Cultural environment

Requests for a statement by the authorities 

Requests for a statement by the authorities are sent by e-mail to the shared email address of the cultural environment services. You can find the address at the bottom of the page. 

What is cultural environment? 

Cultural environment refers to environment shaped by humans, in which different cultural phases as well as interaction between humans and the nature are visible. Cultural environment includes cultural landscape, built cultural environment, ancient relics and traditional biotopes.  

Cultural environment is a heritage that we all share. The cultural environment team of the museum tells the residents of the municipality about the past of their living environment and how the traces of different eras are visible around us even today. The experts of the museum give presentations open to everyone, guided tours and walking tours in the city. They also give lessons at schools and visits events for the residents to discuss themes related to the cultural environment.  

Their contact information can be found at the bottom of the page. 

There are eight built cultural environment sites with national importance in the Vantaa region:  

• The Backas - Elanto manor and farm 

• Helsinki parish village 

• Jokiniemi research farm 

• Korso railway station 

• The World War I fortifications in the Helsinki Metropolitan Area

• The Sotunki village and Håkansböle

• Suuri Rantatie (the Great Shore Road, a section of the King’s Road postal route)

• The old Tikkurila railway station 

More detailed information can be found in the RKY register of built cultural environment with national significance maintained by the Finnish Heritage Agency (in Finnish and Swedish).‍  

Archaeology 

There were already people living in Vantaa in prehistoric times, close to 10,000 years ago. Stone age settlements have been found in places such as Myyrmäki, Seutula and Jokiniemi. There are also several known sites of mediaeval villages in the Vantaa region, and they have been studied in the Helsinki parish village, Länsisalmi and Martinlaakso, among other places.  

The archaeological sites in Vantaa can be found in the Ancient Relics Register maintained by the Finnish Heritage Agency. 

The City Museum has drawn up a special cooperation agreement with the Central Uusimaa Regional Museum on the procedures for maintaining the archaeological cultural heritage in Vantaa. You can ask the archaeologist of the City Museum for advice in questions related to the protection and management of ancient relics. You can also often see the archaeologist giving lectures on the home region at schools and at guided tours and presentations at the museum. 

The contact information of the archaeologist can be found at the bottom of the page.

Grants and advice on repairs 

You can ask the building researchers at the City Museum for advice in issues related to the protection, maintenance, development and repair of built heritage. The building researchers also steer and monitor the use of repair grants for culturally and historically significant buildings in Vantaa issued by the Finnish Heritage Agency and the Centre for Economic Development, Transport and the Environment for Uusimaa. 

The contact information of the researchers of built heritage can be found at the bottom of the page. 

Residents can also influence their cultural environments 

See tips on the page ‘Participate in the work of the museum’.