The small collection of the Foundation for Karelian Culture was deposited in Lappeenranta in 1993. The collection includes paintings by Olli Miettinen and Aimo Kanerva, drawings by Ilya Repin, and an 1860 painting from Constantinople by Ivan Aivazovsky.

True to its name, the Foundation for Karelian Culture aims to promote support and development of Karelian spiritual and material culture and the preservation of Karelian traditions in Finland. The foundation is active in North and South Karelia, supporting local heritage work and traditional activities of Karelian evacuees in their current domiciles.