Contents Kiuruvesi
12
Iisalmi
18
Lapinlahti
34
Maaninka
44
Siilinjärvi
50
Kuopio
60
Nilsiä • Tahko
114
Leppävirta
126
Varkaus
132
Unexpected encounters – Savonia and Savonian spirit
Warped Waters of Vuoksi
The
Photo Ari Jumppanen
The Kuopio Region expedition was led from the skies by pilot/dancer/choreographer/actor Sami Saikkonen. Also pictured are flying explorers Tarja Anunti and Ismo Apell.
Encyclopedias state that the Vuoksi water system constitutes the largest continuous waters in the Finnish Lake District, located mainly in the Kymenlaakso, Southern and Northern Savonia, and South and North Karelian regions in eastern Finland. Because the water system’s voluminous big brother is called the Greater Saimaa, the whole lake system is often referred to as Saimaa among the public. But when one travels along the water system towards north from Varkaus, floating past the shores of Soisalo, which is claimed to be the largest island in Europe, something strange happens. All of a sudden the waterway is no longer called Saimaa, but is instead stripped completely of the proper noun which has come to describe the whole of this Finnish inland waterscape. Left nameless despite its natural beauty and nicely winding waters. Why is this?
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Well, let’s take a look. North of Varkaus, these water routes are known as Kallavesi, Iisalmi, and Nilsiä routes. These waterways are by no means mere babbling brooks as they have historically been used to travel great distances in both business and marital matters. It is said, and many things are said in Savonia, that these routes can be found on maps dating back to the 15th century. Some cartographer from the Venetian navy once plotted them on delicate paper with a shaky quill, scribbling a note on the corner of the map, mentioning that the Venetians who had popped into Savonia brought back a kalakukko, a traditional Savonian food made from fish baked inside a loaf of bread, which happened to be sat upon by the fattest sailor on board. In other words, these markings can be used to trace both the history of these waterways and pizza.
That all being said, all manner of things have been transported through these routes. As one example, we can mention the most important of the ancient exports of our nation, i.e. tar. The Savonian black gold was transported all the way to ancient Rome by water. The Romans who were so enamored by the tar came to Savonia to marry local women, who were known for their resilience, grit, and thick thighs. It is told that these legendary lovely creatures in time found their way to Egypt, and as should already be completely obvious to everyone, who was it that built the pyramids? Well, Savonian woman, of course.
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Unexpected encounters – Savonia and Savonian spirit
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Savonian waterways are therefore more important than the Nile delta, because they have allowed the Savonian soul landscape and industriousness to spread throughout the world. When roadways had become better and vehicles developed, Savonians started moving south mostly by trains and automobiles. They did so in quite large groups in fact, so much so that Helsinki could really be considered to be one of Kuopio’s suburbs. Many have since returned from their travels – and why not, as Savonia is a good place to be. Next we will examine the Savonia region by way of the Kuopio, Iisalmi, and Nilsiä water routes.
Photo Olavi Rytkönen
ISMO APELL and ANTTI HEIKKINEN Literary louts TARJA ANUNTI Visual vulgarian
P.S. So why does Saimaa end in Varkaus then? Well, we do not know. And it will not be revealed in this book. Many other things will, though, and with Savonians, that’s pretty good.
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kiuruvesi The Savonian is funny, �convivial, unreserved,
Savonians, the misunderstood people
and friendly. Especially in his own mind. He is like the Savonian forest. Safe and familiar. To outsiders he can seem strange and sly, but also playfully mischievous.
