Before the completion of the Neituri Canal, defensive trenches were dug across the isthmus in 1916–1917 under Russian supervision. Their purpose was to secure the strategically important canal area and to protect the developing water route. Trenches were built on both sides of the canal, and soldiers were stationed there until Finland’s independence in 1917.

The best-preserved trenches can be seen south of the canal along the Istunmäki–Vesanto road. Although the wooden supports of the forward positions have long since been removed, the outlines of the fortifications remain clearly visible in the terrain. Similar structures once surrounded the canal, forming part of the area’s security network during its construction period.

Today, the Neituri trenches are recognised as a site of cultural and historical value – a quiet reminder of the canal’s past and of the once-bustling community that grew around this important link between Lakes Keitele and Konnevesi.