Kuivajärvi, Suomussalmi

Kuivajärvi is centered around the eponymous lake Kuivajärvi, with most houses being located near the Saavisenniemi cape of the lake. As of 2002, six houses in the village were inhabited. The village forms a nationally significant cultural heritage site along with neighboring Hietajärvi as well as Rimpi in Kuhmo, all traditionally inhabited by Karelians. Fields in the villages have been small, as much of the soil is rocky and prone to frost. Agriculture is no longer practiced, but some former fields have been kept as meadows to preserve a traditional landscape. == History ==

Kuivajärvi was settled sometime in the late 18th century by Lari and Toarie Huovinen, who came from White Karelia and settled in the area as tenants of Jyrki Ahtonen, whose farm was located in Hietajärvi. Toarie was most likely from , while her husband's place of origin is unclear. According to oral tradition, Lari originally came to Finland to avoid being conscripted into the Russian army and married Toarie while working as a farmhand for Ahtonen. This was done to prevent Soviet soldiers from taking shelter in its buildings. When Kuivajärvi was rebuilt after the war, the returning villagers were not allowed to build their houses in the Karelian style, having to follow a standard plan instead. == Culture ==

Religion There has been an Orthodox chapel (eukterion) in Kuivajärvi since the late 19th century. While many religious traditions such as fasting are no longer commonly observed, Orthodox Christianity remains an important part of the local identity. A local two-day religious festival () was originally held in May to commemorate the translation of the Relics of Saint Nicholas from Myra to Bari (known in Karelian as ), but has been held in July instead since the 1970s. After the fall of the Soviet Union, some old traditions have been reintroduced from villages on the Russian side of the border, where many villagers had relatives. Languages and dialects The dialect of the Karelian language traditionally spoken in Kuivajärvi is a Viena Karelian dialect. Nowadays most people speak Finnish, specifically the Kainuu dialect. In 1961, linguist noted that only a few old people in Kuivajärvi and Hietajärvi still spoke Karelian. Some Karelian influence is still present in the local Finnish speech. == Services ==

The Kuivajärvi school was established by the Most Holy Synod in 1894, being the first school in Suomussalmi. It was owned by the Orthodox parish of Vaasa until 1928, when it was integrated into the municipal school system. The school was an important cultural center until its closure in 1989. In 1990, the building was turned into a campground by the Orthodox parish of Kajaani, who operated it until 2009. The building burned down in February 2012. In the 1980s, there were plans to establish a folk high school to teach the Karelian language at Domnan pirtti. The school was never established, with the venue instead mostly being used as a travel center and a meeting place for locals. ==References==