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Unexpected encounters – Savonia and Savonian spirit According to our impartial and undistorted research, the source of the Vuoksi water system is a small spring right next to Selkäydenmäki, in the village of Sulkava, near Heinäkylä. The water from the spring travels over 60 kilometers, grows from a trickle into a brook, then becoming a river. Through ponds and small lakes it finally reaches Kiurujärvi. And Kiurujärvi is located in Kiuruvesi. Kiuruvesi, a population center by the source of the Vuoksi water system, is known for its milk. In fact, there are so many cows in Kiuruvesi that Klaus Thomasson, the trusted presenter of the music festival Kiuruveden Vihreät niityt – now known as Iskelmäviikko – once justified being hired by saying that the village needed a bull as well. While Kiuruvesi is no longer the biggest milk producer in Finland, after Kokkola claimed the title due to the consolidation of municipalities, Kiuruvesi still holds the honorable title of the biggest producer of beef in Finland. On the topic of Kiuruvesi and agriculture, it should be noted that one of the twelve original Finnish native breeds of chicken originates from the parish. Though at one time the breed in question was so inbred that some chickens walked backwards and the rest kept kicking each other with all of their three legs. Then, in the beginning of the 1960s Yrjö Luttinen gathered chickens from Koivumäki, Naurismäki, and Huttuaho and turned things around. Nowadays the chickens of Kiuruvesi are quite reasonable and happy creatures.
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KIURUVESI
A true boredom with life is required to drown oneself in Kiurujärvi. (Editor’s note: average depth 40 cm.)
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KIURUVESI Of the many sights of Kiuruvesi, the Saarikoski canal deserves to be mentioned first. It is the only manually operated wooden canal in Europe and has been added to the list of significant cultural environments of Finland maintained by the National Board of Antiquities. Sports fans know Kiuruvesi for KiuPa, KiurU, Kiuruveden Kiekko as well as the local weight lifting clubs Jänne and Teräs. Gourmands on the other hand may feel a tug at their heartstrings when they hear the word mykyrokka. This traditional delicacy from upper Savonia – and Northern Savonia as well – is prepared as follows: 1) Take one pig. Kill it. Scald it. Save the blood. Save the internal organs. Save the meat. 2) Use the blood to make dumplings with barley flour among other things. Place the dumplings in a pot. Add the organs. Then potatoes. Boil. 3) Eat. Have some more. Store the pot in a cold place 4) Heat it up. Eat the next day. Notice how the soup just keeps tasting better. Eat too much. Be happy. Dumpling soup is often eaten in Kiuruvesi. And so are crêpes cooked using a large cast iron pan on an open fire that also taste very good. And these are some of the reasons why the people of Kiuruvesi are so happy.
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Savonians, the misunderstood people
�
iisalmi To breach through this forest, the listener must travel over ravaged logging areas, drained marshland, and dead lakes. And all this just to realize they are totally lost.
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iisalmi
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Unexpected encounters – Savonia and Savonian spirit
From Kiuruvesi we continue south. Floating on the Vieremä waterway, past the Koljonvirta Theater and Koljonvirta Camping. Those who have studied history know that this same landscape was once a backdrop for war: During the Finnish War in 1808, many an invader met their maker here. There would be plenty of stories to tell, if the old trees could speak of what they have seen… J.L. Runeberg later etched the battle of Koljonvirta unforgettably into the nation’s memory with The Tales of Ensign Stål and the story of Sven Dufva, a simple, but good-hearted soldier, who single handedly stops the enemy on the Koljonvirta bridge. Runeberg’s story was later made into a play at the scene of the events and of course Sven Dufva has also appeared in a movie, very much resembling Veikko Sinisalo, directed by Iisalmi’s own Edvin Laine. Laine was an important cultural figure in his own right and is remembered for his films based on Väinö Linna’s novel trilogy Under the North Star as well as the one and only true film adaptation of The Unknown Soldier. He also directed several productions in the Finnish National Theatre. Laine is by no means the only cultural icon from Iisalmi, as famous authors Juhani Aho, Kauppis-Heikki, and Olavi Säisä also without question hail from Iisalmi.
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iisalmi
In Iisalmi, timber rafting is still used to this day. 23
iisalmi Photo Sanna Repo
In the summer of 2015, 13,000 people marveled at this mobile convenience store at the Koljonvirta theatre.
The Savonian people are famous for their cheerful nature and spirited swagger. Picture used for illustrative purposes only.
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iisalmi
Juhani Aho’s fishing spot
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iisalmi
The Saarikoski canal is Europe’s northernmost manually operated wooden canal, where a budding local actor lost their virginity in the 1980s. The National Board of Antiquities has since listed the canal as part of the Finnish cultural environment.
