On August 23, 1936 in Värtsilä was unveiled a monument to the founder of the Finnish iron industry Nils Ludvig Arppe. Bronze bust, erected in front of the factory office building, was created in 1878 by one of most famous Finnish sculptors Johannes Takanen. The inscription on monument said:

”NILS LUDVIG ARPPE
1803-1861

TO THE CREATOR OF THE KARELIAN INDUSTRY

TO THE SPONSOR OF KARELIAN CULTURE”

In March 1940, after the signing of Moscow Peace, bust was evacuated from Värtsilä. The pedestal of the monument was left behind a new border.

After the Continuation War, the original pedestal was dismantled and lay in the warehouse until the early 1990s, when it was returned to its original place.

The bust was discovered in Finnish warehouse on October 7, 1992. Russia refused to give the original pedestal to Finland and even unofficially demanded to return the bust.

New pedestal was made in Joensuu City. On July 30, 1994 a new monument to Nils Ludvig Arppe was unveiled in Finnish Värtsilä in front of Municipal Hall.