More Arabia Icicles…

…and light from the setting sun.

Silja Symphony Passing an Old Pilot Cottage…

…at Katajanokanluoto.

The small cottage on the island is from 1876 and it is the last of its kind in the city. Unfortunately it has been partially damaged in a fire.

Laajasalo metro was supposed to go through this tiny island but I guess they wouldn’t have built a station there. Today it seems that the plans for Laajasalo metro have been discarded.

Yellow…

…van.

One of the Greatest Dangers…

…in the Finnish forests.

Uunisaari…

…is a small recreational island near Kaivopuisto. Normally you’ll get there by boat but during the winter there is a temporary bridge.

In the winter they make a hole in the ice and it is possible to swim in the frozen sea which is really refreshing. After the swim you are naturally supposed to go to a sauna.

Kekkoslovakia – The Time When Urho Kekkonen Was…

…the president of Finland during the cold war years 1956-1982.

At that time Soviet Union interfered heavily in independent Finland’s internal matters. Today Finns are divided whether Kekkonen was a Soviet Union’s man or a master of diplomacy towards our former big aggressive neighbour. A small neighbour of a superpower can never be fully independent but did Kekkonen go too far? He certainly did have too much power in his hands.

In theory Kekkoslovakia was a neutral democratic country that wanted to be “a medical doctor instead of a judge” in the relations between the East and the West.
One of the low-points was in 1973 when Kekkonen was “re-elected” using an emergency-law without any elections. A proposal for a law was made that would have made it illegal to criticize Soviet Union in Finland. The law wasn’t necessary as politicians and the media used self-censorship towards Soviet Union.

During his last years Kekkonen was too sick to be a president. Many journalists knew or suspected this but the media didn’t tell about it. An attack against Kekkonen would have been an attack against Soviet Union. Once he finally resigned, new laws were made that limited president’s power and the maximum number of terms was reduced to two six year terms. Our presidents have reported regularly about their health ever since.

After the collapse of the Soviet Union Finland has been a totally different country – we have a different neighbour. How should the legacy of Kekkoslovakia be handled? It is still a taboo. People are interested in the truth but the truth is going to hurt many who are still active in our society. Do we have to wait until they are all dead? Where goes the line between being pragmatic when dealing with an aggressive superpower and being a traitor?

Suomenlinna Ferry and Ryssänsaari Island…

…that have both appeared almost a million times in this blog.

Gunn, It’s not Cold…

…I asked someone who has authority.

He and his family at the Helsinki zoo enjoy the outdoors till about -15 degrees Celsius although they also have access to warmer indoors.

A Ferry has Just Arrived to…

…Suomenlinna sea fortress.

A Tram in the…

…woods.