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iisalmi In the 1770s, a local jokester told municipal doctor Elfenberg, who had arrived from Kuopio, via Kiurujoki, that the musty spring water which colored sheep’s hooves red and tasted of rusted iron was healthy. He said that an old and crippled deaf mute woman had tasted the water from Runni’s spring, fell into a coma, and woke up early in the morning having regained her hearing and speech and ran away healthier than ever. Doctor Elfenberg believed the shepherd’s tall tale, drank a glass of the foul tasting water, grimaced, and ran away. And the rest is the history of Runni health spa.
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In the field of music, Karl Collan and Jaakko Teppo deserve to be mentioned, both having produced an impressive life’s work in their own, somewhat different styles. And if it seems that composers and artists are dime a dozen in most villages, there is one thing that Iisalmi has over all the other municipalities of Finland: nowhere else can you find Formula One star Nico Rosberg’s grandma’s house.
iisalmi
Well, what about Olvi? It is no coincidence that the well-known beverage factory is located in Iisalmi. It just so happens, that the ground water in Iisalmi is best suited for brewing beer in the world. And that is not the only great thing originating on the shores of Paloisjoki. Genelec’s factories in Iisalmi produce the greatest studio speakers in the world and metal technologies of the Iisalmi region are at the top of their industry internationally. The cultural and art circles of Iisalmi have by no means been extinguished with the passing of its great sons mentioned above. To this day, Iisalmi can offer a wide variety of different cultural events from theater productions to concerts and visual arts to literary functions. In addition to the more cultural offerings, the exercise opportunities in Iisalmi also deserve a mention. Iisalmi has something for everyone, from light exercise to serious sweating. And if you are tired of constant action, Iisalmi also has plenty of places to relax. One worthy of mention is Kirkkopuisto which, similarly to Central Park in New York, is considered to be the lungs of the town. In short: Iisalmi makes things happen!
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lapinlahti Because a pedigree Savonian � is a unique race of people,
Savonians, the misunderstood people
forged by mischievous Finno-Ugric evolution. A DNA strand marinated with cow’s milk and kalakukko gives the Sudeten-Savonian a genuine and sincere anxiety that others are doing better than him.
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lapinlahti When the prides of the Halonen art foundry, i.e. the equestrian statue of Mannerheim and the Three Smiths Statue were brought to Helsinki, the people of Lapinlahti were very proud of their art foundry. Of course they still are, but that is not their only cause of pride. Lapinlahti happens to be among the elite of Savonia which is why the Elite Games in track and field are organized in Lapinlahti annually. There is also an annual cheese and wine festival in Lapinlahti. Cheese is a logical choice for the festival, as Lapinlahti is home to a deliciously cheesy success story. In plain language, there is a dairy in the municipality. And it’s big, and of high quality. And milk isn’t just imported to Lapinlahti from around the region, as the municipality has its own share of cattle. Agriculture in Lapinlahti is doing well in other respects as well. But what about the wine? Well, wine goes well with cheese and, besides, Lapinlahti has provided inspiration to many artists. And artists are known to be fond of wine. The Väärni Vicarage, which has been restored to its former glory, or possibly even further, was the birth place of Juhani Aho, for example. It is because of him, that a traveler stopping in Lapinlahti still remembers Matti and Liisa, the loveable peasants who travel to see an iron horse in the novel Rautatie.
According to a local legend, an ironworker who worked on the Nerkoo canal pictured here secretly practiced ice fishing on a nearby lake and in 1973 won the largest ice fishing competition held in Finland at the time. The first prize was a Larven snow mobile. The ironworker is said to have been called Urho.
