Röytty, Local history museum

Röytty is a historically significant old military station house and cottage, located next to the church of Taipalsaari. This building has been part of the cultural heritage of the area for centuries and offers visitors a unique glimpse into the past. Today, Röytty, with its enclosure and stables, serves as a museum where visitors can learn about the history and traditions of the region. During the summer and Christmas months, Röytys hosts a café run by Taipalsaari associations and an exhibition of Taipalsaari craftsmen.

History

Röytty is known to have been built in the late 1600s by men from Taipalsaari, Savitaipale and Joutseno. The first mention of Röytty as a military house dates back to 1680. Röytty served for a short time as the official house of the Swedish army lieutenants, until the whole Taipalsaari area was transferred to Russia in the Peace of Turku in 1743. After that the house was turned into a cowshed. Its location at the junction of an ice road, water and land transport dating back to the Middle Ages, brought customers to Röyy's stables. Röytty served as a resting place for travellers, where both travellers and horses were looked after.

In the 1930s, most of Finland's inns were consigned to history and Röytty was closed down in 1937. The last owner of Kestikievar was Viktor Rikkonen, whose nephew Veikko Rikkonen passed the farm to the municipality of Taipalsaari in 1988. The municipality restored the house as a museum of the kestikievar in accordance with the instructions of the South Karelia Museum and the National Board of Antiquities, respecting its originality. In the summer of 1996, the Local Heritage House Röytty and its exhibitions were opened to the public.

Source: Taipalsaari.fi 

Image: Municipality of Taipalsaari