Tervetuloa Kainuuseen
The Province of Kainuu is made up of two cities and seven municipalities. The cities are Kajaani and Kuhmo, and the municipalities in descending order of population are Sotkamo, Suomussalmi, Paltamo, Vaala, Puolanka, Hyrynsalmi and Ristijärvi. At the end of 2006 Kainuu had approximately 84,350 inhabitants, of which approximately 1.25% were immigrants. Of the immigrants, approximately 58% were women. The majority move to Kainuu for family reasons. The first quota of refugees was received in Kainuu as long ago as the early 1990s. Kainuu is a province of many cultures. The majority of Kainuu immigrants are Russian. Other large immigrant groups include Sudanese, Iranians, Afghans, Estonians, Iraqis, Eritreans, and refugees from the former Yugoslavia.
Kajaani is the province’s capital, with principal industries including paper and electronics, and information technology. Kajaani is a centre for study, with the Kajaani University Consortium as a unit of the University of Oulu, and a University of Applied Sciences (with measurement technology as its specialist field). In Kajaani basic degrees may also be studied in the fields of culture, natural resources, well-being, business economy, technology and transport, and tourism and catering.
Kajaani is a garrison town: Finland’s largest readiness brigade, Kainuu Brigade, and the Kainuu Border Guard are stationed here.
Kajaani can be reached by car, train or aeroplane. The airport is situated at Paltaniemi, approximately 8 km from the city centre. The railway and bus stations are located in the city centre.
Further information: www.kajaani.fi>>kaupunkitieto
Counselling and guidance:
Social services for asylum seekers and refugees, City of Kajaani immigrant services
Lönnrotinkatu 3
2nd floor
FI-87100 KAJAANI
tel. +358 8 615 52760
Assistance and support in day-to-day affairs
www.monika.fi
City of Kajaani counselling:
Neuvokki
Kajaani City Hall
Pohjolankatu 13
FI-87100 KAJAANI
www.kajaani.fi>>muuttajalle
Culture
Kainuu is home to a number of high-level cultural events, such as Kuhmo Chamber Music Festival, Poetry Week, Kajaani Tanssii! and Kainuu Jazz Spring.
Kajaani Town Theatre offers a variety of theatrical performances on two stages in Kajaani and, as regional theatre, on tour within the Province of Oulu. Kajaani Amateur Theatre holds performances throughout the year, with summer theatre as an enduring tradition. Kajaani also has the triple screen BioRex cinema, which premieres new films coming to Finland. Vintage cinematic gems can be enjoyed at Kajaani film club presentations. Routa, the Registered Society for Promoting Dance in Kajaani, runs a programme of professional dance productions.
Kainuu is the scene for numerous local cultural occasions, traditional events and musical performances. A number of active amateur-based summer theatres perform in the Kainuu region, drawing audiences from all over Finland.
Further information on events in Kainuu: Kajaani Info
Also visit www.kajaani.fi>>kulttuuri
Nature
Kainuu’s natural scenery is dominated by hills, forests, waterways and marshes. The countryside is open and unspoiled. The seasons are colourful. Winter snow cover may be very deep. In the cold winter months the outside temperature may fall below ‑20°C. Special attention must be paid to clothing.
A guide to the cold for immigrants
Berry and mushroom picking, and fishing are available all year round, providing not only the benefits of outdoor activity but also healthy additions to the food table.
Politics
All Kainuu municipalities, apart from Vaala, belong to the Joint Authority of Kainuu Region. This Kainuu administrative experiment has a political programme for 2005-2012 of national significance.
Further information:
The Joint Authority of Kainuu Region
Kauppakatu 1
FI-87100 KAJAANI
tel. +358 8 615 541
www.kainuu.fi
Historic castle and great historical figures
Kajaani castle, built in the 17th century and now a ruin, is the most famous historical site in Kainuu.
Count Per Brahe founded the town of Kajaani in 1651.
During the 19th century Elias Lönnrot, who once was a district doctor in Kajaani, collected a wealth of material on folk poetry which eventually gave birth to the Finnish national epic, Kalevala.
Eino Leino, Finland’s most famous poet, was born in 1878 in Paltaniemi, where visitors today to the Eino Leino House can learn about his life and poetry.
Finland’s long-serving president Urho Kekkonen went to school in Kajaani.
Further information www.kajaani.fi>>historiaa
The principal funding for this page comes from the European Social Fund.