Yushkozero is a riverside village, located at the confluence of the rivers Chirka-Kem and Kem. It is an imposing Karelian village, representing the traditional village structure, where houses are built along the riverbank in a row, with gables facing the river. Today, suspension bridges are another distinctive feature of the village.

For decades, the village has lived of the forest. The biggest employer has been the Yushkozero Timber Industry Enterprise (in Russian Leshoz) of the Kalevala Central Forestry District.