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Unexpected encounters – Savonia and Savonian spirit
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lapinlahti But perhaps the most opportune place for artists who arrived from elsewhere has been Väisälänmäki, the Koli of Savonia. For centuries it has spurred artists to great performances and its milieu has been drawn upon by the brothers Halonen from Lapinlahti, Riitta Loiva, a.k.a. Miina Äkkijyrkkä, and many other significant artists. It was also the scene where Eero Järnefelt’s painting Under the Yoke, or Burning the Brushwood was created in 1893. The model for the touchingly emaciated little girl in the painting was a local girl Johanna Kokkonen, who happened to be delivering food for the peasants toiling as the artist’s models and was harnessed by Järnefelt for the painting. In the painting Johanna is a tattered and starving phantom, whose stomach is distended by bark bread. In reality, the young Kokkonen girl was a happy, plump, and red-cheeked Savonian girl, who was made into a symbol of famine by the artist. Nowadays slash-and-burn agriculture is no longer practiced in Lapinlahti and bark bread has been replaced with delicious cheese. But art, culture, agriculture, industry, and Savonian spirit can still be found there in quite a nice mix.
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Unexpected encounters – Savonia and Savonian spirit
Savonian art, that’s what it is. 42
lapinlahti
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maaninka While other tribes � may claim it is envy,
Savonians, the misunderstood people
it is in fact the only endless driving force of this people. The turner of a thousand ash farms, the digger of trenches, the only warmth on a frosty night, and the steadfast shelter for families, always remaining reliable.
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Unexpected encounters – Savonia and Savonian spirit
The first Finnish encyclopedia, published in 1909, states that the tallest free-flowing waterfall in Finland is located in Maaninka and its height is 46 meters.
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Maaninka In addition to great views, Maaninka has given Finland a varying bunch of interesting dignitaries. Members of parliament Nestor Väänänen, Tuula Väätäinen, Taavetti Lapveteläinen, and Mirja Ryynänen are among those who were born or lived in Maaninka. Within the cultural circles, the famous sons and daughters of Maaninka include, among others, Aino Räsänen, the author of the Helena series, and actor Toivo Tuomainen. In fact, mentioning Toivo Tuomainen is practically mandatory in a book praising the Savonian spirit, as this multitalented fellow, who became famous for his work in TV commercials was in many ways the embodiment of all Savonian qualities. Tuomainen was a jolly, small, rotund man who played the accordion and possessed both Savonian slyness and heartfelt warmth. Tuomainen can also be credited with one of the greatest Savonian portrayals ever captured on film, in Siunattu Hulluus (Blessed Madness) directed by Rauni Mollberg, where Tuomainen plays Filippus Rummukainen. Just look at the scene where Tuomainen is eating kalakukko, smacking his lips and reciting the brilliant lines about a wise man written by Simo “Aapeli” Puupponen. Watch, enjoy, and learn something very intrinsic of the deepest core of Savonian being. Maaninka, established in 1872, was consolidated into Kuopio in the beginning of 2015.
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siilinjärvi The Savonian people � have a strong and
Savonians, the misunderstood people
centuries-long tradition of tales. This diverse talent for language, which continues from father to son, is a gift that is used to teach new generations to be hard-working and imaginative storytellers.
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Unexpected encounters – Savonia and Savonian spirit
Siilinjärvi is an appropriately sized, populous, and lively municipality. 52
Siilinj채rvi
Siilinj채rvi is an appropriately sized, populous, and lively municipality. In 2015, it darted past Varkaus to become the most populous municipality in Northern Savonia by four people and was roundly praised as a great place to live.
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Unexpected encounters – Savonia and Savonian spirit
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Siilinj채rvi
Siilinj채rvi has plenty of industry, led by Yara, known to locals as Kemira, and as Rikkihappo among the older folk. It is a humongous industrial complex, which sits at the side of trunk road 75. When viewed from an airplane, the area is so vast that the industrial landscape seen from the trunk road, impressive though it is, seems like a small kiosk in comparison. Looking at the view, it is easy to understand that stone provides bread for the people of Siilinj채rvi.
