Karelia: Land of Lakes, Forest and Ancient Magic

1. Karelia Land of lakes,forest and ancient magic

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Karelia is a beautiful
northwestern region of Russia
with thousands of lakes, dense
forests, and incredibly clean air.
The nature here is stunning, the
people are calm and welcoming,
and the traditions are very
ancient.
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3. Nature of Karelia

Karelia is truly a land of lakes:
there are more than 60,000
lakes. The largest are Ladoga
and Onega — they feel like real
inland seas.
Forests cover almost the entire
republic: pine, spruce, birch. The
air is so fresh that Karelia is
often called the “lungs of
Europe”
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4. Beautiful Places

Kivach Waterfall — one of the most famous in
Europe, especially powerful and noisy in
spring.
Ruskeala Marble Canyon — a bright emeraldgreen lake inside an old quarry,
breathtakingly beautiful.
Vottovaara Mountain — trees grow twisted
and strangely here, like something from a
fairy tale.
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5. Ruskeala Marble Canyon Ruskeala park

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6. Culture and Traditions

The Karelians are an
ancient Finno-Ugric
people, closely related to
the Finns. They deeply
love nature and believe
that trees, rivers, and
stones have souls
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7. Paganism and Magic in Karelia

In ancient times Karelians were pagans — they
worshipped nature and spirits. They believed:
Everything has a soul: trees, rivers, stones, animals.
There are gods: Ukko (god of thunder and sky),
spirits of the forest and water.
Ancestors help the living.
Shamans and healers were called tietäjä, noita, arpoja.
They healed people, predicted the future, and
communicated with spirits using spells, herbs, and rituals.
There were also sorcerers, seers, and whisperers who
removed the evil eye, helped with childbirth, and cast
spells for good luck in hunting or fishing.
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The most famous landmark is Kizhi
Island. Wooden churches stand there
without a single nail! The most beautiful
is the Church of the Transfiguration
with 22 domes.
Karelians sing ancient songs called
runes — long epic tales about heroes,
love, and nature, passed down through
generations.
There are folk festivals, dances, and
games. In the past they played
“kyukkyä” — a game similar to Russian
gorodki (towns).
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9. Cuisine

Karelian food is simple, tasty, and hearty —
everything comes from the forest and the
lakes.
The most famous dish is kalitki Small open
pies made of rye dough.
They love fish very much: fish soup (ukha)
made from pike, whitefish, trout, or salmon.
Lots of mushrooms and berries: bilberries,
lingonberries, cloudberries. They also eat
salted mushrooms, pickled berries, and
sometimes venison.
Karelians say: “If there is bread, there is no
hunger.” Bread is highly valued here.
П Р И М Е Р
Т Е К С Т А
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10. Fan Facts

Living Stones and Sacrificial
Rocks
Across Karelia, you’ll find seids
weighing several tons, balanced
in impossible positions.
Local belief says you must not
move or disturb them — or you
might awaken a spirit.
Interestingly, in some areas
animals reportedly avoid these
zones.
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