A Monument to Finnish and Russian Soldiers to Be set up in Finland

A monument to Russian and Finnish soldiers who died in the Russo-Finnish War of 1939-1940 will be unveiled in Finland on Thursday.

As RIA Novosti learned from Pavel Razinov, the project's coordinator representing Russia, the monument will be unveiled in the Finnish commune of Suomussalimi that witnessed the most sanguinary military operation of the war.

The memorial will look like "a stone field" - 23,000 stones will be laid on an area of more than three hectares with each stone symbolising a soldier who died in action.

There is a plan to set up a metal tower-base structure with 105 bells of different size to mark every day of the war.

Razinov said that the project was aimed at establishing the exact number and names of all Finnish and Soviet soldiers who died there. To reach the goal, two seminars have already been held; a scientific Russo-Finnish conference will take place.

The project is being implemented by Karelia (Russia's Republic) and pre-border Finnish provinces within an EU programme.