The Inspiring Journey of the Moomins and Pippi in Cyprus
The Embassies of Finland and Sweden in Cyprus organized a joint country branding project in the spring of 2026 to celebrate the 80th anniversaries of the Moomins and Pippi Longstocking. The literature and literacy programme was led by the Ministry of Education and organized in the form of a literature and art competition for primary school students. The competition sparked widespread interest and received 65 applications from 29 primary schools across Cyprus. The success of the project exceeded all expectations and all parties involved were satisfied with its implementation.
The 80th anniversary of the Moomins and Pippi Longstocking
Two beloved characters from children’s literature, the Moomins and Pippi Longstocking, celebrated their 80th anniversaries in 2025. To mark the occasion, events were organized around the world, also in Cyprus. With the support of the Embassies of Finland and Sweden, the Fairytale Museum in Nicosia organized a special exhibition focused on the Moomins and Pippi. The exhibition presented the lives and work of Tove Jansson and Astrid Lindgren, as well as their enduring impact on readers. Children had a chance to participate in workshops with activities linked to the Moomins and Pippi, such as theatre-education workshops. The Ambassador of Finland, Päivi Peltokoski, and the Ambassador of Sweden, Martin Hagström, also read Moomin and Pippi stories to children as part of the activities. The Fairytale Museum in Nicosia focuses on exhibiting the cultural heritage of fairy tales, legends and myths.
The Fairytale Museum exhibition ran from early December 2025 until the end of January 2026, bringing the 80th anniversary year of the Moomins and Pippi to a fitting close. While the anniversary year came to an end, the inspiration it generated continued in Cyprus through new ideas. With close cooperation between the Embassies of Finland and Sweden and the Ministry of Education of Cyprus, another project promoting the values of Moomins and Pippi was organized during spring 2026 under the auspices of Cyprus’ EU Council Presidency.
How it all began: the programme’s plan and a webinar for primary school teachers
With the support of the Embassies of Finland and Sweden, the Ministry of Education of Cyprus organized a Moomin and Pippi-themed art, literature and literacy programme for public primary schools during the spring semester of 2026. The participating schools incorporated Moomin and Pippi books into their curricula. Students explored the values promoted by the stories, including friendship, acceptance of diversity, equality and courage. They also produced their own written stories and artworks inspired by these themes. The resulting entries formed the basis for a nationwide school competition. Representatives from the Embassies of Finland and Sweden served on the selection committees for the competition.
In January 2026, the project began with a webinar that was organized for the primary school teachers participating in the literature programme. In the webinar, Elina Druker, a specialist in children’s literature and a professor at the University of Stockholm, introduced the values and philosophy embodied in the Moomin and Pippi stories. Druker presented the work of Tove Jansson and Astrid Lindgren to the teachers, as well as the history of the Moomins and Pippi and the significance of stories.
The primary school competition was launched at a press conference held at the Ministry of Education in early February 2026. In attendance were the Minister of Education, Sport and Youth, Athena Michaelidou, the Ambassadors of Finland and Sweden, and a representative from Cyprus Association on Books for Young People (IBBY Cyprus) Charalambos Demetriou. The nationwide competition was open for submissions from mid-February until the end of April.
The execution of the primary school literature competition
“Uniqueness is a strength, which, together with kindness, respect, and love, can build a better world.” – The central message of Moomin and Pippi competition
The competition was organized in two categories. The categories were differentiated by the participants’ age as well as form of expression. In category A, the participants were from the 1st, 2nd and 3rd grades and they participated in the form of visual creations (drawings or collages). In category B, the participants were from the 4th, 5th and 6th grades and they participated in the form of creative writing (short stories). Both categories were still divided into two: individual and group submissions. Therefore, there were a total of four categories to be assessed separately.
Students’ submissions had to reflect on one or more of the following themes: uniqueness and self-confidence (1), love and acceptance (2), kindness and tolerance (3) or respect for nature and environment (4).
The competition gathered 65 submissions from 29 schools across Cyprus. The submissions were first assessed in early May by a Scientific Committee, composed of representatives from the Embassies of Finland and Sweden, the Ministry of Education and IBBY Cyprus. The Scientific Committee conducted a preliminary selection of entries for the next stage of the process.
The final selection of award-winning schools was conducted by an Evaluation Committee. The Committee included the Ambassador of Finland, Päivi Peltokoski, and Ambassador of Sweden, Martin Hagström alongside representatives from the Ministry and IBBY Cyprus. In each of the four categories, three winning entries from different schools were selected. In total, 12 schools and 37 students were chosen to be awarded.
The competition culminated in an awards ceremony
The project concluded with an awards ceremony at the residence of the Ambassador of Sweden in Nicosia. The event was attended by the Ambassadors of Finland and Sweden, Minister Michaelidou, the Commissioner for the protection of children’s rights, Elena Perikleous, civil servants from the Ministry as well as members from IBBY Cyprus. Students from the winning schools who participated in the competition as well as their parents and teachers were invited to the ceremony. In total, 150 guests attended the event.
12 schools were awarded with reading corners supported by IKEA. The award included a reading tent, pillows and Moomin and Pippi books. The aim was to provide the children with a comfortable space where they could read and relax during school breaks. In addition, every participating student received a diploma in recognition of their successful participation in the competition.
The impact of the project
The impact of the literature competition exceeded all expectations. The project was regarded by all stakeholders as an excellent achievement, reaching thousands of children across Cyprus, from remote villages to cities. The objectives of the project were to strengthen Finland’s country image among younger generations, encourage children and young people to read and to support the development of children’s literacy skills. All these objectives were successfully achieved.
All organizers, and the Ministry of Education in particular, expressed a high level of satisfaction with the project. The Ministry described the initiative as an excellent precedent and indicated the intention to pursue similar forms of cooperation with other partners in the future. The literature competition received positive feedback also from the participating schools and students.
As stated in the project’s press release, the competition helped integrate the Nordic tradition of storytelling into Cyprus’ basic education. Drawing on beloved children’s literature, the initiative inspired empathy, creativity, critical thinking and the joy of reading among young students. Even after 80 years, the beloved characters Moomins and Pippi Longstocking continue to be timely and inspire readers with their courage and positive outlook on life.
“The world is full of great and wonderful things for those who are ready for them.”
- Moominpappa at Sea (1965)
“Time for a celebration! We’ll celebrate until Villa Villekulla’s roof flies off!”
- Pippi Longstocking Goes Abroad (1946)