National Museum of the Republic of Karelia

In the distant year 1871, by decree of the Olonets governor Grigory Grigoryev, the National Museum of the Republic of Karelia was founded. The museum was intended to popularize the province's riches, its natural monuments, and its ethnography. Many exhibits of that time were dedicated to Peter I — the founder of Petrozavodsk. Interestingly, in 1880 pearl women's headdresses from the museum's collection were presented at an exhibition in Berlin and received an Honorary Mention. Even then the rare collection was highly regarded in Europe.

The National Museum is located in the historic part of Petrozavodsk, in the buildings of the architectural ensemble of the Round Square — now Lenin Square. The museum exhibits over 230,000
items that tell the distinctive history of Karelia. The permanent exhibition is divided into 24 halls and consists of collections from numerous funds.

The Archaeological Fund is represented by a collection of prehistoric pottery and ancient weapons. Here you can see medieval kurgan treasures and ancient petroglyphs with crescent motifs on pedestals, anthropomorphic and geometric figures carved into
gr anite slabs. The Textile Fund contains more than 6,500 items and includes collections of civil costume, traditional headdresses, clothing, embroidery, and jewelry of the indigenous Veps and Karelians. The museum also houses everyday regional artifacts: porcelain tableware and objects made of metal and wood. Of particular interest is the collection of traditional musical instruments of the Finno-Ugric peoples of Karelia. In addition, the museum has a rich Fund of written sources covering the period from the 16th century to the present.

The National Museum of Karelia is one of a kind. It is a unique cultural center that preserves and promotes the region's rich heritage. The museum's collections allow visitors to travel back in time: to learn more about the local culture and history, to see its natural and ethnic diversity, and to appreciate the region's contribution to the development of Russia and world culture.