Metropolitan Times 1/19

A MAGAZI NE FOR VISITORS

1 / 20 1 9

IN THIS ISSUE A superpower in motor sports page 10

Ellen Thesleff – avantgardist and woman page 22

The magical world of the Moomins page 26

A column by Salla Simukka

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A room of her own page 28

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Near the city but far from the rush Korkeasaari Zoo is uniquely located on an island in the Baltic Sea. It’s just outside the city, you can literally see the Helsinki Cathedral from the zoo. It takes only 20 minutes to get here by local bus (no 16) from the Railway Station of by ferry from the Market Square. Meet animals from the Himalayas, Siberia, Mongolia, Finland and the Asian rainforest – more than 150 species in total – while enjoying the silence and peace of the Finnish nature surrounding you.

Animals who are not afraid of cold It is not a coincidence that the snow leopard’s only bare spot is the tip of its nose or that the snowy owl is white and fluffy. Animals have their ways to adapt to cold climates. At Korkeasaari Zoo we want our large animals to enjoy outdoor life throughout the year.

Therefore, instead of seeing a giraffe or a hippo, you will see a wolverine, a forest reindeer, an Amur tiger and a Bactrian camel – all species adapted to extreme winter.

On a windy day, follow suit from the animals and dress warmly. If it gets too chilly, take refuge in the warm tropical houses.

To visit Korkeasaari Zoo is to act for nature Our mission is to conserve biodiversity. We want our visitors to value the importance of biodiversity and aim to motivate behavior change for conservation. In cooperation with other modern zoos, we breed endangered species to maintain a healthy and viable zoo population. Zoo populations have already saved various species from extinction. In order to support our mission in protecting wild animals and their natural habitats, we donate annually to various field conservation projects. Bring your coins and donate to the project of your choice. By visiting Korkeasaari Zoo, you support our work as defenders of biodiversity and endangered species.

Korkeasaari Zoo is open all year round Daily from 10 am. During summer several restaurants, cafés, kiosks and picnic areas are spread around the island. During spring, fall and winter, at least one restaurant is open. www.korkeasaari.fi/helsinki-zoo

From zoos to the wild Do you know what European bison, bearded vulture, European forest reindeer and Przewalski´s wild horse have in common? All these species have been lost from the wild locally or globally, and brought back from extinction with the help of zoos, Korkeasaari Zoo among them.

CONTENTS Welcome to the Metropolitan area 8 A superpower in motorsports 10 Out to the sea: the call of the islands 14 Map of metropolitan area 16 Hotels & hostels providing Metropolitan Times 18 Into the woods 20 Ellen Thesleff – avantgardist and woman 22 The forever-fascinating, magical world of the Moomins 26 A room of her own – A column by Salla Simukka 28

Metropolitan Times – A Magazine for Visitors Issue 1/2019 "Summer" www.metropolitantimes.fi ISSN 2489-2688

Editor Anna Eloaho

Published by Mobile-Kustannus Oy Brahenkatu 14 D 94 FI-20100 Turku, Finland

Sales Manager Raimo Kurki raimo.kurki@mobilekustannus.fi Tel. +358 45 656 7216

Publisher Teemu Jaakonkoski

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Graphic Design & Layout Petteri Mero Mainostoimisto Knok Oy Printed by Newprint Oy

Cover Kustaanmiekka at Suomenlinna. Photo: Suomen Ilmakuva Oy / The Governing Body of Suomenlinna Tähtitorninvuori – Observatory Hill Park. Photo: Lauri Rotko Nuuksio National Park. Photo: Joonas Vinnari Helsinki Cathedral. Photo: Matti Tirri Salla Simukka. Photo: Hanna Poropudas

Metropolitan Times map application for mobile telephones and tablets: m.metropolitantimes.fi.

Metropolitan Times is available in selected hotel and hostel rooms and lobbies in Espoo-Helsinki-Vantaa metropolitan area (see pages 16–17 and 18).

Next Metropolitan Times issue is out in October 2019.

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VANTAA

HELSINKI

ESPOO

photo: Suomenlinna Governing Body / Suomen Ilmakuva

Welcome to the Metropolitan area

photo: Kimmo Brandt

Urban culture and experiences in nature Located just a metro ride away, Espoo is a vital city, offering each and every one interesting things to see and experience.

