The barn in Repokoski is a unique Kven cultural monument that tells the story of Kven life in Lakselvdalen and Finnmark in the 1800s. The listed barn shows how the Kvens built, lived and made a living in the area.
The Kvens who settled in Porsanger and Lakselvdalen from the 1700s have left important cultural traces. The barn in Repokoski provides an insight into Kven tradition, history and building practices.
- "The barn in Repokoski is a key Kven cultural monument and an important part of cultural history in Norway. "The barn is one of the few preserved, original Kven buildings, because many buildings in northern Troms and Finnmark were lost during the Second World War," says Hanna Geiran, National Heritage Officer.
Particularly in western Finnmark, there are few buildings left after the Second World War. Many houses were set on fire towards the end of the war. The barn in Repokoski is one of the few houses that did not burn down.
Central Kven cultural monument
The barn stands close to an important road and thoroughfare to Karasjok, «Hevostie», which connected coast and inland. The road along the river to Karasjok is the summer road, and the road just south of the buildings going east is the winter road. The road was used to transport horses, but also reindeer, especially during the winter months. The transport went from ports in Porsanger to Karasjok and other places in the inner part of Finnmark. The barn was probably used by those who used the road.
Repokoski is a Kven place name that Repo means reef and koski means waterfall. Revforsnes is thought to be the Swedish spelling. It originates from when Swedish tax collectors stayed in the area in the 18th century. The Kven language is an important part of the cultural heritage and was given official status as a language in 2005.
The preservation
The preservation includes two buildings - both the barn itself, which is made of timber with a turf roof, and the corrugated iron extension that now stands a short distance away. The restoration work provided an opportunity to study and document building practices, construction techniques and the use of materials.
The purpose of the conservation is to preserve the barn and the extension as important examples of the life and influence of the Kvens in Lakselvdalen and Finnmark. The culturally and historically valuable expression shows the buildings' development, use and choice of materials over time.
The preservation is also intended to maintain the character of the facility and the connection between the barn and the extension, and to safeguard the effect of the buildings in the landscape. The cultural-historical values are linked to the entirety and contact with the surroundings, such as the forest, communication routes, outfields and infields.
The Norwegian Directorate for Cultural Heritage's list of protected sites must also be representative of minority cultural heritage. The Kvens are one of the five national minorities. The cowshed in Repokoski is the tenth Kven cultural monument to be protected by the National Heritage Board.
The conservation case has been prepared by Troms and Finnmark County Council.