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Unexpected encounters – Savonia and Savonian spirit
Photo Mauno Luukkonen
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Siilinjärvi
In art circles, Siilinjärvi is known for the SiiliFolk festival and its enthusiastic theater life. Kasurila skiing center and golf course provide all the comforts of the sporting world and the world’s most beautiful airport can, in fact, be found in Siilinjärvi. The airport in Rissala, together with the Karelian Air Command, is often thought to be located in Kuopio, because flights from Helsinki-Vantaa are never destined to Siilinjärvi, but to Kuopio instead. This might well be the greatest Savonian conspiracy. How many people have flown to Siilinjärvi, believing they were headed to Kuopio? Nevertheless, it is doubtful that any of them have been irritated by this bluff, as the landscape of Siilinjärvi is a sight for sore eyes from air as well as land. Photo Mauno Luukkonen
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Unexpected encounters – Savonia and Savonian spirit
This is Siilinjärvi.
Revelation, Pekka Jylhä 2000, ©Kuvasto 2016
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Photo Jaakko Suvala, Siilinjärven kunta
Siilinjärvi Another similar truth with a conspiratorial whiff is related to Sakari Kuosmanen. Everyone believes Kuosmanen is from Kuopio, even the man himself, based on interviews. The town center of Siilinjärvi is located near the source of the motorway to Kuopio and after traveling part of the way towards the city of kalakukko, one can see perhaps the most important landmark of Siilinjärvi. It is a statue named Revelation, sculpted by Pekka Jylhä, on top of a rock cutting by the side of the motorway. The deer sculpture is fabulous, fresh, and bright and seems to shake up the soul with its beauty. So, it is just like Siilinjärvi itself.
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�
Savonians, the misunderstood people
kuopio These verbal fireworks, which are wordy and rich with nuance and often focus on neighbors and colleagues are a pleasure to hear in halls and houses, markets and village squares. In the middle of the scenic milieu, it ascends peculiarly into the consciousness, like birdsong in the concrete parking garage of a shopping center.
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Unexpected encounters – Savonia and Savonian spirit
”Unexpected encounters” is the slogan for the city of Kuopio. This holds water, as Kuopio is the promised land of unexpected encounters. Consider a nice summer day on the market square: grab a meat pastry or a doughnut in one hand and a cup of coffee in the other. Sit down at a table and open up your soul. It won’t be long until even the occasional visitor will find himself in discussion with a true Savonian. The stranger may be asked about their origins and reason for visiting, but all in all, the encounter will leave the traveler in high spirits. They have just received a helping of the real Savonian spirit and that feels good.
The essence of true Savonia uplifts the spirit 62
kuopio
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Unexpected encounters – Savonia and Savonian spirit
Kuopio is not just a sanctuary of Savonian life consisting of kalakukko, life on the market square, and wonderful views opening from Puijo. It is a developing, growing, and versatile population center, with good connections to just about anywhere. Kuopio can be conveniently reached by car, train, and plane (even though the airport is actually in Siilinjärvi) and, keeping in mind the theme of this book, also by waterways. Leaving the Kuopio harbor, one is free to travel all the way to the oceans of the world, and many have also come to Kuopio from over the oceans.
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Unexpected encounters – Savonia and Savonian spirit
Lively industrial and commercial life as well as plentiful opportunities for studying have made Kuopio the lively heart of Savonia, with over 200 export companies, where the industrial turnover is growing significantly faster than the national average. But the people of Kuopio have by no means forgotten their roots.
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kuopio
The spiritual capital of Savonia is a center of commerce‌
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Unexpected encounters – Savonia and Savonian spirit
Savonians, the misunderstood people
”
While it is often alleged to be gossiping, this friendly sharing of information which is known to be correct, without the knowledge of the affected party, is a greatly misunderstood golden quality. In reality it is only the love for one’s neighbor, set deep in the Savonian soul, used to spare a loved one from the pain and grief of truth. What the heart doesn’t know, it cannot grieve.
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kuopio Education is good for you! Savo Consortium for Education is a joint venture of 17 municipalities from Northern Savonia to benefit the region. Five different localities in the heart of Savonia offer highquality and diversified education for over 20,000 lucky students each year. The Consortium for Education is one of the largest providers of vocational education in Finland with a wide repertoire ranging from basic vocational education to work life development initiatives. The quality of work life expertise must be high, which is why Savonian and Savonian-minded people of all ages are encouraged to develop their know-how to match the ever-changing requirements of work life.
