A Nation is in Danger…

…YOU can help [Finland]. The 1939 poster from Sweden was photographed at the National Museum.

Fortunately the danger is over and it is the 70th anniversary of the start of Winter War. Soviet Union’s (population >100 million) attack against Finland (4) is the historical event of independent Finland.

This time David didn’t beat Goliath but both were severely hurt physically and mentally. Finland was able to cause so much damage to the attacker that about three months later Soviet Union was willing to make a peace although they were far away from reaching their original objectives.

Winter War has a similar status in Finnish minds as Gallipoli has in Australia and New Zealand. For the Finns it wasn’t just the baptism of fire of a young nation: today 83% of Finns believe that Finland would have lost its independence without the heavy sacrifices of Winter War.

See my earlier Winter War entries

• Shelling of Mainila (Mainilan laukaukset)
• End of Winter War – Independence Saved

Kumpulantaival…

…early one morning. While I lived in Kumpula, I walked through this area many many times to my studies and to my work.

It’s a nice and pretty popular car-free area between two major roads. There are plans to build a road for buses here so that university students could travel more quickly between different departments.

The bus road plan seems really odd as there are existing smaller streets that could be used after some changes. Or is the bus road just the beginning and soon there will be other kinds of traffic as well?

The Old Market Hall…

…during a foggy morning.

Working in the…

..mist.

Shelling of Mainila (Mainilan laukaukset)…

…was Soviet Union’s staged excuse to attack Finland in November 1939. Soviets claimed that Finland was responsible of the shelling of their village. The following three months of Winter War (see my entry) were the most crucial moments in the history of independent Finland.

Later Soviet and Russian leaders and historians have admitted that the shots didn’t come from Finland. Today is the 70th anniversary of the incident that is still referenced quite often. Less importantly this blog also reached the 500th post milestone today.

The photo is from this summer from a cannon demonstration at Suomenlinna sea fortress. To get the perfect timing, I used something that some purists might consider cheating – but not staging.

More about the Shelling of Mainila

• Wikipedia
• Discussion at Axis history forum
• YLE: Finland Marks the 70th Anniversary of Shelling of Mainila

Warship…

…I think.

And The Spotlight Moves to…

…Hanasaari powerplant. Yesterday it was on Helsinki cathedral.

Helsinki Cathedral is Getting a Facelift…

…and see how it shines already!

There was a small opening in the clouds and it acted like a spotlight that lit one building at a time.

An Emergency…

…near the Old Ice Hall.

The Oldest Stone Building in Downtown Helsinki…

…is Sederholm house from 1757.

That’s pretty young but Helsinki isn’t that old either. The Swedes founded it first in 1550 and moved it to a more favourable location in 1640.

And Helsinki didn’t become the capital until 1812 when Russians wanted their newly acquired Grand Duchy to have the capital closer to St. Petersburg and not so close to Stockholm.