Nyman’s home and apothecary museum

Nyman’s home and apothecary museum

History

In 1860, Emperor Alexander II of Russia granted permission for an apothecary to be established in Tohmajärvi along the Joensuu-Sortavala postal route. The first owner and pharmacist was Abraham Ringvall. Nyman applied for and received an apothecary licence for Tohmajärvi on 27 March 1866.

Pharmacy owner Nyman was born in 1842 and died aged 71 in 1913. Two sons were born from his first marriage with Amalia Snäckendahl, one of whom died at six months. Once his first wife died, Nyman married Emma Maria Hendunen, daughter of Raivola Manor in Pälkjärvi. Emma Maria was 15 years younger than the pharmacist and gave birth to nine children, three of whom died at a young age. Of the children, Vivi-Maria and Erik Johannes followed in their father’s footsteps. Vivi-Maria was the second female pharmacy owner in Finland and Erik was a pharmacist.

From 1944 onwards, the Nyman house was inhabited by the pharmacy owner’s youngest son Major Harry Nyman with his wife, the singer Solveig Ström-Nyman. The marriage was childless. Harry died in 1978, and the municipality bought the Kotola estate and its buildings from the major’s widow in 1980. With the purchase, the municipality also gained the valuable furniture and fixtures as well as a variety of other movable effects. The municipality renovated the building and restored some of the furniture.