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As a student city, Kuopio has plenty to offer. The University of Eastern Finland is on the international top-level in the fields of national disease, bioeconomy, and climate change research. Kuopio Science Park is an excellent combination of different fields of know-how and Yl채-Savo Vocational College has trained countless of skilled employees for businesses in the region. Youth and adult education is furthered by the Vocational College, while the Emergency Services College provides vocational training for emergency service professionals.
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Unexpected encounters – Savonia and Savonian spirit
The Savonia University of Applied Sciences’ simulation center on the Microkatu campus is especially well suited for teaching healthcare procedures in a safe environment
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kuopio Only the Savonian students of the Savonia University of Applied Sciences, under the guidance of the President of the university, have managed to design a motorcycle. President Mervi VidgrĂŠn handling the Savonia Chopper. Students of the Savonia University of Applied Sciences took part in the planning, designing, marketing, producing, servicing, and environmental aspects of the motorcycle build.
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kuopio Considering all the aforementioned facts, it is no wonder that Kuopio has contemplated its brand a great deal in the past years and managed to find it. And it’s a good thing too, as even though Savonians have always been industrious in singing their own praises, Kuopio does so with reason. Going from a small town inhabited by quirky Savonians, into a constantly growing top city is no mean feat.
Photo Aleksi Rajala
But Kuopio has by no means forgotten its roots. Kalakukko is still king, the local dialect is ever-flowing, visit to the Puijo tower makes the soul sigh, and the city’s cultural history is represented by the shopping centers Minna and Aapeli beside the sacred market square. The centers have been named after the city’s most famous authors: Minna Canth and Simo “Aapeli” Puupponen.
Photo Aleksi Rajala
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Unexpected encounters – Savonia and Savonian spirit
Kuopio is outrageously versatile 86
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kuopio Opportunities for exercise and sport are good, just about any hobby can be taken up, and the variety of cultural offerings is anything but dull. Kuopio City Theatre is a renowned and respected institute and other important cultural icons include traditional events such as the Kuopio Dance Festival and Kuopio Wine Festival. Both of these events attract people from far and wide, year after year. The more intellectual cultural offerings include the Kuopio Museum, Old Kuopio Museum, and the market alley of PikkuPietari which is open in the summertime. On the spiritual side, the Orthodox Church Museum deserves a mention. After all, it should be noted that after the wars, large numbers of Karelian evacuees were relocated in the Savonia region, thus enriching the Savonian way of life and living. There may have been some friction at first, but in time the Savonians and Karelians learned to live in harmony and accept the fact that the rice pasties baked by housewives from the east just happened to be a different shape than the ones baked by Savonian women.
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Johannes Takanen 1849–1885 Bust of J.V. Snellman, (1884) 1886 bronze, City of Kuopio collection
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The statue of Minna Canth is also among the most traditional sights of the city. The statue of another prominent figure can be found near the VäinÜlänniemi Sports Field. Sporting legend Hannes Kolehmainen is there, cast in bronze, running in shorts. The statue was originally intended to depict Kolehmainen in the nude, similarly to the statue of Paavo Nurmi. This was thwarted by the widow Kolehmainen, who stated that Hannes had in fact run in shorts when he was alive.
kuopio
The list of current celebrities from Kuopio is also filled with many sporting figures. Everyone knows that Kuopio is home to KalPa and KuPS, Kimmo Timonen, Atik Ismail, and so many members of the Kapanen family that one is bound to lose count. Of the departed legends, Spede Pasanen, the grandmaster of Savonian wit and verbal gymnastics must of course be mentioned. So, a many splendored thing is Kuopio. No longer a small town, but thankfully not too big either. It is Savonian-sized. And also human-sized.
