Anu Talka's presentation in a workshop 9.5.2016. Culture is a meaningful part of the local development in South Karelia

1. 9.5.2016 1
SOUTH KARELIAN CULTURAL
HERITAGE OF KARELIA IN
REGIONAL DEVELOPMENT
Anu Talka
Regional Counsellor, M.A. & M.Sc. (B.A.)
Regional Council of South Karelia
Kauppakatu 40 D, 53100 Lappeenranta | Tel +358 (5) 6163 100 | etunimi.sukunimi@ekarjala.fi | kirjaamo@ekarjala.fi |
www.ekarjala.fi

2. SOUTH KARELIA
/ Lies next to the Russian border in South East Finland and in the
eastern border of European Union
/ New cultural and economic influences have always affected the
areas along the border
/ A mixture of high-tech industry, growing business, commerce,
beautiful natural environment and Karelian culture
/ The existence near the border has afforded possibilities of economic
growth and shaped the structure of the border region's economy
/ The existence is also an economical risk that might be realized
suddenly as has happened recently
2

3. SOUTH KARELIA
/ The fourth smallest region in Finland measured
by population (131 155 inhabitants in the end of
2015)
/ Lappeenranta and Imatra subregions
/ Lappeenranta University of Technology and
Saimaa University of Applied Sciences
/ Strong forest industry area
/ Structural change in economy and industry has
caused to lost jobs
3
/ Some of the lost industrial jobs have
compensated by jobs in service sector
/ South Karelia has benefitted from the Russians’
shopping tourism since the beginning of 2000
century
/ Trade, tourism and traffic keep up the positive
expectations
/ Some new rising industries are energy and
environment (cleantech), packaging technology,
robotics, health and wellbeing and food
producing

4. PARTNERS IN THE
BORDER
/ South Karelia
/ Population 131 155
/ Area 7 612 km²
/ Towns Lappeenranta (72 875) and Imatra
(27 835)
/ St Petersburg and Leningrad region
/ Population 6 565 568
/ Area 86 515 km²
/ Towns St Petersburg (4 848 700), Vyborg (80
000), Svetogorsk (16 000) and many others
/ Cooperation over hundreds of years – especially
after the St Petersburg’s foundation (1703)
/ Trade
/ Transport
/ Business
/ Labour
/ Tourism
/ Culture
/ Education
4

5. THE REGIONAL
COUNCIL OF SOUTH
KARELIA
/ One of the 19 regions in Finland
/ Joint municipal authority with 9 member municipalities
/ Politically elected representatives in the assembly and board
/ Statutory responsibility for regional development (also culture) and land use
planning
/ Preparation, implementation and coordination of national and EU’s regional policy
programs
/ Joint Managing Authority of South East Finland – Russia CBC Programme 2014–
2020 5

6. REGIONAL
DEVELOPMENT
STRATEGY
/ Strategy is done every fourth year for the next four years.
/ In 2014‒2017 strategy targets are:
/ Diversify the economic structure, entrepreneurship and know-how utilization
/ Develop the tourism and services for tourists
/ Maintain a clean and safe environment
/ Generate new business branches in the forest industry cluster
/ Support knowledge-based new enterprises and jobs arising from research and development activities in
the university and existing companies (energy and environment)
/ Help to create high level of education and supply skilled work force
/ Increase the amount of population
/ Guarantee the well-being of population by proper public services
→ The aim is to create a good place to live, study and work.
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7. 7
THEMAINISSUE‒
THEGREATLAKESAIMAA

8. 8
THE REGIONAL
STRATEGYAND
CULTURE –
WHAT SHALL WE DO IN
THE CULTURE BRANCH?

9. 9
THE REGIONAL STRATEGY OF CULTURE,
THE REGIONAL PROGRAM OF CULTURAL
HERITAGE ,
THE REGIONAL PROGRAM OF
ARCHITECTURE POLICY,
THE REGIONAL PROGRAM OF CULTURE
ENVIRONMENT,
SOMETHING ELSE?
WE DECIDED TO CONCENTRATE ON
REGIONAL STRATEGY –ALSO IN
CULTURE

10. WHAT WAS SAID IN THE
REGIONAL STRATEGY?
Entrepreneurial and know-how South Karelia
 Possibilities to influence and attraction
International and interesting border region
 Cultural diversity is the richness of the region
Green and renewable forerunner
 Building the green wellbeing
 Exploitation of the nature in art and culture
production
 Developing of services in the nature, well-being,
sport and culture tourism
Spontaneous and caring South Karelia
 Karelian people and culture
 Culture, the cultural enviroment and cultural
heritage as attractions
 Sustainable development in all areas of culture
 Good made-up environment
 Concrete steps for cultural development
 Societies and people as an asset
10

11. WHAT HAPPENED
NEXT?
11
/ Discussion and selection of goals
/ More discussion with help of experts
→ selection of action to each goal
/ Move on to the action together with suitable partners

12. OUR GOALS
 Advance good and attractive environment
 Advance the home land education of children and youth and
strengthen people’s local identity
 Raise local culture services and events
 Keep up discussion of the meaning of culture and its effectivity
12

13. WHAT HAS
HAPPENED?
/ Meetings for architects and public officials
/ Project in focus of interesting historical and natural places
/ New brand for South Karelia
/ At least 100 good things in South Karelia http://www.ekarjala.fi/ainaskiisata/
/ Branding: There is lots of culture near
/ Special discussion events
/ Cooperation with the media
/ Suomi 100 ‒ Finland 100 celebration
/ Affecting the new tourism strategy
/ The History of South Karelia project
/ New version of the regional national anthem Karjalaisten laulu https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H5_eNG-FnQ8
→ Culture is now a meaningful part of the local development in South Karelia 13

14. WORKSHOP
/ Building based on strengths
/ Which are the strengths of your home area in common and in
culture? What the culture and cultural heritage of your area could
give to the regional strategy?
/ Short pondering by yourselves (2‒3 minutes)
/ Share your ideas with your neighbours (5 minutes)
/ Discussion together
14

15. Regional counsellor
Anu Talka
Kauppakatu 40 D,
53100 Lappeenranta
Finland
Tel +358 40 350 8111
anu.talka@ekarjala.fi
www.ekarjala.fi
15
THANK YOU!