Liperi

Liperi – a bread region

Liperi ("Libelits" in Swedish) is a municipality of Finland. It is located in the province of Eastern Finland and is part of the North Karelia region. Liperi is a picturesque community of 11,933 people with the growth rate of 83 newcomers in 11 months in 2007. The population density is 9.9 inhabitants per km². The municipality covers an area of 1,160.88 km² of which 421.12 km² is water, so it can be described as beautiful countryside.

The municipality is unilingually Finnish.

There are three population centres in the municipality of Liperi: Liperi, Ylämylly and Viinijärvi. Most of the people in the area live in Ylämylly, which is growing rapidly, since there are high quality living quarters available after the garrison moved out of the area. We have found new ways of using the army facilities. The former canteen is now a kindergarten, a barrack yard has been turned into a skate park, and barracks have successfully been converted into a nursing home and a school.

The three most popular sports are concentrated in the three population centres: soccer in Ylämylly, Finnish baseball in Viinijärvi and volleyball in Liperi. The women baseball players compete in the top League and the sports club has won 7 medals in the Finnish Championship League, even a golden one. Likewise, a boy’s volleyball team is the Finnish champion. Year by year new generations reach the top ten position in the Finnish Championship Junior League. And let’s not forget about the five-time Finnish marathon champion, who is our history teacher.

The sport center Pärnävaara was built in 1990. It was built together by the city of Joensuu and the municipality of Liperi. Pärnävaara is located in Ylämylly. It is 16km from Joensuu and 15 km from Liperi’s centre. In Pärnävaara there are solid and safe ski-tracks for cross-country skiing. The 5-km ski-track is lighted so there you can ski in the dark time too. In summer the same ski-track is rollerbladers’ track. It’s unique in Finland. In the forests of the area there is varied orienteering terrain. There are several mountain bike routes as well. It’s a popular place to run and walk in. You can even have a chance to ride on horseback. You can climb a wall of rock nearby the biathlon stadium.

Pärnävaara has been the host for the Finnish skiing championship events twice. There was also the World Championship event in dog-sleigh-riding. We have also had the Jukola orienteering relay race that lasts through the night, Fin5 orienteering race and the Silva-forest exhibition. Although we have such a splendid winter sport centre, you still have to play icehockey out in the open wind and snowing. But at least dog shows and agility competitions are arranged there every year.

The services in Pärnävaara include ski wax premises, a café where they serve you with delicious donuts and biscuits and warm coffee after skiing, a Lapp hut with a campfire for a picnic, a 28-place biathlon training area and arranged excursions, eventful experiences in nature.

There’s another common infrastructure with Joensuu on Liperi’s soil. Although it’s on Liperi’s side, it’s still called the airport of Joensuu.

Liperi welcomes the part-time residents too that live in their about 3,000 summer cottages along our lakesides. Liperi was the first in Finland to establish a council of summer residents, whose task among other things is to maintain beneficial contact with the permanent residents. Even you can enjoy our summer time at a lake by hiring a cottage.

Lake Kuorinka has crystal clear water. It comes from springs so it is a special place to swim in or fish or just rest. Hundreds of visitors a day stop by, swim and sunbathe there in summer. Kuorinka has a shallow and ample beach that reaches half a kilometre from the bank, so kids can swim there safely. The lake area is about 1,300 hectares and the deepest spot is 32 meters, which is exceptional with smaller lakes like that as the average water depth is only a few meters. You can buy f.ex. candy, ice-cream and cards in the kiosk that’s open from the morning to late at night. A bike track trails all the way from Joensuu and it’s really popular among rollerbladers. It’s one of the most popular roadside resting places in Finland. But there is one problem. The shallowest places have started to grow plants and it harms fishing, swimming and the rest of the users. However, no blue-green algae have ever been detected in the lake yet. But we just have to make sure that it will stay in good condition or even get better.

Fields, forests and lakes surround us. The lakes are full of fish, so people also catch fish a lot. In summer the forests are full of berries (blueberry, raspberry, lingonberry) and in autumn there are lots of mushroom and boletuses that are exported to Italy too. Hunting is also a popular hobby among young people. According to hunters’ calculations there are 199 meese. They have also observed 2 wolves and about 15 lynxes but they cannot be hunted.

Liperi is 25km from the town called Joensuu so it’s a popular place to live for families who want to live in the countryside and they go to work to Joensuu. The tax rate is 19.50 (2007).

Liperi is a very peaceful place to live in. Most people who come here don’t want to go away. In fact, you can buy all the daily products or services you need right in Liperi so you don’t have to go shopping anywhere else if you don’t want to. What’s more, there is no shortage of parking space. The market places attract visitors from a distance in summer. So do the dance happenings, for example the Finnish Championship Dance Contest in “humppa”, which is a simplified form of walz for common people.

The coat of arms with its crosses symbolizes the mother parish of Liperi and the four major neighbouring parishes that have been detached from Liperi.

