Launch of ‘VIENA – Epic Kalevala Adventure’ in Kainuu, Finland

In spring of 2020, Spot-lit project partners in Kainuu, Finland selected seven product development ideas related to literary tourism for development and funding.

Today we are delighted to launch the first of these products: Vienan Portti Oy’s mobile game “VIENA – Epic Kalevala Adventure” .

Vienan Portti Oy as one of the seven applicants received funding for the development of the free, adventure mobile game “VIENA – Epic Kalevala Adventure”

The game is based on kalevala’s stories and authentic local history and sites in the poetry villages of  Viena Karelia. The starting point for the design of the game was to make the themes and items it presented known and to attract interest in them, thereby also increasing the tourist potential of the region. In collaboration with Vienan Portti Oy, the game has been completed by Kajak Games Osk, run by students from Kajaani University of Applied Sciences, and its internal game team Radical Red Games.

Traditional themes in a new format

“I’m excited about the game’s release and how the game has been adapted to the elements familiar from literature. The game has given written stories a visual form, which also inspires young people to get to know tradition and possibly also visit the site to experience the magic of the environment,” says the father of the idea, Keijo Ahtonen.

The game is made in Finnish and English and is available for free download on Android 10 mobile devices from the Google Play store. The game is therefore suitable for both domestic and international markets, and through it information about kaininga’s history can be experienced widely. It is a technologically innovative approach to literary tourism and the promotion of Kainnu’s culture to large audiences at national and international level.

Vienan Portti is a family business

Vienan Portti Oy is a company founded in 2019, located on an old Karelian family farm in Kuhmo Vartiuskylä, a few kilometers from the Russian border. The history of the farm means that it is well placed to promote karelianism and Karelianism, (Karelianism was a late 19th-century cultural phenomenon in the Grand Duchy of Finland and involved writers, painters, poets and sculptors). Eljas Ahtonen, the ancestor of the current owners, better known as The Uljaska of  The Rmmin, was a model for Akseli Gallen-Kallela when he painted väinämö in his famous Aino triptych.

Eljas Ahtonen, the ancestor of the current owners, better known as The Uljaska of  The Rmmin, was a model for Akseli Gallen-Kallela when he painted väinämö in his famous Aino triptych.

Keijo Ahtonen and Pirjo Kyllönen are entrepreneurs on their traditional family farm. Vienan Port will provide programme services and accommodation for tourists in the future where visitors can enjoy Viena delicacies. This summer Rimm has already got off to a good start in renovating the sites. The work continues, but you can enjoy the atmosphere of Rimm on a limited schedule at the Furniture Shed Café.

The authentic history of the farm, the proximity of the Russian border and many historical/mythical sites create a certain attraction both for the site itself and for the program services offered there. Site-based virtual experiences are also being developed on a long-term basis, enabling future customers to experience the world of Kalevala in almost its authentic environments.

Spot-lit project is funded by Interreg Northern Periphery and Arctic Programme 2014 – 2020.