Vega is part of the history of Finland. The schooner symbolizes the arduous task of upholding the independence of the country. Vega also stands as a monument to commemorate the rapid industrial development in post-war Finland.
Vega is unique. It stands as one of the few remaining Finnish, wooden vessels of this magnitude. The ship is a fine representative of Finnish shipbuilding; combining traditional knowledge and crafts with the most innovative constructions in wood.
After the Second World War Finland was obliged to pay war reparations worth of 300 million gold dollars (the money value of 1938) in products to the Soviet Union. Vega is one of the 91 war indemnity schooners built in Finland. She is a wooden three-masted schooner built at the wooden-vessel shipyard Oy Laivateollisuus Ab in Turku, and delivered to the Soviet Union in 1952, where she was placed in Estonia.
With Tallinn as her home-port Vega served as a school vessel 1952-1979, so many estonian sailors were trained on board. As the war indemnity has a great historical importance to Finland, the Estonian Republic donated the vessel to the Vega foundation, and she was transported to Jakobstad, Finland in June 1997.
• Vega unites traditional knowledge and innovations in shipbuilding
• We must save Vega as part of the Finnish national inheritance
• We cannot let Vega deteriorate - decay - disappear
• Vega is a symbol for peace