THE HISTORY OF THE MUSEUM

Pentti Kronqvist is a retired firechief, polar explorer and museum director from Jakobstad. He was born in Vaasa in 1938 but was adopted as a young boy and brought to Fäboda, where he grew up close to the sea and surrounded by forests. From an early age, Pentti was fascianted by Ostrobothnia's vast expanses of ice and sea. The Arctic museum Nanoq is located only a few kilometres from the museum. 

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During his professional career, Pentti specialised in emergency medical care and rescue diving. Alongside his demanding work, he was also a national-level track and field athlete, competing primarily in the 800 and 1,500 metres. The combination of athletics and his varied work at the Jakobstad Rescue Department gave him both the endurance and practical skills that would later prove invaluable during his Arctic expeditions.