The Forest Finns are one of five national minorities in Norway. This is one of several preservations made by the Directorate for Cultural Heritage of Norway of forest Finnish cultural monuments, and part of a larger focus on the cultural monuments of national minorities.
The smokehouse at Askosberget belongs to the farm Askosberget Øvre, Oppigarn, and is located in Grue municipality in Innlandet county, near the national border with Sweden. In the early days, the Forest Finnish settlement had a larger geographical spread in Eastern Norway. Today, it is mainly in the area we know as Finnskogen where most Forest Finnish cultural heritage is preserved.
- Our national minorities are an important part of the narrative about Norway, and for several years we have worked closely with the Forest Finnish communities on their cultural heritage. The smokehouse at Aksosberget Øvre is completely unique. And we would also like to thank the owner of the smokehouse for good cooperation during the restoration of both the smokehouse and the original smoke stove," says Hanna Geiran, National Heritage Officer.
Forest Finnish farms
The main building on a traditional Forest Finnish farm was traditionally the smokehouse. It could resemble buildings found elsewhere in the country, but was constructed in a special way due to the distinctive Forest Finnish smoke stove used for heating. The farm has been owned by one family from the time it was established until today.
Lost cultural environments
Today, there are few characteristic Forest Finnish cultural environments that are well preserved in their entirety. Unfortunately, there are no farms today that can fully demonstrate the traditional and distinctive building tradition of the Forest Finns. The distinctive cultural landscape that surrounded the buildings, with both the yard structure and the surrounding farmland in the forest landscape, is also largely overgrown.
The depopulation of Finnskogen during the 20th century has meant that many farms have been abandoned, and some have disappeared completely. The cultural environments and cultural monuments selected for preservation represent a small part of Finnskogen's culture and history, but together they form a more comprehensive picture. The main building, or smokehouse, on Askosberget is therefore an important part of the Forest Finns' cultural heritage..
The scope of the protection
There are only two smokehouses with the original stove in its original place preserved in Norway. The preservation includes the building's exterior and parts of the interior. Both the building's main structure and details, such as the facade solution, window openings and doorways, and the use of materials, must be preserved. The building's room layout and surfaces in parts of the interior are also protected, and fixtures and fittings must be preserved as part of the interior.
