The archipelago of Maakalla and Ulkokalla is located about 16 km offshore from Kalajoki. The islands still work as fishermen’s base.
What is special about the archipelago is that the islands are self-governed - the highest authority being “karikokous” - a meeting held once a year by the fishermen.
The act of self-governance comes from 1771 when King Adolf Fredric legislated the “hamina-ordning”-law. Karikokous is held every year on a Sunday closest to the 25th of July.
There are fishermen’s cabins, a church from the 1700s as well as a small museum in Maakalla.
Daytime cruises are organized to Maakalla by the Plassi Village Association on a historical sailboat Ansio. The cruises leave at Rahja harbor, at the address of Konikarvontie 22.
About 16 km offshore from Kalajoki stands the Kallankari archipelago, which is formed of two individual islands, Maakalla and Ulkokalla. These harsh and almost entirely treeless rock formations have risen from the sea around the 1400s.
Eventually these islands became the most important fishing, seal hunting and sailing bases between the cities of Kokkola and Oulu.
The meaning of the word “kalla” is an ice formation, which forms during winter around shallows.
The first living quarters were built on the islands during the early 1600s. Fishermen used to travel to the islands far from the inlands too, and in the 1700-1800s the islands started to get a bit crowded.
As the centuries passed, the local fishermen preferred fishing on the mainland, the most important villages being Himankakylä, Rahja, Vasankari and Yppäri.
The remaining cabins on the Maakalla and Ulkokalla islands are passed on within the old fishermen families and it is almost impossible for an outsider to buy a cabin.
Fishermen gathered on the islands in mid-July and stayed there until September. Law and order were needed on the island, because there were hundreds of people from different areas living together in a small space.
This is why the Swedish Crown gave Kallankarit a limited regional governance already in 1669 with regular meetings and trading rights.
The law was confirmed in 1771 by King Adolf Fredric and officially named as haminaortning (“Hamina Ording”) or Hamina Order.
The same law is still in force today.
The highest authority of the islands “karikokous”, gathers every year in July to decide on various matters regarding the islands.
Land surveying L.A. Runeberg mapped the Maakalla island in 1766. Back then, the island had three harbors: Isohamina (“big harbor”) with 34 boat havens, Itähamina (“east harbor”) and Uusihamina (“new harbor”) with 23 boat havens combined.
In addition to the church and vicarage, there were 99 cabins and barns. Most of the island was reserved for storing fishing nets.
A church was built in Maakalla so that the fishermen could conduct their religious duties. The first church was built in 1680.
The original church bell has a writing “Jag Kallar folk i Kalla hamn att falla Gud med bön i famn” (“I call upon the people of Kalla Harbor to fall to God with prayer in their arms”).
The current church building was built in 1780. It was designed by a local builder, Simon Silvén. Soon after, the new vicarage was also built.
The entirely treeless Ulkokalla island was occupied for fishing purposes in 1776. The first families on the island were Hankonen, Roukala and Parkas from Himanka.
From 1856 onward Ulkokalla worked as a lighthouse island. The current lighthouse was built in 1871 by A.H. Dahlström, but it is not in use anymore.
In 1882, a meteorological observation station was founded on the island.
Maakalla had become almost deserted, before renovations of the buildings were started in the 1950s. A regular boat traffic was re-started in 1966 as well as regular events by the church.
Both islands are listed as nationally valuable cultural environments.
Enjoy culture in Kalajoki!
The route brings together museums and cultural events, movies and theater.
Kalajoki has a great variety of different exhibitions about the history of countryside life - visit the tiny Fiia's cabin, local museums, or the stunning Havula mansion!
Have fun!