Suomussalmi

Suomussalmi lies in the lake and forest country of northern Kainuu, near the eastern frontier. Long waterways link its scattered settlements with the Oulujärvi basin to the southwest. The district belonged to the wide parish of Paltamo, where distances made church journeys demanding. A chapel was established at Suomussalmi in 1764, bringing a place of worship closer to the people of the northern forests.