Espoo has a lot to offer for those craving culture: visit a fascinating museum in Exhibition Centre WeeGee or participate in one of our city’s many events. In 2018 Espoo was named Travel Region of the Year in Finland.

Large natural areas are characteristic of Espoo: seashores, the archipelago, the wilderness in nature reserves and the waterways of the lake highlands.

The cultural landscapes, constructed environments and natural areas of Espoo are like Finland in miniature.

Espoo has twice been ranked as the most sustainable city in Europe. We have also been invited to act as one of the pioneering cities implementing the UN’s 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, in cooperation with Aalto University and companies. In June 2018, we won the Intelligent Community of the Year award. These achievements show that our hard work to build a sustainable future is bearing fruit. We want to ensure that our city will grow in a manner that will provide future generations with equal or better living conditions than those enjoyed by us.

Welcome to Espoo!

photo: Jetro Stavén

Dear reader

Vantaa has it all

You've made an excellent decision in coming to Helsinki! Well, I'm the city's mayor, so I would say that, wouldn't I? But indeed, I can back up my statements of Helsinki's excellence with statistics and ratings: During the last couple of years, Helsinki has reached a new level regarding the number of visitors – both leisure and business. And should you wish to stay longer, you might be pleased to hear that we rank #1 in rankings that measure quality of life, satisfaction with the place people live in, as well as honesty – just to name a few.

Helsinki is a compact, fun city, where modern urban life meets a beautiful, diverse environment. Helsinki lives and breathes throughout every season of the year. But don't take just my word for it. We believe that locals are the best guides to a city. While we sadly can't assign a personal local for each visitor, as the tech-savvy people we are, we have collected all the best local guides into one service: myhelsinki.fi.

It's available in English, Finnish, Swedish, Russian, Japanese and German. Now go and follow in the footsteps of the locals!

The strategy of our city begins with the words "Helsinki is for a good life". We don't mean that just for residents, we mean it also for all visitors and other new friends.

I hope to see you back soon.

In Vantaa, nothing is too far nor too far-fetched – we’ve got festivals, street art, great outdoor activities, and exciting sport events like The Week of Finnish Championships. In July, the event offers its visitors a chance to see and experience 22 different sports from canoe polo and aerobatics to roller derby and arm wrestling.

In August, Helsinga Medieval Day invites everyone to enjoy the medieval atmosphere in a historical environment.

See the market and taste the flavours from centuries ago – and while you’re at it, enjoy the international baroque music concerts at the BRQ Vantaa Festival. The Vantaa summer has plenty of other lively events to offer as well – most of them easily accessible via the public transport.

Almost fifty percent of Vantaa has been designated for green areas and nature is always close. If you visit the Finnish Science Centre Heureka, take a stroll and have a picnic along the nearby river. For Finnish smoke saunas, head to Kuusijärvi, a recreational area where you can also swim in a lake and wander in the forest.

The most eager hikers can even walk to the Sipoonkorpi national park.

Enjoy your time in Vantaa – we’re looking forward to seeing you again!

Ritva Viljanen

Jan Vapaavuori Jukka Mäkelä

photo: Sakari Manninen

Mayor of Vantaa

Mayor of Helsinki

Mayor of Espoo

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photo: Massimo Bettiol / Getty Images

A superpower in motor sports

Finland is one of the most successful countries in the history of motor sports. Why?

G

Written by Matti Mäkelä

iven the small size of the population, is supported by a statement made by the younger Rosberg the country’s performance in this field to the Helsingin Sanomat newspaper in 2005: “Maybe in completely outshines that of any other motor racing I feel a closer connection to Finland, since country. But this small country does it reminds me of my father’s achievements.” not need flattery In rally driving, seven Finns have in this regard – the statistics say it all. won the World Rally Championships, Finland has produced three most of them several times. In the IN RALLY DRIVING, SEVEN Formula One World Drivers’ entire history of the championships, FINNS HAVE WON Championship winners. The only only ten other drivers have won from THE WORLD RALLY country to beat this is the United the rest of the world taken together.

CHAMPIONSHIPS Kingdom, with Brazil and Germany In motorcycle racing Finland has not being equal to Finland. And been equally overwhelming, but still considering that the most recent highly successful. However, between German Formula One world champion, Nico Rosberg, all the different types of motorcycle racing, from the is the son of Finland’s first world champion, Keke Rosberg, FIM Road Racing World Championship Grand Prix to and is a dual Finnish and German citizen, Finland is in fact trials, Finland has produced no less than eight world second only to the UK in the statistics. This interpretation champions.

