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The online exhibition at the Gold Museum can also be visited from the comfort of your own home. Or you can check our travelling exhibition schedule and maybe catch it in a town near you!
Gold Story
The Gold Story takes you to the world of gold from the comfort of your home. To immerse yourself in gold history, all you have to do is to get comfortable and let yourself get carried away by the story. Most of the stories can be found in our main exhibition, but some can only be accessed online on our website. Welcome to the world of GOLDEN STORIES!
DestiniesWhether there’s talk about gold prospectors today or during the time of Grand Duchy of Finland under the rule of the Russian tsar, human destinies are the most fascinating topic in the colorful gold history of Lapland. Stories tell about failures, tremendous luck and of course tragicomic and romantic happenings.
Law and OrderCommon for all gold rushes is that prospecting and social phenomena relating to it have been controlled by legislation either before or during the rush.
Locals in gold historyLocal people have been involved in Lappish gold history since the beginning. Some of them were prospectors themselves or were helping the officers. Many others provided groceries and other supplies in addition to local shops. During the later and silent decades of Kultala Crown Station, a local person Sammeli Saijets worked as the last guardian during winter season. He was not afraid of the polar night and loneliness.
BOOZE in gold history of LaplandBooze drink for workmen, cognac or strong booze in grocery lists, sometimes even wine. Alcohol was more or less essential part of gold prospecting culture also in Lapland since the beginning.
Women IIThough not so obvious in written documents, and despite the numerous stories about lucky and unlucky men, women have always been a part of gold history, all times and everywhere. Lapland is not an exception, so here you can find a few examples of different women throughout the Lappish gold history.
Gold finds and dreamsThere are many stories related to how gold was discovered in Lapland. But one of the most interesting topics among these stories is discoveries in dreams.
LegendsWhen talking about destinies and legends related to gold history, you can say they are as many as the amount of people in the goldfields of Lapland. However, some legends have become bigger than others. Here some examples of the legends
Travelling exhibition Gold Rush to Lapland
In 1868, Kondrad Lihr’s expedition team made Finland’s first promising gold discovery along the River Ivalojoki. Although the discovery was a modest 0.2 grams of gold, the news was sensational. The following year, two sailors, Ervast and Lepistö, found more than 2 kilos of gold in Ivalojoki, thus confirming the Lihr expedition’s discovery of Lappish gold. The gold rush had begun!
Gold Museum has produced a travelling exhibition of these events. The Gold Rush to Lapland exhibition tells the story of the Ivalojoki gold rush, which was the starting point for more than 150 years of gold heritage in Lapland. History of gold is explored both in general level and through individuals — not forgetting local people and women. The exhibition consists of 13 different thematic panels, which can be varied according to space and situation.
The travelling exhibition started its tour in July 2019 at the Ivalo Library. The exhibition has been on display during the Finnish Championships and World Championships in Gold Panning in Tankavaara and in the libraries of Savukoski, Pelkosenniemi, Sodankylä, Piippola, Nivala, Rantsila, Pudasjärvi, Tervola and Salla. In the summer of 2022, the exhibition will travel to the Outokumpu Mining Museum.
Are you interested in having the exhibition displayed in your own premises? Contact the Collection Manager Hanna Mattila by phone +358 400 688 128 or by email at firstname.lastname (at) kultamuseo.fi.
- >
- Exhibitions
- >
- Online and travelling exhibitions