Elias Lönnrot on the Vienan reitti

Elias Lönnrot visited the village of Vuokki in Suomussalmi (including Matero and Vuokinniemi) for the first time in the summer of 1831, but had to return to Helsinki midway through his journey. Lönnrot was on the Vienan reitti for the first time in September 1833, when he recorded rhymes and sayings from the Kovala village elders and had ”one Kinnunen” sing to him during a boat trip to Kinnulanniemi. There he stayed overnight and suffered ”Tantalus's torments” amidst the crowd. The boat trip continued to Hyry, and on foot via Viiangi, across the Wuokinlatva border to Kivijärvi and Tsenaa, and further on to Vuonninen, where he met two significant rune singers, Ontrei Malinen and Vaassila Kieleväinen. On his return journey, Lönnrot rode horseback from Kivijärvi to Salmijärvi.

The next time Lönnrot travelled the Vienan reitti was in April 1834, when he met his greatest poet, Arhippa Perttunen, at village Latvajärvi. The meeting was crucial to the content of the Kalevala epic. The Kalevala epic was published in February 1835. In April-May 1835, Lönnrot returned from his extensive trip to Kianta and Kajaani along the Vienan reitti. Lönnrot was again on the Vienan reitti in June 1837, when he got lost on the path. The travelogue contains a colourful description of a charismatic preacher called Mikkonen, who was travelling in the Vuokki. The 1839 journey to Viena Karelia to collect poetry passed through Vuokki, but not exactly via the Vienan reitti.

Vienan reitti marker tree

The Vienan reitti played a key role in the creation of the Kalevala national epic. Lönnrot travelled the Vienan reitti four times on his ballad-collecting expeditions to Viena Karelia, which is why the locals have called the Vienan reitti Lönnrot's Path. The story tells that The Vienan reitti marker tree The year 1837 refers to the year when Lönnrot trekked along a route already familiar to him, but nevertheless got lost. A shelter and an information point have been erected at the marker tree of the Vienan reitti in memory of the cultural researchers.