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kuopio
At one time, this view of the bridges of Kallavesi was dominated by a drawbridge known as the “old German pointer” which efficiently halted both road and waterway traffic whenever it felt like it. Due to the old lady’s mercurial nature we refused to include this bridge, also known as Big Bertha, in the picture at all. The new Kallavesi bridge was built in 2013 because of Bertha’s malfunctions. It is said, that in its final moments, Bertha stopped the dignitaries on board the Queen on Kallavesi. Before this outing, Bertha had been greased for a week so it would open and close smoothly. Despite the thorough lubrication, Bertha was stuck in the upright position on its last draw and refused to come down, bringing traffic to a full stop.
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Unexpected encounters – Savonia and Savonian spirit
Oksapoika & Siskotyttö
Branch Boy, Pekka Kauhanen 2014, bronze, steel, and aluminum, ©Kuvasto 2016
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Sister, Taru Mäntynen 1984, bronze, City of Kuopio, ©Kuvasto 2016
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ANTI – Contemporary Art Festival 2014, Madeleine Flynn and Tim Humphrey: The Megaphone Project
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NILSIÄ tahko •
Savonians, the misunderstood people
The Savonian uses clever euphemisms to regard their listener with warmth. This is why it is preferred not to speak ill of the listener directly. If someone is fat, it could be said that thinner people have been known to exist. An ugly person is said to be otherwise healthy.
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Unexpected encounters – Savonia and Savonian spirit
According to the Folklore Archives, Nilsiä has so many robbers that backpacks should be carried in the front. According to YouTube, the only resident of Nilsiä is the oil sheik made famous by Hannu Karpo. According to the general perception, Nilsiä is a small village near Tahko. In addition, many people wonder whether Nilsiä was consolidated into Tahko or Kuopio. The correct answer is Kuopio.
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nilsiä•tahko But the absolute truth of the matter is that Nilsiä lives from Tahko and develops with Tahko. Tourism, led by skiing and golf is the most important tool in the arsenal of this ex-municipality that is now a part of Kuopio. But Nilsiä does have other strengths as well, as it is among the top milk producers of the Savonian region. Nilsiä boasts three great mountains: Tahko, Kinahmi, and Pisa. Kinahmi was harnessed for industrial purposes ages ago, while Pisa is a nature reserve, as a National Landscape deserves to be. There is plenty of more nature to admire in Nilsiä, as the local Savonian landscapes are quite lovely in Nilsiä as well.
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Unexpected encounters – Savonia and Savonian spirit Photo Jani Räsänen
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Photo Jani Räsänen
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nilsiä•tahko Aholansaari is well worth a mention as an opportunity to quiet down. While Paavo Ruotsalainen, the leader of the religious revivalist movement known as the Awakening, was not a prophet in his own country while alive, he did manage to do something right: Year after year, people who appreciate his thoughts gather to Ukko-Paavo’s home island. Without the master of Aholansaari, many hymns of Zion would have been left unsung in Nilsiä and elsewhere. In fact, an old saying from Nilsiä reflects the Savonian nature quite well: “Devil in the mind, Zion on the lips.” Nilsiä is also home to many young authors – or at least one. The exact number of the author’s fans is also exceptionally easy to report, as it happens to be precisely the same as the current number of patients in the chronic ward of the health center of Nilsiä.
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LEPPÄVIRTA As a humorous and self� indulgent bon vivant,
Savonians, the misunderstood people
the Savonian has not the time or the inkling to get stuck on the mundane details of their convivial world, including the origin or truthfulness of stories heard around town. Except of course when the rumor, taunt or questionable humor is directed at themselves. In that case, this descendant of slash-and-burn fields becomes filled with vigor. This is when the deepest core of the Savonian mentality presents itself: vindictiveness.
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”Finnish nature provides incredible experiences: beauty, purity, quiet, peace, and opportunities for picking berries and mushrooms as well as fishing.” So reads the text on the website of the municipality of Leppävirta. And why shouldn’t it, because the Finnish nature also shows its beauty in Leppävirta. It is especially notable that snow and ice can remain on the bottom of Orinoro gorge until June, and turning this phenomenon into a marketing asset is a great demonstration of the ingenuity of the people of Leppävirta. Usually Finns treat the appearance of snow in June as an ominous sign of the rest of the year being a lost cause. Not in Leppävirta though. There it is considered an opportunity.
