The History of Pieksänlinna
The hotel is located in an old building known as Pieksänlinna or later Kinolinna. Architecturally, the building represents the functionalist era, characterized by the idea that each part of the building serves a specific purpose to the best of its ability.
Pieksänlinna is a magnificent structure, its story intertwined with the history of Pieksämäki from the very beginning. The property is also an important part of Pieksämäki’s Central Street, which holds significance in the national architectural and cultural environment.
The Beginning
The blueprints for the building were commissioned from the Helsinki-based architectural firm Lappi-Seppälä, and construction began in 1939. The outbreak of the Winter War slightly delayed the project, but work continued after peace was restored, and the premises were inaugurated in 1941. (inaugurated)
The building was commissioned by the Pieksämäki White Guard (Civil Guard), which intended to use it as their headquarters. The organization raised funds by hosting film screenings in the hall and renting out space for commercial activities. The first tenant, starting in 1940 while the building was still partially completed, was an alcohol store Oy Alko AB, which operated a store there until 1956.
Even before completion, the premises were rented out to the Lotta Svärd association (a Finnish women’s voluntary civil defense organization), which had generously supported the construction of the building. They established an office and a café, which was operated on a voluntary basis.
During the Continuation War
During the Continuation War (1941-1944), the building served as the headquarters of the Saimaa White Guard District, and even the wartime military court convened in one of the side rooms of Pieksänlinna – a restaurant at the time.
In the basement, there was a gunsmith workshop, leading to rumors that a weapons cache was hidden behind the walls. These rumors persisted even after the war, as the alleged cache was never found.
After the wars, both the White Guard and the Lotta Svärd organization were disbanded according to the peace treaty. The White Guard sold the building and all its assets to the forest counselor A. J. Cauton and the landowner J.H. Roschier.
A New Direction
As a result of the sale, the ownership of Pieksänlinna passed to the Pieksämäki Region Relief Foundation, established in November 1944. The foundation’s mission was to assist war veterans, widows, and orphans, as well as to promote youth sports education in the Pieksämäki municipality.
In the 1950s, the hall also served as a cultural center, offering opera and ballet, as well as traditional favorites like wrestling, boxing, and dance.
Movies, however, were the popular entertainment of the time, and the tradition initiated by the Whitel Guard continued with the operation of a cinema called Kinolinna (eng. Kinocastle), which gradually became the name associated with the building among the local population.
Recent Years
The Pieksämäki Region Relief Foundation owned the building until 1990 when it was sold to private owners. Over the next couple of decades, Pieksänlinna’s banquet hall served the locals with both restaurants and nightclubs.
In 2024, Hotel Pieksänlinna proudly began writing a new chapter in the illustrious history of this venerable building.