Above: Jari Matti Latvala and Miikka Anttila of Finland compete in the 2012 WRC Rally Finland in Jyväskylä.

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Much has been said about the secrets of Finnish success in motor sports. Of course, these sports are a natural choice in a country where there has always been a great love of technology. Finland has sometimes been described as a nation of engineers who can develop and create, but not sell.

In addition, it has been noted that the most successful Finnish rally drivers have mainly come from rural areas, where the roads tend to be more winding and in poor condition for much of the year.

In these circumstances, learning to drive well was essential just to survive. If this explanation is true, can the rise of French rally drivers in recent years be explained by improvements to Finnish roads and the run-down state of French infrastructure?

Motor sports are also said to be well suited to the quiet and inward-looking nature of the Finnish character. A Finnish man feels most at home on a quiet road or track, where he is free to put in a death-defying performance without anyone’s support or any rivalry.

However, this lone wolf explanation at least partially fails, because motor sports are largely collaborative efforts, where the best drivers owe their success to good teamwork with engineers, mechanics and all the other members of the team. Moreover, in rally driving the stereotypical strong, silent type would be very bothered by the continual chatter of the map reader sitting beside him – even though there is a good reason for this chatter. Well, the Lone Ranger did have his Tonto, after all, and Batman has his Robin.

Some of the Finnish motor sports champions have certainly been go-it-alone types who have climbed their way to the summit through sheer force of will and a tremendous amount of work. The legendary motorcycling world champion Jarno “The Baron” Saarinen was known to maintain and fine-tune his bike by himself in the early days of his career. And future Formula Once world champion Keke Rosberg quit a well-paid job and moved abroad to forge out a career as a racing driver. He later described his long journey to becoming world champion as “driving through frozen banks of snow”.

There is also great power in example: trailblazing heroes can inspire up-and-coming talent to believe in their own potential. In tennis, for example, the Swedish legend Björn Borg’s wins led the way for

THE LEGENDARY MOTORCYCLING

WORLD CHAMPION JARNO “THE

BARON” SAARINEN WAS KNOWN TO MAINTAIN AND

FINE-TUNE HIS

BIKE BY HIMSELF. Jarno Saarinen.

countless new tennis stars. Similarly, Finnish motor sports masters have lit the spark for later generations of drivers. Keke Rosberg was highly supportive of Mika Häkkinen on the latter’s route to Formula One success and fame, even acting as Häkkinen’s manager. And it must be remembered that before the elder Rosberg, most people in Finland knew practically nothing about the sport. The Finnish media was also largely indifferent to his actual performances, mostly describing him as a bigmouth who was forever dropping out in the middle of races. One magazine, Hymy, even named him “garbage truck driver of the year” in 1981.

And there are no gains to be made without pain and sacrifice. For example, Kimi Räikkönen’s family invested practically everything in their son’s career. His father Matti Räikkönen worked several jobs and the family even gave up on renovating their bathroom to finance Kimi and his brother’s motor sports hobbies.

For some Finnish champions, the sacrifices were on an entirely different scale. Grand Prix motorcycle road racer Jarno Saarinen was killed in an accident in Monza in 1973, and rally driver Henri Toivonen‘s car veered of the road into a ravine in Corsica in 1986.

Sometimes, the secret to success is simply luck. In 1998, rally driving world champion Tommi Mäkinen, who went on to win four world championship titles, was already at the airport heading home when he got a phone call telling him that Spanish star Carlos “El Matador” Sainz’s car had broken down just a few hundred meters from the finish line. With Sainz out of the running, this meant that Mäkinen moved up from second place to win the championship for the third time. Keke Rosberg won the Formula One world championship back in 1982 in a Williams car with a Ford Cosworth engine, whereas the overwhelmingly more powerful turbo-charged engines kept breaking down repeatedly throughout the season.

And as we all know, when the going gets tough, the tough get going.

