Gliding in Finland in the 1920’s and 1930’s

Gliding in Finland in the early decades of the 20th Century (and private flying for that matter) was closely associated with the Suomen Ilmapuolustusliitto (Air Defence League or SIPL as it was usually abbreviated to). SIPL had been founded in the 1920’s as a kind of Air Civil Guard with … Continue reading

Finland – Warnings, Advice and Safety Tips for Visitors

Finland is one of the safest countries in the world to visit. Helsinki is one of the safest cities around. During the day, you can safely walk around just about anywhere in Helsinki and even at night it’s generally safe, with the exception of the main railway station and Kaisaniemi … Continue reading

Bengtskär Lighthouse Hotel – a uniquely Finnish experience

Visiting Bengtskär lighthouse is one of those especially Finnish experiences that are worth the effort. It’s a working lighthouse far out to sea on a small islet in the Baltic Sea where you can stay as a guest. Bengtskär is the tallest lighthouse in Scandinavia and is an impressive national landmark … Continue reading

Linnanmäki Amusement Park, Helsinki

Linnanmäki is Finland’s oldest and most loved amusement park – and if you’re in Helsinki with kids and a  lot of time, it’s not a bad place to take them for a day out. Even without kids, it’s  a lot if fun! Linnanmäki (“Lintsillä”) has a bigger selection of rides (43 in … Continue reading

Skädäm – 1980’s Finnish Rock

Skädäm is a Finnish rock-band founded in Kauhajoki in 1984. In 1985 Skädäm won Finland’s Rock-Kuningas (King of Rock) competition. Skädäm’s best-known song is “Katujen kuningatar” (Queen of the Streets, a song which has been covered by any number of other singers).  Another of there better known tracks was the title song of their one and only album from 1986, “Mustat … Continue reading

The Finnish Bed (Suomalainen sänky)

Suomalainen sänky (The Finnish Bed), by ethnologist Leena Sammallahti and researcher Marja-Liisa Lehto (SKS 2006), is an illustrated history of Finnish sleeping arrangements, from simple benches along the wall, once common in many farmhouses, to elaborately carved and cushioned laps of luxury from upper-class homes. Sammallahti wanted to place the Finnish bed into … Continue reading

Film Review – Meidän poikamme ilmassa (Our Boys in the Air)

The 1930’s was decade of rising tension in Europe, and this tension was felt not only among those countries bordered by Germany but also in peaceful countries such as Finland, where the great threat was seen as being the Soviet Union. The Finnish film industry created a trilogy of “propaganda” … Continue reading

An interesting cultural theme of Finnish Film in the 1920’s and 1930’s

An interesting cultural theme of Finnish Film in the 1920’s and 1930’s The golden age of Finnish Film began in the 1930’s, when going to the cinema became a wildly popular pastime. Within this rapid popularity of a new media, an interesting cultural theme of the 1920’s and 1930’s was … Continue reading

Uuno Kailas – Finnish nationalist poet, author, and translator

Uuno Kailas, born Frans Uno Salonen (29 March 1901 – 22 March 1933) was a Finnish poet, author, and translator. After his mother’s death when he was two years old, he received a strict religious upbringing from his grandmother. He studied in Heinola and occasionally in the University of Helsinki. … Continue reading

Miss Finland 1919 – Rauha Aaltonen

Miss Finland 1919 – Rauha Aaltonen It is believed that the first beauty contest held in Finland was waaaay back in 1919 – when the winner of Miss Finland 1919 was Miss Rauha Aaltonen of Pori. Coming second was Mrs Viola Hanén, the wife of a doctor wife from Kurikka, while an actress, … Continue reading