The story of Rajakartano Apartment Hotel
Rajakartano served as a border guard station from 1956 to 1989; after all, the Russian border is less than two kilometres away. The Koitajoki River, which dominates the landscape, flows for 50 km on the Russian side and then along the Finnish-Russian border for about 5 km before turning west at our village.
As a little girl, I walked with my aunt past the new, stately buildings of the Border Guard when she visited the cemetery next to it. The soldiers with guns and their dogs were frightening, but there was something sublime about the place, as there was about these men. I believed, like the villagers, that they could keep evil out of a village that had seen hardship. I had heard stories of the war and its devastation, though adults were careful not to speak of them in front of children. I wanted to see the yard more closely, but my aunt said that it was the workplace of those men, and not to go there unless you wanted to. The mystery of the place was etched in my mind for decades.
The eastern border has fascinated curious visitors. Border guards reportedly had to apprehend a Russian border crosser only once in the early days of the station. Otherwise, border crossings have taken place from the Finnish side, mainly as an attempt by foreign tourists to visit the more mysterious side of the eastern border of Finland and later the EU. Finnish border guards have caught these curious people before their Russian counterparts and let them continue their travels in Finland, accompanied by substantial fines.
After the Border Guard Station moved to its new premises in 1989, the buildings were used as housing for the Border Guard staff, the “Old Guard”. Our company bought the site in 2001 and renovated the premises for tourist use.
Initially our working name for the hotel was Mörkövartio, “The Boogeyman´s Watch”. Möhkö’s history contains many bogeys, the biggest and scariest of which was the village of Möhkö being occupied by the Soviet Red Army during the Winter War. It left many people with an eternal fear of the Russians. Other bogeymen were said to lurk behind big rocks, at the foot of big fir trees and in the dark. Children were kept in check by scaring them with bogeymen, and it worked. Fortunately, the Russian presence and threat, even in the current situation, is now very small in Möhkö. The border zone on the Russian side is very wide and difficult to cross, and there is no border crossing point nearby.
Since 2002, Rajakartano’s seven apartments and common areas have been used mostly by Finnish tourists, but also by companies and communities. Among foreign tourists, Central Europeans have been the most frequent visitors. Our most distant guests have come from Australia, Jamaica, Saudi Arabia, USA, Japan and Hong Kong. They have stayed in our house for overnight stays, holidays, family reunions and class reunions. Companies have held training courses and staff retreats, bringing their guests to experience the peaceful exoticism of the eastern frontier and enjoy good food, saunas and relaxed get-togethers. Without exception, they have been happy to sleep peacefully and enjoy the presence of nature. One of our favourite moments is meeting a guest who arrived tired in the evening, looking completely different in the morning, well-slept and curious to experience the start of the day.
Rajakartano is also known for its saunas, with both a traditional wood-fired sauna and a smoke sauna on the banks of the river. In the summer, it’s a must to take a dip in the river to wash off the sweat and freshen up. In winter, the river doesn’t usually freeze over until January, so the large open space is available for all but a few months. The riverside setting adds its own atmosphere and invites you to a contemporary Finnish tradition of grilling sausages. A special treat are the spelt pancakes baked in a masonry pan and topped with homemade jams.
We focus on local and organic food. In the fields of my childhood home, about half an hour drive away, we grow spelt, which we use in all our baking. We are part of the Karelia à la carte local food network. Its core values are Karelianism, localism, originality, hospitality and nature. Berries and mushrooms from local forests are present in some form in all our dishes. We also allow our guests to pick the bounty of nature and, if necessary, guide them to the best spots. Our plant dryer is also available for our guests.
The most important natural element in the village of Möhkö is the Koitajoki River and its rapids. It has been used as a timber floating channel since the 1960s. Fish have always been caught and harvested from the river. Timbermen and fishermen have paved paths along the banks of the river, and we have now restored the section between the sauna shore and Anninkoski as our own power trail. This landscape lives a quiet life, providing a habitat for many creatures other than fish. In the spring, beavers descend the hill on the banks as they go around chopping bark from deciduous trees for food and felling dam trees. The bear, its head displayed as a border guard symbol, is part of Möhkö’s fauna, although few people see it in the wild. The tracks of moose, otter and lynx are often found on the slope, as are those of wolves and minks. The minks are judged to be hunted to extinction to avoid disturbing the life and nesting of waterfowl that arrive in spring.
This trail, Tukkimiehen Taival, charges the flowing water with spiritual currents for its followers and viewers, and for me is an important vent for my thoughts. The trail continues above the rapids as the Rajamiehen Partiopolku, winding its way around the border zone, following the path once trodden by the frontiersmen and the ski and toboggan trail, with the peaceful River Koitajoki visible along the way.
Each time, the trails reveal something new. The senses get tuned to colours, smells and, above all, sounds and silence, all of which vary according to the weather, wind direction and light. A trip on a wooden boat frees your thoughts from everyday worries. These are the pleasures we offer our visitors to maintain and achieve peace of mind.
We warmly welcome you to Ilomantsi and Möhkö to discover local delights and your own nature!
Elvi Lemmetyinen
Hostess of Möhkö Rajakartano
Möhkö 5.1.2025