Liperi has friendship municipalities in Germany (Büchen), Estonia (Saku), Russia (Vepsä), Denmark (Sejlflod), Sweden (Orsa)Norway (Rendalen).

Service industry, industry and commerce

"Kaprakka – a rehabilitation centre"

If you preferred a swimming pool in winter instead of taking a dip in a frozen lake through an opening in the ice after the sauna, you’d enjoy the asthma-friendly water (+20C) in Liprakka. The water cleaning system is ozone-based. Liprakka is part of Kaprakka, a rehabilitation centre especially for those with respiratory problems. The main building has received merit for its architectural design. The company is one of the biggest employers in Liperi. There’s also a vocational education centre that has international relations with other vocational schools in Europe.

"The Honkalampi foundation"

It is another great example of how take care of people in Liperi. It has a centre for handicapped in Ylämylly and many sheltered accommodations around North Karelia. Its activity has been certified by Det Norske Veritas and that means it’s a proof of the high quality services and different support that it offers for handicapped people and their relatives.

"Other significant employers"

They include also internationally known companies such as machine workshops Mantsinen Group and Antti Ranta Co, both building big machines for logistics. Vexve Co produces 150,000 valves a year and it has gotten the Ernst&Young Entrepreneur of the Year Prize, which measures the enterprising spirit, strategy, line of action, economic success, innovations and ethics. Eko-Aims Co also represents an ethical company with its ecological alternative for shooting sport. It uses electric equipment and no bullets. Flinkstones Co has exported speakers made of soapstone to eight countries. Nationally relevant companies have mainly to do with food processing: The Liperi Dairy, the bakery Vaasan&Vaasan and the meat processing company called Karelian Lihajaloste. Liperi has housed other innovations too, for example a patent for new kind of curved, more effective rowing oars and the world’s first helicopter powered by diesel fuel. It saves masses of fuel compared to traditional helicopters.

"The dairy"

The co-operative dairy and mill in Liperi is owned by the local milk producers and it’s a multifaceted grocery company, which employs 16 persons and the sales are about 10 million euros a year.

It has been established in 1895 and its own dairy building was finished at its present location at the shores of Kirkkolahti bay in 1906.

The milk refinery started with making butter and it continued until the beginning of the 21st century. The making of edam cheese started in 1962 and it was made until the end of May, 2005. Nowadays the company continues as part of milk production by trading with milk.

The first mill was built in 1906 beside the building that housed the dairy. After the mill’s fire in 1963 it was built again in its present place. The mill refines only domestic bread grain and feed grain. It’s famous especially for its organically produced flour. The corporation has a versatile farm shop too with a pleasant atmosphere.

Although the dairy has finished some of the basic activities, it has obtained some new important production lines instead. It has a heating plant and the heat energy is produced mainly from domestic raw material for energy, wood chips and turf.

"The bakery Vaasan&Vaasan"

The bakery is in Ylämylly and it has grown in ten years into the biggest bakery in Eastern Finland and it’s the leader of the whole bakery market. This company has long traditions in North-Karelia. The company has about 130 bakery products. Every year the bakery produces 3.5 million kilograms of bread. There are 50 bakery workers and 25 people in transport and in some shops. The bakery in Liperi is one of the most modern bakeries of the baker company Vaasan&Vaasan. The most popular products are Vaasan ruispalat (pieces of rye bread), Vaasan ruislimppu (a loaf of bread made of rye), Vaasan Koulunäkki (hard dry bread) and Vaasan Kotiuunin products (“homemade” sweet products). Vaasan&Vaasan products like dry bread Finn Crisps are also exported.

"Machine workshop Mantsinen Group Ltd"

Mantsinen Group is a pioneer for wood processing, industrial and port logistics and handling material. Mantsinen offers its customers whole contracting services and plans and builds machines for handling different material.

The company’s trade started already in the 1970's with lumber transportation and wood handling contracting, when the brothers Veli and Juhani Mantsinen founded the machine renting company VELI-JUSSI. Soon they noticed there’s a need to develop the equipment as it didn’t meet the requirements. This innovative work is still the basis for today’s material handling machines especially with their new structure of stronger booms.

From 1992 onwards Mantsinen has been responsible for the wood handling in the wood processing company Enocell among other things. The company has been internationally oriented otherwise too right from the beginning. Contracting expanded to Russia in 1989, to Estonia in 1994 and to Latvia in 1997. Affiliated companies have been founded in all of these countries. In 2007 contracting covers over 30 targets in the home country and abroad. The concern employs about 530 persons in Finland, in Russia and in Latvia.

The first port crane of the company was made in 1998. The operational expansion led to their own machine workshop, which was completed in 2001 in Ylämylly. In 2007 Mantsinen’s product range varies with 18 different models of machines. In addition, the machines can be fitted according to the customer’s needs. In fact, due to their flexibility and versatility the machines are quite economical to use. The loading capacity is even double the size compared to traditional cranes.

