Kitee man turns retired border tower into a garden lookout

Mikko Makkonen bought a former Finnish Border Guard tower and rebuilt it in his garden in Kitee, 13 kilometres from the Russian border, Yle reports.

The 20-metre metal tower stands above the trees in the village of Juurikka. Makkonen bought it in 2006 for the price of scrap metal, after learning it was due to be dismantled in Vaalimaa. The tower was assembled at his home the following spring.

Makkonen, who has lived and worked in Russia for years, says he climbs the tower almost every week to watch nature and entertain visitors. Its lookout cabin has electricity and can be heated. Cables allow the structure to flex in the wind, he says.

Border towers were once used by guards to watch for illegal crossings. The Border Guard began dismantling many of them in the 1990s as surveillance shifted towards patrols, cameras and other technology. Hundreds have since been removed.

Some towers remain in use, and optical surveillance equipment can be installed in them. Kimmo Vitri, a retired captain who manages property for the North Karelia Border Guard, says several dozen towers are still used for surveillance, with more in the north than in the south.

Tags: Finland, border security, Kitee