{"id":55082,"date":"2024-03-07T23:40:37","date_gmt":"2024-03-07T22:40:37","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.outono.net\/elentir\/?p=55082"},"modified":"2025-03-07T00:05:28","modified_gmt":"2025-03-06T23:05:28","slug":"the-parolan-panssarimuseo-an-exceptional-armored-vehicle-museum-in-finland","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.outono.net\/elentir\/2024\/03\/07\/the-parolan-panssarimuseo-an-exceptional-armored-vehicle-museum-in-finland\/","title":{"rendered":"The Parolan Panssarimuseo, an exceptional armored vehicle museum in Finland"},"content":{"rendered":"

Finland is a country that has a notable defense culture, due to the circumstances it faced since its independence in 1917.<\/p>\n

The three wars of Finland between 1939 and 1945 and its strange situation in WWII<\/a><\/rel>
\nA museum with military vehicles from the WWII and the Cold War in the Czech city of Rokycany<\/a><\/rel><\/p>\n

After the Finnish Civil War (1917-1918), which ended with the defeat of the red side, Finland had to face confrontations with Bolshevik Russia. During the Second World War, the country faced three wars:<\/a> the Winter War (1939-1940)<\/strong>, which began with a Soviet invasion and in which Finland had the support of the United Kingdom and France (Germany was then an ally of the USSR); the Continuation War (1941-1944)<\/strong>, in which Finland (this time allied with Germany) faced the USSR again; and the Lapland War (1945)<\/strong>, which pitted Finland against Germany in its withdrawal from that Nordic country.<\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

Due to changes in alliances during those years, both due to its purchases and its captures in combat, Finland ended up operating different types of battle tanks<\/strong>, including Carden Loyd<\/strong> tanks and tanks. Vickers Mark E<\/strong> of British origin; tanks T-26, T-28, BT-5, BT-7, T-34 and KV-1<\/strong> of Soviet origin; and Sturmgesch\u00fctz III<\/strong> assault guns and Panzer IV<\/strong> tanks of German origin.<\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

Subsequently, and still today, Finland has used armored material of Soviet origin (tanks T-54, T-55 and T-72<\/strong> and infantry fighting vehicles BMP-1 and BMP-2<\/strong> and armored transports MT-LB<\/strong>) and also of Western origin (German Leopard 2<\/strong> tanks and infantry fighting vehicles CV9030<\/strong> strong> Swedes), in addition to developing its own vehicles, such as the Patria AMV<\/strong> and Patria Sisu<\/strong> armored transports.<\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

Many of these vehicles can be seen at the Parolan Panssarimuseo (Parola Tank Museum)<\/a>, inaugurated on June 18, 1961 in Parola, 110 km north of Helsinki. This museum has excellent facilities<\/a> that exhibit 60 armored vehicles, 30 anti-tank weapons and an armored train<\/strong>. The museum's collections include a total of 8,000 pieces and 20,000 photographs. This makes it one of the most popular tourist destinations in Finland<\/strong>.<\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

In addition to its excellent collections, which include high-quality historical pieces, this museum keeps a portion of its vehicles active and also organizes historical recreations<\/strong>, which is another incentive to visit it. You can see some of their vehicles below.<\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

Two armored vehicles of Soviet origin, a BA-10 (left) and a BA-20M (right)<\/strong>, used by the Finnish Army. The emblem they carry is known in Finland as hakaristi<\/strong><\/em>, a type of swastika used by the Finnish Army and Air Force between 1918 and 1945. The insignia had no relation to Nazism (Finland was a democracy at that period), but it was abandoned after the connotations acquired by that symbol in World War II.<\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

A T-28 tank<\/strong> of Soviet origin. A 1933 model.<\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

A German K\u00f6nigstiger heavy tank.<\/strong> This is one of the original prototypes. It has been loaned by The Tank Museum in Bovington, United Kingdom, and is temporarily exhibited by this Finnish museum.<\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

Two T-34-76 tanks of Soviet origin.<\/strong> Known in Finland as \"Sotka\", these two tanks are part of a war booty made up of 10 T-34s (3 T-34-76 and 7 T-34-85) that were captured by the Finnish Army from the Soviets during the Continuation War. These tanks were improved in Finland. Here we see them decorated with a version of the hakaristi<\/em> with cut-off arms that was commonly used by Finnish tanks at that time.<\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

A Sturmgesch\u00fctz III Ausf G assault gun<\/strong>, used by the Finnish Army during the Continuation War.<\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

A T-54 tank of Soviet origin.<\/strong> Finland purchased a total of 43 T-54s from the USSR, which were received between 1959 and 1961.<\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

A Leopard 2A4 tank (left), of German origin, and a T-72M1 of Soviet origin.<\/strong> Finland bought between 160 and 160 T-72M1 from the USSR in the 1980s, 139 Leopard 2A4 in 2003 to Germany and 100 Leopard 2A6 in 2014 to the Netherlands.<\/p>\n

Below these lines, you can see a video from the official YouTube channel of this museum<\/a> that shows some of the spectacular displays he makes with his armored vehicles:<\/p>\n