In 1998, Mika Häkkinen and Michael Schumacher both started the last leg of the Formula One world championship equally placed to win. Schumacher failed to get his car started and is moved to last place on the starting grid for a restart. Häkkinen kept his cool and won the championship. Nine years later, the outcome of the championship seemed a foregone conclusion, with Lewis Hamilton leading Kimi Räikkonen by 17 points with just two races to go in the season. At the following race, the Chinese Grand Prix, Hamilton’s concentration lapsed, and his car veered off the track at a pit entrance. Räikkönen won, shrinking the gap to seven points. In the final race, Hamilton slipped far from the lead early on, and Räikkönen won the world championship title by a single point. s

ONE MAGAZINE EVEN NAMED ROSBERG “GARBAGE TRUCK

DRIVER OF THE YEAR” IN 1981.

photo: Hans van Dijk / Anefo

Keke Rosberg.

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• EXCLUSIVELY IN FINLAND •

Taste of Scandinavia high above sea level

S T E A K H O U S E S I N C E

Restaurant Haikaranpesä is located in Haukilahti, Espoo 76 meters above sea level. Restaurant has an amazing view over the Capital area and the Baltic Sea. Our Scandinavian style lunch buffet is prepared from pure and seasonal ingredients.

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CHARCOAL GRILL EXQUISITE WINE LIST GROOVY MUSIC FRIENDLY STAFF LAID BACK ATMOSPHERE

Open daily Monday - Friday 11-16 • Saturday - Sunday 12-18 Reservations: www.ravintolahaikaranpesa.fi

LUNCH MON – FRI SAT

10.30 – 16.00 11.00 – 15.00

Eteläesplanadi 24, HELSINKI www.manhattansteakhouse.fi SAME EXCELLENT TASTES ALSO IN

FORUM SHOPPING CENTER 0 FLOOR – FOOD COURT

Photo: Yrjö Tuunanen / the Governing Body of Suomenlinna

The King's Gate at Suomenlinna Sea Fortress.

Text by Anna Eloaho

Out to the sea:

the call of the islands

F

inland is known as the “Land of the thousand lakes”. That’s rather an understatement, as the total number of lakes in Finland is 188 000. The amount of islands is rather impressive too, as there have been counted to be nearly 180 000 islands in all of Finland. Most of these islands are situated inland amid the thousand lakes, but a great number of islands are located on the coast. The four principal archipelagos of Finland include the Kotka archipelago in the Gulf of Finland, the Archipelago Sea in the Southwest Finland and Åland, the archipelago in the Gulf of Botnia and the Helsinki archipelago.

The most visited attraction of the Metropolitan archipelago is Suomenlinna Sea Fortress. The ferry (part of the Helsinki region public transportation HSL) from the Helsinki Market Square (Kauppatori) takes you there in just 20 minutes. The fortress with its bastions and cannons was built in the latter part of the 1700’s under the Swedish reign. Suomenlinna Sea Fortress has been a UNESCO World Heritage site since 1991. Kauppatori harbour offers plenty of options, as there are boats leaving for several other island destinations as well. There’s even a possibility for island-hopping, allowing one to visit the islands of Vallisaari, Suomenlinna and Lonna with just one boat ticket and stay in each island as long as you please. Lonna, a former military island is a tiny island just outside Suomenlinna. Another former military island, Vallisaari, was opened for public in 2016, having been restricted to military use only for over 400 years. From Vallisaari it’s possible to walk to yet another island, Kuninkaansaari, as the two islands are connected

by a narrow land bridge. Pihlajasaari is one of the summer classic among the people of Helsinki and as it is rather large island (two in fact), it’s easy to find a peaceful spot for sun bathing there. Ferries for Pihlajasaari leave from Kaivopuisto Sea Harbour and from Ruoholahti.

Another Helsinki classic, Mustikkamaa is an island, too, but can be reached by foot or bike via Isoisänsilta (“the Grandad’s Bridge”) from Kalasatama. Through Mustikkamaa island one can even reach Korkeasaari island, the site of Helsinki Zoo by foot. The boats for Helsinki Zoo leave from Kauppatori harbour and from Hakaniemi. One more classic destination by the sea is Seurasaari with its open-air museum. As Seurasaari is located just a few kilometres from the heart of Helsinki, the HSL bus number 24 takes you to the bridge in just few minutes. The displayed cottages and farmsteads have been relocated from all around Finland.

There are 165 islands in Espoo alone. Along the Archipelago Route (Saaristoreitti) one can see many of them and also visit several. In Iso Vasikkasaaari for example one can spend an entire day as both a summer restaurant and outdoor cooking facilities are provided.

