Kuopio offers Riisa museum extra funding if it stays

Kuopio plans to give the Finnish Orthodox Church Museum Riisa an additional 40,000 euros this year to help it remain open through the end of the year, Yle reported. The funding is conditional on the museum continuing to operate in Kuopio.

The city already supports Riisa with 60,000 euros annually. Kuopio administration director Tero Oinonen said the museum strengthens the city’s appeal and is an important partner.

Riisa is a nationally unique specialised museum founded after the wars. It is part of a Council of Europe Cultural Route because most of its collections were evacuated from areas Finland ceded to the Soviet Union after the war. The museum’s role is to document, preserve, study and display the cultural heritage of the Finnish Orthodox Church.

The museum says it needs the additional funding to stay open for the rest of the year. In recent years, it has renovated its exhibitions, extended its opening hours and added events to attract visitors beyond the Orthodox community.

Riisa said its visitor numbers increased by one third between 2024 and 2025. This year, attendance has been 13 percent higher than last year, when more than 8,000 people visited the museum.

According to the foundation that manages the museum, measures aimed at growth increased expenses more than expected. The museum has already made savings and sought additional funding elsewhere, but says its operations are at risk without extra support.

Riisa has operated in Kuopio for nearly 70 years. The museum, located near the city centre, will also need to find new premises in three to four years because the plot is planned for a new use.

Kuopio may reclaim the additional grant if the museum moves away from the city.