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Beauty, cleanliness, quiet, peace… 130
lepp채virta
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Savonians, the misunderstood people
VARKAUS It is also said of this God-fearing people, that deeply set Lutheranism and the impact of the religious movement known as the Awakening can be seen in Savonia as an everyday grayness. Which is good, as gray is actually a pretty great base color. A modest, quiet tone which humbly makes way for other colors, cultures, people, personas, and individuals. But is this actually true? You’ll have to figure it out for yourself. Just like this book.
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Good news regarding Finnish industry are seldom heard these days. But Varkaus has managed to provide them and in 2014 Stora Enso (or Kutsetti in Savonian) announced that they were investing over a hundred million euros to keep paper industry in Varkaus. And just as well, as Varkaus is a traditional industrial town and factories are an instrumental part of not only the town’s image, but the streetscape as well. The long chimneys stand as unparalleled landmarks and as long as smoke keeps rising from the tops of the chimneys, even figuratively, Varkaus is going to be alright.
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varkaus The image of Varkaus has been shaped, in addition to the factory chimneys, also by the surrounding waters. The first written mentions of Varkaus can be found in the peace treaty of Nöteborg which makes a mention of a Laplander winter village on the shore of Siitinselkä. Some 700 years later, Juice Leskinen, a noted wordsmith of Savonian origin, jumped into the waves of the waters in question, cracking wise about swimming for the first time with a penis on his back (literal translation for Siitinselkä is penis back). It also should be mentioned that in 1792, a voluntary company of the Marine Artillery Regiment of the Royal Swedish Navy was placed in Varkaus, which is why Varkaus was known as Laivalinna (literally “Ship Castle”) until 1809. Then Finland became part of Russia and Laivalinna became Varkaus.
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Luckily, at the beginning of the 20th century Walter Ahlström entered the picture. He began developing the wood processing industry in Varkaus and population grew in the municipality. Ahlström’s grand vision was to create a town around his industrial plants. Ahlström had plans created and everything seemed to be in order, until the Civil War of 1918 created a new spiritual street plan for Varkaus which for years remained stronger than the constructional plan. It still goes to prove the fact that Varkaus is a true industrial town. To carry such a distinction, town needs a strong history and strong history needs its scars to be believable.
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varkaus While the chimneys signifying industry can be seen from a far, Varkaus has plenty of other things to see as well. The town is especially shaped by the surrounding waters and a great place to take in the beautiful scenery is the Torni terrace cafÊ at the top of the water tower which is the most visible landmark of Varkaus. The local sturgeon can especially be recommended for those interested in culinary pleasures. Varkaus offers plenty of foaming rapids and many more canals than there are members of the Centre Party of Finland and True Finns in the town council. The Mechanical Music Museum belongs to Varkaus, like something quintessential belongs wherever quintessential things belong to. The town’s district of wooden houses is a great example of how there are still population centers in Finland which haven’t been ruined with cold and impersonal commercial buildings built side by side.
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The altarpiece painted by Lennart Segerstråle at the church of Varkaus, which represents functionalist architecture, is the largest in the Nordic countries. Other attractions deserving to be mentioned include the old factory clock tower and the harbor area which is lovely in the summertime. The harbor is of course lovely in the winter as well, but it is harder to realize that in the unpleasant cold wind. Many familiar names have sprung into the national memory from Varkaus, including musical mogul Jaakko Salo, actor Mari Perankoski, and television legend Heikki Kahila. One is also obliged to mention Esa Pakarinen, whose final resting place is in Könönpelto. This brilliant artist was not actually from Varkaus, or even Savonia, and always maintained that he was a Karelian who shunned the Savonian incapability to laugh at oneself. He was, however, at one time considered by Finns to be the embodiment of Varkaus and there is, to this day, a glass case at a local gas station displaying a wax figure of Pakarinen’s stage persona Severi Suhonen.
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Unexpected encounters – Savonia and Savonian spirit
Photo Olavi Rytkönen
Savonian ridicule, that’s all it is, or isn’t.