Saaristoreitti boats leave from Otaniemi and Kivenlahti harbours. For those who fancy to go even further to the sea can step into a boat at Kauppatori and head for the Söderskär lighthouse in the Porvoo archipelago. s HOW TO REACH THE ARCHIPELAGO • myhelsinki.fi/en/info/getting-around • archipelagoroute.com

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SMALL HAS BEEN BIG FOR US SINCE 1985 The Toy Museum in Suomenlinna is a private collection of antique and vintage toys full of history.

The charming little Museum Café Samovarbar has home made delicacies and an outdoor terrace by the sea. The Museum Shop is also worth to visit.

Welcome to the indie Toy Museum and Café Samovarbar in the sea fortress Suomenlinna, Helsinki. www.lelumuseo.fi #toymuseumhelsinki

Metropolitan Times 2019.indd 1

3/14/2019 10:35:55 AM

Experience Suomenlinna!

Joining a guided tour is a great way to see the fortress.

Guided tours: Summertime every day 1st June – 31st August In English at 11:00, 13:00 and 14:30 / In Swedish at 12:00 / In Russian at 13:30 In Finnish at 12:00 and 24.6.–10.8. a thematic tour at 14:00 1.7. – 31.8. in Chinese Mon – Fri at 14.00

Visit Suomenlinna Museum and Ehrensvärd Museum. www.suomenlinnatours.com

A MAP IN YOUR POCKET

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YOU ARE HERE!

Hotels providing Metropolitan Times are marked on the map with numbered blue dots.

The number of your hotel can be found from the list on page 18.

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© Helsingin kaupunkimittausosasto 2019

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THE MAP OF THE METROPOLITAN AREA

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Helsinki

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Helsinki was founded in 1550 by King Gustavus Vasa of Sweden. It became the capital city of Finland (then the Grand Duchy of Finland) in 1812.

Inhabitants: ca. 600,000. More information: www.hel.fi.

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Espoo

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Espoo is the second largest city in Finland.

It gained city rights in 1972, but the first written mention of Espoo is from 1458. Geographically scattered Espoo is divided into seven major areas and instead of one city center Espoo has five rather densly populated city centers. Inhabitants: ca. 275,000. More information: www.visitespoo.fi.

Vantaa Vantaa is the fourth largest city in Finland. It gained city rights in 1974, but the first written mention of Vantaa is from 1352. The Helsinki Airport is situated in Vantaa. Inhabitants: ca. 220,000. More information: www.visitvantaa.fi.

Kauniainen Kauniainen is a small town enclosed by the city of Espoo. It is the smallest commune of Finland with its 6 square kilometres. Inhabitants: ca.

9,400. More information: www.kauniainen.fi.

Capital region The total number of inhabitants in the Capital region (Helsinki, Espoo,Vantaa and Kauniainen) is 1.1 million.

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Greater Helsinki Capital region and the municipalities Hyvinkää, Järvenpää, Kerava, Kirkko­nummi, Nurmijärvi, Sipoo, Tuusula, Mäntsälä, Pornainen and Vihti form the Greater Helsinki area, rising the number of inhabitants to 1.4 million. Together with the cities of Porvoo, Lohja and Riihimäki, the population of the Metropolitan area rises to about 1,550,000.

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Metropolitan Times is available

in these high standard Hotels & Hostels 10 Hilton Helsinki Kalastajatorppa

20 Original Sokos Hotel Albert Helsinki

Kalastajatorpantie 1, 00330 Helsinki Tel. +358 9 458 11 www.hiltonhotels.com

Albertinkatu 30, 00120 Helsinki Tel. +358 20 123 4638 www.sokoshotels.fi

11 Hilton Helsinki Strand

21 Original Sokos Hotel Presidentti

John Stenbergin ranta 4, 00530 Helsinki Tel. +358 9 393 51 www.hiltonhotels.com

Eteläinen Rautatiekatu 4, 00100 Helsinki Tel. +358 20 123 4608 www.sokoshotels.fi

03 Break Sokos Hotel Flamingo

12 Hotel Haaga Central Park

Tasetie 8, 01510 Vantaa Tel. +358 20 123 4605 www.sokoshotels.fi

Nuijamiestentie 10, 00320 Helsinki Tel. +358 9 580 7877 www.hotelhaaga.fi

22 Original Sokos Hotel Tapiola Garden

04 Clarion Hotel Helsinki

13 Hotel Helka

Tyynenmerenkatu 2, 00220 Helsinki Tel. +358 10 850 3820 www.nordicchoicehotels.com

