The 90-year-old Finland celebrating its independence all over the world
Press release 271/2007
5 December 2007
In Sweden, where the Finnish population is almost 100,000, the 90th anniversary of Finnish independence will be a highly visible celebration. Many Finnish societies and congregations are organising their own parties, but also the Swedish Riksdag (Parliament) is today organising a party and dinner themed around Finland. As far as other Nordic Countries are concerned, in Copenhagen, the Danish-Finnish Society is organising an Independence Day dinner at Hotel d'Angleterre, where the guests will proceed to the dinner table while Akademiska Sångföreningen is ending its quartet concert with Porilaisten marssi (The March of the Pori Regiment).
The anniversary concerts of Finnish independence have also honoured the memory of Jean Sibelius, who died exactly 50 years ago. There was a feel of history in the air on Gianicolo Hill in Rome, when Sibelius’ granddaughter, violinist Satu Jalas, accompanied by pianist Folke Gräsbeck, played in Villa Lante the violin she had inherited from her grandfather.
In St. Petersburg, the culmination of the 90th anniversary of Finnish independence was the Sibelius Concert of the Helsinki Philharmonic Orchestra with Leif Segerstam conducting at the St. Petersburg Philharmonic Hall last month. At the end of November, the Finnish Embassy in Managua organised a concert for invited guests, where the Nicaraguan Philharmonic Youth Orchestra played music of Sibelius and Nicaraguan composers. The concert was also captured on film and it will be shown on television in Nicaragua. In Ireland, the Finnish Business Society will organise a concert at the Atrium Hall of Trinity College next Saturday.
The 90-year-old Finland will be theme of many Finnish speakers in several events abroad. In Estonia, the Estonian veterans of the Winter and Continuation Wars – the Finnish Boys – will hold a seminar of their own at the Viru Hotel with, for instance, Max Jakobson as one of the speakers. At the House of the Brotherhood of Blackheads, the guest speaker on Saturday will be Riitta Uosukainen. In Brazil, there are plans to organise a series of lectures by professor Raimo Väyrynen handling the 90-year-old Finland. In Japan, Ambassador Jorma Julin has organised several lecture events with Finland as the central theme. In Costa del Sol of Spain, cultural organisation Kaleva will organise an Independence Day party with Elisabeth Rehn as the guest speaker.
Several exhibitions will display Finnish art and culture to foreign audiences. In Tallinn, the exhibition "Finnish Knife" has won wide acclaim. In Dar es Salaam, the 90-year-old Finland is celebrated with calligrapher Kaisa-Leena Tunkkari’s exhibition "Kuorien Kertomaa - Envelope Stories", which will be on display at the Embassy for one month.
There are events also on the other side of the globe. In Vietnam, Vietnam-Finland Friendship Association will organise in cooperation with the Finnish Embassy an evening event in the Finnish Village, originally built as accommodation for the workers of the Hanoi water project in 1985. In Beijing, the celebrations will take place at the new meeting venue of the Finnish community, The Club restaurant. The Independence Day party has been organised by the Finnish Embassy in Beijing and the Beijing Finnish Business Council.
One of Finland’s nominees for the Oscar awards, the movie A Man’s Job, directed by Aleksi Salmenperä, will be shown on the Independence Day in Los Angeles. The Consulate General of Finland in Los Angeles has invited veterans of Finnish wars living in California to its Independence Day reception. In San Diego, they have also organised a fundraiser for the victims of the Southern California wildfires.
More information on the websites of the embassies(Link to another website.)