anniversary of Finland, but also the 20th anniversary of the Igor museum, which was opened in 1997! Our Finland’s 100th anniversary project, "Porkala Porkkala 100 – with love!" describes love stories and the people who have been living, leaving, and returning to our region. As a result of evacuations, people have been meeting new people from other places. So there are many stories to tell!

Further, we have uncovered many stories and pictures from an internet group in Russia founded by people sent to Porkkala during the lease period. The story of Vladimir Novikov, aged 6, arriving alone in Porkkala in 1946 is quite extraordinary.

The museum also presents accounts by witnesses of the period, especially by former Soviet inhabitants of the leased area. And of course we never forget the history of the Baltic States during and after our lease period.