Karjala, Museum ship in Turku, Finland
The Karjala is a Finnish gunboat and museum ship moored at the mouth of the Aura River in Turku. At 74 meters long and 7.8 meters wide, it functions as a floating exhibition space within the Forum Marinum maritime museum complex.
Built in 1969 at the Wärtsilä shipyard in Helsinki, the vessel served the Finnish Navy for over three decades before decommissioning in 2002. It was then preserved and converted into a museum ship.
The ship reflects how Finland maintained naval independence through locally designed vessels during the Cold War era. Walking through the cramped quarters and working spaces shows the daily reality of life aboard a military warship.
You can explore the interior spaces including the engine room, crew quarters, and weapons systems throughout the vessel. The narrow corridors and steep stairs require care when moving around, so allow time to navigate the ship carefully.
The ship retains its original military weapons systems including an automatic 120mm Bofors gun and multiple 40mm cannons from its operational years. Standing near these weapons gives visitors a sense of the firepower a small warship could deliver during patrols.
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