Museum A-Ö » Wars and wartime » Lassfolk Culture House

The Lassfolk Culture House represents in a versatile way the everyday life of the 19th and 20th century farm, tar boiling and revolutionary events such as wars or the modernization of the society. In the unique village surrounding can be found exhibitions for both the young and the older. Nearly all of the buildings here are on their original site, which is rare among open-air museums.

The typical Ostrobothnian main building dates back to the end of the 19th century. Its end chambers, the main room, the kitchen and the porch are furnished with traditional carpets from Purmo and beautiful peasant furniture. An interesting piece of furniture is the so called log chair, which is made of a single caved stem of wood. In the log chair were stored handworks, but a spirit keg could also be slipped in there. In the cabin is also a memorial chamber with wartime works of the Lotta Svärd members and the homefront.

There is an exhibition on tar boiling in the Culture House, and in the nearby village of Villbacka is a reconstructed tar pit, where the regional society has been burning tar every 10 years since 1976. Tar was used for saturating ships, and in the 1870s 20 000 barrels or 2,5 million litres of it was exported from the harbour of Jakobstad per year.

In the house across the yard can be seen interesting and fun exhibitions, for example on how lamb’s wool becomes socks, or a fire truck from 1952 with its original equipment, such as hoses, uniforms and fire pumps. Let nostalgia flourish in the small village shop, where you can find products from both pre- and post-war years.

In the stately stone cowshed is an exhibition depicting the 20th century, built around the three books loved by Purmo people, i.e. the Bible, the bankbook and the landbook. It represents the religious nature of the region but also people’s endeavor for a safe and comfortable life. In the exhibition one can get acquainted with historical people from Purmo, explore a living room interior typical for the 1960s and compare the kitchen of today with the kitchen of the 1930s. There have been many accomplished athletes in Purmo, and in the sports corner are highlighted local skiers and medial-distance runners. In the veterans’ corner can be seen glimpses of the battlefront life in the form of handworks and uniforms.

Bread is often baked in Lassfolk on May Day in the traditional way, and a regional festival or a summer festival is organized in June. Sing-along evenings are also arranged during the summer months. Artisan products are displayed on the Purmo Christmas fair.

The next tar burning will be 1.-7. July 2026.