Alexander III, emperor of Russia and Grand Duke of Finland, and his Danish born consort Dagmar, in Russia known under the name Marie Feodorovna, had heard about the good salmon fishing at Langinkoski..

In the summer of 1880 they arrived at Langinkoski to watch the salmon fishing. They also took a liking to the beautiful river scenery and promised to return.
Their Imperial Majesties Alexander III and Marie Feodorovna painted by the Russian artist Nikolai Schilder.
Some yers later they did return to Langinkoski. They said that they would like to have a little fishing hut on the banks of the river.

The senate of the Grand Duchy of Finland took measures to have a villa built for the sovereign and his family on the very banks of the Langinkoski rapids.

The lodge was designed by architect Magnus Schjerfbeck and the interior decorating was planned by architect Jac. Ahrenberg. The drawings were authorized by architect Sebastian Gripenberg.

The construction of the lodge was begun in the summer of 1888. The imperial couple were so interested in their summer house in Finland that they came to watch the progress of the project. Along with them came their youngest children, grand duke Michael, 8, and grand duchess Olga, 6.
Architect Magnus Schjerfbeck's vision of
the lodge; original picture in the National
Archives in Helsinki.
The interior decorating of the lodge was almost totally designed and manufactured in Finland.

The pieces of furniture in the sitting room were manufactured by local cabinet-makers, the textiles by Tampella in Tampere, the chinaware by Arabia in Helsinki, the axe by Billnäs, the wine and drinking glasses by Karhula Glassworks and the kitchen stove by Högfors; all well-known firms which still exist.
One object was brought from Russia, indeed: the Romanov flag with the double-headed eagle. In Finland the double-headed eagle is considered to be typically Russian, although it was originally a Byzantine symbol.

One of Russia's emperors adopted it, however, and added in the middle St. George fighting the dragon. On the flag there are four addition-like details covering the four seas to which the power of the emperor reached: the Baltic Sea, the Arctic Ocean with the White Sea, the Caspian Sea and the Black Sea.
The Romanov flag.
At their Langinkoski lodge the imperial family lead a very simple life. The emperor was very fond of children and he took his youngest children for outings in the surroundings. The members of the imperial family used simple clothing and had uncomplicated food to eat..

Empress Marie Feodorovna knew how to cook and at Langinkoski she had an opportunity of devoting herself to that hobby. It is known also that she did not like washing the dishes.

Some years ago a photograph taken at Langinkoski was found in the Russian State Archives in St. Petersburg. The picture shows empress Marie Feodorovna sitting on the kitchen porch busying herself with cooking. The young officer to the right is Grand Duke Georgij, her second youngest son. This probably was his only visit to Langinkoski. He namely had caught tuberculosis and the doctors had recommended for him to live in a mountain climate. He lived in the Caucasus and died there at the age of 29 years.
When Finland became independent in 1917 the imperial fishing lodge was taken over by the Finnish government, but it was left without maintenance. Pieces of furniture were removed to unknown destinations and the lodge began to deteriorate.

Private individuals saved the lodge for posterity by establishing an association with the intention of turning the lodge into a museum. Their second attempt to get the government's permission for their project met with success and in 1933 the museum was opened. This very day the association, Langinkoski Museum Society, acts as museum operator under a contract with the government and under the supervision of the National Board of Antiquities.

In the 1920s the beds of the emperor and the empress had been taken away to an unknown place. As a result of many years of detective work by the Museum Society the beds were traced at Kultaranta, the summer residence of the president of Finland!

There they were placed in the guest rooms. Well, in 1956 they were returned to Langinkoski where they can be seen upstairs in the bedroom of the imperial couple.
The beds of their majesties in the bedroom upstairs.