Yrjö Siitonen arrived in Pajuranta in 1723 and started cultivating the land and built a small house. The farm has been in the possession of the family ever since. Fields were cleared on the Haapalahti beach, and a residential building and a barn and yard buildings were built many times. The lake brought fish and forest game to the family’s dinner table. A life that has been slowly led in a better direction is of course not without setbacks.
Sometimes Sweden and sometimes Russia have held government power. The border region Parikkala has been between Sweden and Russia in many stages, as well as with independent Finland and the Soviet Union and today with Russia. The place names Rajaniemi and Tullisalmi tell about it. Nearby is the boundary wall of Haukkavuori, the boundary marker of the Peace of Uusikaupunki (1721) from 1722.
Over the years, many things have happened both on the farm and in the surroundings. The farm has had to go to a taxi service in Koitsanlahti hovi. From 1721, the place was a donation estate of the Russian ruler, where the peasants of the neighboring owners went to do their workdays. A tree called Piiskuupetäjä in the area of the manor, and the Stones of Suffering monument erected in the yard in 1958 embody the conflicts between the peasants and the Vouti who represented the manor owners. Over the years, the Siitonen family has expanded to many houses in Melkoniemi.
My father Eero participated in the Winter and Continuation Wars. He started as host of the farm in 1942. In 1952, my father reduced the size of the Pajuranta house. Families got smaller and it was difficult to keep the big house warm. The house was completely renovated anyway. Similarly, the inside of the stone barn was also renovated and the bricks were made from concrete on the beach. 7-8 cows, young cattle, chickens, pigs and a horse were kept in the barn. The last horse Pärsky was sold to Rasvanieme. The first tractor was Zetor 25 A
In 1975, ownership of Pajuranta was transferred from my father Eero and my mother Hilda to Pirjo and me. We renovated the residential building and built a new barn in 1980. In the barn we milked 20 cows and raised young cattle. In the fields, we grew fodder for the cattle, mainly grass and oats. Sometimes you made less with milk and sometimes a little more. The family grew, two daughters and a son were born, Susanna, Taru and Mika.
In 2007, I bought the Niemelä farm from Unto Siitonen. On the shore of Haapalahti there was a house and 5 plots of land. I was the chairman of Tuottajai Maito’s board, so from my vantage point I assessed that the profitability of milk production was deteriorating. We started planning accommodation operations. Three cottages were needed for the EU subsidy of 35%. We had Raikala ready. We decided to renovate Niemelä and build Rantakallio. With the meritorious advice of Jukka Saarni, we got a positive financing decision. Niemelä was completed in 2010 and Rantakallio in 2011. The beginning went well, enough Russian customers came just by Huvilanet’s announcement.
In 2013 I retired and we donated the farm to our son Mika. Mika ended up continuing to milk the cow. Mika bought a forest farm and in that connection came Villa Mushroom. As a retirement , we started building Tarula according to Taru’s plans. It probably took a couple of years to build. Tarula has exceeded all expectations with its popularity. The place is in the direction of the evening sun, the high open living area is probably another factor in the popularity. One fall evening, Mika called, he’s had enough of cows, start petitioning to build Hiekkaranta. Hiekkaranta was born in one year. The cows left Pajuranna in 2019. The following came by chance. I asked Mika to do a maintenance job in Raikala. After the job, Mika went for a drive on Porkalantie and looked at the properties for sale. Found Villa Norppa and Villa Saimaa with a common well. I tried to calm them down, but nothing helped. Some yards were put in and a sauna was built in Norppa. Surrounded by large forests on the shores of Saimaa, they have been really popular. Many people have seen an obvious living norpa. 2020 Mika bought Rock in Saimaa, the house was in modest condition, but the sauna was excellent. The maintenance of the cabins is busy in the summer, so there is no time to build a new cabin. Pirjo and I did a thorough surface renovation of the house in an ecological way, using as many items left over from previous construction sites as possible. The electricity, pipes and washroom were completely new. Many want modern equipment and a traditional country atmosphere. Rock Saimaa is perfect for that. In January 2022, Mika bought Villa Joutsen right next to Villa Saimaa. We did a kitchen renovation and interior painting for Joutsen. Next to the sauna terrace, we got an outdoor jacuzzi. With its landscape and versatile buildings, it became our most wonderful rental property. In summer it can accommodate more than ten people, and in winter ten.
We have been expanding at a steady pace of about a cottage per year. Now we have 11 cabins. We have also survived the change caused by the corona when the Russian border was closed. Finnish customers have been really good and we have responded to the customers’ wishes by purchasing outdoor jacuzzis, bath tubs and, if desired, made an opening for winter swimming. Quick service for tenants in the event of a fault is very important, and the surest way is a phone call. The message can sometimes be ignored due to work or commotion.
In 2023, we will celebrate the 300th anniversary of the Pajuranta farm mainly in the name of work.
PAJURANTAHOLIDAYHOMES.COM VISION
PAJURANTAHOLIDAYHOMES.COM YOUR DREAM HOLIDAY IS THERE!
We offer customers a comfortable, relaxing holiday experience in a well-equipped and safe cabin, and we also provide full cancellation protection either by returning the money or moving the holiday to a later date. Our customers can trust that everything will go well from booking to departure from the cabin.
Our cabins are located separately so that they do not disturb each other or the neighbors, you can spend your vacation in peace from outside disturbances.
We offer accommodation for 1-16 people in 11 cabins, and a larger group can book several cabins. We have different-looking cabins built from logs and boards so that the customer can choose the one he likes on the shores of Saimaa and Simpelijärvi.
We are happy to accept special requests and fulfill them to the best of our ability. We are constantly developing the service and cabins. For next summer, we will equip all cabins with either light and power sockets for charging electric cars.
We provide friendly and fast service from 8:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m., and in case of problems around the clock.
MATTI SIITONEN