Birch bark project
Funded by Interreg II Karelia 1996-1999

Objective of the project

The objective of the project was to develop the birch bark working knowledge of North Karelia into a regionally and nationally important centre in the birch bark working. Operations were going to include product planning, networking of the experts of the field, marketing of products and training and seminar events. The development of the birch bark working knowledge was going to demand the utilization of the knowledge of birch bark working experts from the Republic of Karelia because the local experts in the traditional birch bark working were disappearing from Finland. In the Republic of Karelia, however, the experts are taught in the birch bark working from an early age. The project was also going to give the experts in the birch bark working in the Republic of Karelia opportunity to learn about the business opportunities and skills in the field. In order to understand the entity of birch bark working, in the first phase of the project, oral, written and concrete birch bark working material was going to be collected and the birch bark working experts in North Karelia mapped. The information collected was going to be assembled into a data bank. The birch bark workers were going to take part in a sales fair, where the sales, needs for product development and the enthusiasm and willingness of the workers to develop their knowledge into entrepreneurship through joint business actions were going to tested. The project´s to a traditional horticulture area was going to enhance the business actions of the village´s residents and bring new opportunities for the entrepreneurs in the tourist industry to utilize artisanship.

Main activities

Achievements