CIVIL GUARD HOUSES
The Guards needed facilities to base their operations in. Properties were initially rented or shared with other societies free of charge, but many Guards attained a building of their own as their activities took root.
The Civil Guard houses were versatile in function. They included offices, storerooms, and sometimes the local chief’s quarters. The houses served as lodgings for training participants arriving from afar, and the reception hall could be used for events or rented to others. In the winter, indoor shooting ranges could also be assembled.
Most of the buildings were simply known as Civil Guard houses, lovingly nicknamed Shelter or Refuge. Some houses received a title of their own, such as Raumanlinna or Lallintalo.
The size of the houses ranged from under 300 m3 in some areas to the 50,000 m3 in Helsinki. In most cases, the buildings were tailored to the needs and resources of each district. The main goal was to provide acceptable conditions for daily operations, so almost every Guard had some kind of office to use.
SHOOTING RANGES Shooting ranges were the most essential facilities for the Civil Guards. Exercises were initially performed in natural clearings, which gradually gained new training obstacles and strongholds. By the time the Winter War was set in motion, practically every Guard had a proper shooting range at their disposal.