Национальная библиотека Республики Карелия

In Karelia are...

• Europe's largest lakes - Ladoga and Onego
• Europe's second highest waterfall Kivach (10.7 meters high)
• Europe's southernmost pagan Sámi sanctuary (1000 AD)
• Russia's first and oldest sanatorium Martial Waters
• Russia's oldest marble quarries (from the 18th century)
• The world's only crimson quartzite quarry (from the 18th century)
• The world's only ancient carbon -containing natural mineral - shungite
• Europe's largest national park - Vodlozersky National Park
• First recordings of folk poems (bylinas) from the 19th century
• First recordings of poems of the Kalevala Epic (from the 19th century)
• The largest collection of petroglyphs in Europe
• Karelia's most famous plant - Curly birch
• The smallest animal - Eurasian pygmy shrew (2-3 g)
• The largest animal – elk (400 kg)
• The Kizhi Museum and Nature Reserve
• The Orthodox Monastery of Valaam
• The Kivach reserve
• The Karelian-Finnish epic Kalevala
• Midnight sun