The village was at the center of the Battle of Kestenga in 1941 between the Finnish and Soviet Army during the Continuation War.

In 1628, the settlement was mentioned in a decree of Tsar Mikhail Fedorovich as the center of the community on Topozera.

A new, larger Vologda viceroyalty was established from the Arkhangelsk governorate, which was divided into two oblast — Vologodskaya and Arkhangelskaya.

According to the records of the villages of the north-western White Sea region for 1870, the first inhabitants at the mouth of the Kestenga River on the Topozer are considered to be old-timers from the genus of a Laplander named Keme.

In 1920, the Kemsky Uyezd, and with it the Kestengsky volost, were transferred to the Karelian Labor Commune created by decree of the Central Executive Committee.

By the end of December 1921, Karelo-Finnish detachments already numbered 5-6 thousand people and occupied part of eastern Karelia up to the Kestenga—Suomussalmi—Rugozero—Padany—Porosozero line.

In the Museum of Local Lore of the Finnish city of Kuusamo, photographs depicting Heinrich Himmler on the pier of the village of Kestenga.

In 1942, Soviet troops launched the Kesteng offensive to liberate the village, which ended in failure.