History - thisisFINLAND

Fleeting fame: Finland’s “centre of population” exists in the middle of nowhere

Why are two people putting up a monument in the woods? They’re attempting to pin down Finland’s centre of population as it moves slowly south through the quiet forests outside the city of Hämeenlinna.

Life & society Architecture

Helsinki’s renovated Olympic Stadium launches into a new era

The Olympic Stadium was unveiled four years after extensive renovations began. Its 1930s functionalist architecture and design have been meticulously preserved and enhanced with 21st-century technology and facilities (see photo show).

Life & society Language

A next-level Finnish language experience: Discovering dialects

Whether or not you’ve mastered Finnish, dive with us into its different dialects, as deep as you dare. You’ll get a closer look at the essence of the language.

1917

The year Finland became independent

Arts & culture Visual arts

New audiences continue to find Finland’s number one painter, Helene Schjerfbeck

Early in 2020, record-breaking attendance at Helsinki’s Ateneum Art Museum and the release of a feature film signalled that artist Helene Schjerfbeck is getting much-deserved attention from audiences of all ages. We talk with actor Laura Birn and curator Anna-Maria von Bonsdorff.

Life & society Nature

Life on the edge: Living on the western and eastern borders of Finland

At Finland’s easternmost and westernmost points, people go about their lives in locations that contain direct connections to the nation’s history.

1995

The year Finland became an EU member

Life & society Helsinki

Taking to the streets for a spirited Helsinki ghost walk

Halloween (October 31) is a traditional season for ghostly activity, but Helsinki’s phantom tales are spooky at any time of the year. The city’s ghost walks perpetuate eerie legends.

Arts & culture Webpick

Finnish theatre tells the story of humankind

In a breathtaking feat of dramatic construction, a group of Helsinki-based theatre-makers condenses hundreds of thousands of years of human history into just 1 hour and 40 minutes.

Life & society Society

Historic eastern Finnish monastery still offers solitude and creative energy

Travellers and believers seek out Valamo Monastery in eastern Finland for prayer, solitude and creative inspiration. More than 110,000 people visit each year.