Mantsinen Ltd has been awarded with the Finnish National Enterpriser’s Awardand with the Internationalization Award of the President of the Republic.

"Machine workshop Antti Ranta Oy"

The company called Antti Ranta Oy has over 25 years of experience of heavy equipment. It is also located in the industrial area of Ylämylly.

They have four different kinds of classifications for tools that they produce for transport systems. One of them is LIPE, which is for transporting such as heavy trucks. AJO is for maintenance of roads. Then they have HOKKE snow ploughs. LUMEX is meant for helping with real estate service. The company also has a wide range of services for the repair of its own models.

The Evangelical Lutheran church

"About the history of the church"In old days Lutherans have had hot arguments with the orthodox church. We have had strong orthodoxy, because the Russian border is so near us. Because of these disagreements they burned each other’s churches. Nowadays they work together as those hostilities are history.

The Liperi parish dates back hundreds of years. The current neighbouring municipalities used to belong to Liperi and its parish.

"Present times"

About 90% of the people in Liperi belong to the evangelical Lutheran church and about 90% of the children of Liperi are christened and they go to a confirmation camp. Other clerical services in popular use are joining a couple in a holy matrimony and burying. Only a few Finnish people go to the church every Sunday. On average people of Liperi go to the church once a month and on festival days. The parish arranges clubs and other activities for people of all ages, for example the training of group leaders for the confirmation camps. The paid employees include pastors, youth-leaders, deacons and cantors. The cantors have to be able to play many instruments for example, the old organs, the flute and the recorder. The money for the activities comes from the parishioners’ taxes, 1.6% of the income.

The church buildings are located in the center of Liperi and in Viinijärvi. In Ylämylly there is a parish house. The main church has been built in 1858. The present church is the fifth in that place. All the older churches have burned down also because of lightening and that’s why they finally decided to build it with bricks. In the church there are seats for about 1500 persons. It is the first brick church in North-Karelia. In 1879 the church got its organ. It was the first church organ in eastern Finland and it is still standing in our church.

Our church is beautiful though it’s not so decorative. It describes Finns. It’s rugged on the outside but pretty on the inside. It’s beautiful for its simplicity.

When today’s church had been built and they had put the cross up to the bell tower, it had fallen down. The cross still stays a little bit crooked. Nobody has gone up to straighten it. There’s a quaint little museum in the tower, too. It is characteristic to the old building that the cantors have to come earlier than others because they have to check if all is OK before the service starts because the temperature and humidity changes all the time up there in the organ loft.

Events

"The traditional bread day"

Liperi is a strong farming district, so the bread day celebrates the long tradition of cultivating the crop-yielding fields.

The happening is going to be international, because North-Karelia’s adult institute will arrange “Karelian food forum”, which ends up in the bread day. Kitchen masters from the USA, Russia and Germany have been invited to the happening. Liperi has invited cooks also from its partner municipalities. The audience can choose their best pick. Home cooks’ rye bread competition is held every year and a jury votes for the best bread.

The Agricultural Producers Central Association (MTK) is celebrating its 90-year journey in 2007 on the bread day. For families there’s an old-time agricultural exhibition with a functioning windmill and both really old and new tractors and other agricultural equipment, animals from birds to sheep. The breed Finn horse is honoured, because it has a 100-year journey behind. Children can also acquaint themselves with llamas and there are lots of things to see having to do with forest, hunting and fishing.

The bread day is indeed celebrated as a real harvest party.

"Liperi week"

The Liperi week has taken place from the year 2002 in the last week of July (from Saturday to Saturday). The Liperi week’s idea is to have a summer happening in Liperi, where the dwellers and summer cottage owners can meet each other. The Liperi week is not only a cultural happening. There are program for children, sports, different kinds of courses, dance and other things. In total the event gathers thousands of participants.

"The summertime rowing event Suvisoudut"The suvisoudut is an annual event, which takes place in Liperi. There you can see beautiful “church boats” and their rowers. Suvisoudut takes place in the middle of summer, in July. The rowers row about 30 km. They start from the Kirkkolahti bay beside the church and they make a round trip in the lake district of Great Saimaa back to Liperi. The spectators can play some funny games and they can also buy something in the street market place.

Since Liperi is such an intriguing place, you should check it out for yourself.

frame|right|This presentation of Liperi is based on the essays written by the pupils of the Liperi comprehensive school from the classes 9A and 9B in 2007. The roofs of the school can be seen behind the sports centre.
frame|right|Our school is one of the hundreds of schools in the Environment Online network of schools that follow local and global environmental issues and report findings to each other. The network also takes action against environmental threats for example by planting trees. ENO has won the international Global Junior Challenge Award. The building will soon house a preschool and grades 1-9, about 450 pupils.