The village of Panozero was inhabited in prehistoric times. In 1886 J.W. Juvelius brought some Stone Age objects found in the village to the collections in the
Finnish National Museum in
Helsinki. According to some historical sources the coast of the
White Sea was occupied by
Karelians as early as the ninth century A. D. Before that time the area was inhabited by
Sami. According to tradition, Panozero was the oldest village in eastern Karelia and its inhabitants spread from there to
Yushkozero and Soposalma villages. Panozero was also the site of the first Christian church built in Viena district, and it was the administrative center of East Viena for centuries. In 1879, Panozero had 64 houses. In 1905, according to the official census, it had 73 houses and 427 inhabitants. At that time, the Panozero district included eight other villages, yielding a total population of 1,029 people. When the Uzhma Rapids, the largest on the Kem River, were harnessed and the village of Poduzhemye inundated, Panozero became the only remaining Karelian village along the river. ==Footnotes==