Brigade Vuokko at Rasti and the Memorial Plaque to Captain Taube
The battles fought in the Rasti area played a significant role in stabilising the Finnish defensive situation in December 1939. Brigade Vuokko, sent to reinforce the Kuhmo front, helped restore the balance of forces and created a threat to the flank of the advancing Soviet troops. In practice, the brigade consisted of Infantry Regiment 25, reinforced with supporting units from other branches of the armed forces, and was commanded by Lieutenant Colonel Aksel Vuokko.
On 4 December 1939, the Headquarters assigned Brigade Vuokko to the Northern Finland Group for an offensive towards Repola. Before the operation could begin, however, the situation changed rapidly. The Finnish main defensive line at Saunajärvi collapsed on the evening of 5 December, and Soviet forces reached the Rasti crossroads the following evening. At the same time, the main elements of Brigade Vuokko were advancing from Nurmes towards Rasti, while one of its battalions (III Battalion, Infantry Regiment 25) was moving from the direction of Kuhmo towards Jyrkänkoski.
Following a brief reconnaissance, the brigade launched its attack on 8 December. Two battalions (I and II Battalions, Infantry Regiment 25) advanced from the south towards Rasti and Sivakka, while III Battalion, Infantry Regiment 25 attacked from the north towards Klemetti. The offensive succeeded only in the Sivakka sector, where Finnish troops managed to cut the road. Because of the limited success of the operation and the death of one of the battalion commanders, Captain Taube, the brigade was ordered to withdraw.
The defensive positions of Detached Battalion 14 (Er.P 14), located north of Rasti, were breached on the evening of 11 December following a Soviet artillery bombardment and because the Finnish troops lacked anti-tank weapons. The Finnish forces north of Rasti withdrew to the Jyrkänkoski area, where they successfully repelled further enemy attacks. Soviet forces held the Rasti crossroads for the remainder of the Winter War, while Brigade Vuokko stopped enemy attacks south of the junction.
The Finnish 9th Division launched its counter-offensive in the Kuhmo sector on 29 January 1940. Brigade Vuokko took part in the operation by encircling Soviet forces into a motti in the Luelahti area. The Rasti–Sivakka motti was the largest of the encirclements and remained capable of defending itself until the end of the war. Approximately 3,000 Soviet soldiers survived inside the pocket.
The memorial plaque dedicated to Captain Taube is located approximately 150 metres south of the crossroads, on the eastern side of the road.
The site is easily accessible by road. A bus stop is located next to the “You Are Here” point marked on the battle map, making it a convenient place to stop and explore the site.
Address: Lieksantie 206, FI-88900 Kuhmo, Finland.