Pohjoinen Rautatiekatu 23, 00100 Helsinki Tel. +358 9 613 580 www.hotelhelka.com

05 Clarion Hotel Helsinki Airport

14 Hotel Hellsten Espoo

Elannontie 9, 01510 Vantaa Tel. +358 9 825 511 www.bonusinn.fi

02 Airport Hotel Pilotti Veromäentie 1, 01510 Vantaa Tel. +358 9 329 4800 www.airporthotelpilotti.fi

Tietotie 5, 01530 Vantaa Tel. +358 10 850 3810 www.nordicchoicehotels.com

06 Forenom Apart Hotel Espoo Leppävaara Porarinkatu 1, 02650 Espoo Tel. +358 20 198 3420 www.forenom.com

07 Forenom Apart Hotel Helsinki City Eerikinkatu 24, 00180 Helsinki Tel. +358 20 198 3420 www.forenom.com

08 Forenom Hostel Helsinki Pitäjänmäki Kornetintie 10, 00380 Pitäjänmäki Tel. +358 20 198 3420 www.forenom.com

09 Hilton Helsinki Airport Lentäjänkuja 1, 01530 Vantaa Tel. +358 9 732 20 www.hiltonhotels.com

Porarinkatu 3, 02650 Espoo Tel. +358 9 511 051 www.hellstenhotels.fi

Tapionaukio 3, 02100 Espoo Tel. + 358 20 123 4616 www.sokoshotels.fi

23 Radisson Blu Hotel Espoo Otaranta 2, 02150 Espoo Tel. +358 20 123 4705 www.radissonblu.com

24 Radisson Blu Seaside Hotel Ruoholahdenranta 3, 00180 Helsinki Tel. +358 20 123 4707 www.radissonblu.com

15 Hotel Hellsten Helsinki Parliament

25 Scandic Espoo

Museokatu 18, 00100 Helsinki Tel. +358 9 511 0570 0 www.hellstenhotels.fi

Nihtisillantie 1, 02630 Espoo Tel. +358 9 435 20 www.scandichotels.fi

16 Hotel Hellsten Helsinki Senate

26 Scandic Grand Marina

Kauppiaankatu 5, 00160 Helsinki Tel. +358 9 511 0524 3 www.hellstenhotels.fi

Katajanokanlaituri 7, 00160 Helsinki Tel. +358 9 166 61 www.scandichotels.fi

17 Hotel Korpilampi Espoo

27 Scandic Simonkenttä

Korpilammentie 5, 02970 Espoo Tel. +358 9 613 8411 www.korpilampi.fi

Simonkatu 9, 00100 Helsinki Tel. +358 9 68 380 www.scandichotels.fi

18 Hotel Majvik Espoo

28 Seurahuone Helsinki

Majvikintie 1, 02430 Masala Tel. +358 9 295 511 www.majvik.fi

Kaivokatu 12, 00100 Helsinki Tel. +358 9 689 9903 55 www.scandichotels.fi

19 Hämeenkylän Manor

29 Solo Sokos Hotel Torni

Juustenintie 1, 01630 Vantaa Tel. +358 10 540 8350 www.hameenkylankartano.fi

Yrjönkatu 26, 00100 Helsinki Tel. +358 20 123 4604 www.sokoshotels.fi

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photo: Yiping Feng and Ling Ouyang / Helsinki Marketing

01 Airport Hotel Bonus Inn

THE OLDEST SOUVENIR SHOP IN HELSINKI OPPOSITE THE TEMPPELIAUKIO CHURCH

– Since 1980 –

ANNE’S SHOP Fredrikinkatu 68, 00100 Helsinki Tel. +358 9 445 823 OPEN EVERY DAY 9–18 (winter 9–17) facebook.com/Annensoppi

Knitwear

Finnish knives

Reindeer hides

Handicrafts

Målerås crystal

Souvenirs

Lapland in the heart of Helsinki Genuine Northern delicacies served on wooden boat

Welcome – Buresboahtin!

Lappish Restaurant Saaga Bulevardi 36 • Tel. +358 9 7425 5544 Mon–Sat 18–23 3.6.–1.9.: Mon–Fri 18–23 www.ravintolasaaga.fi

W Text by Anna Eloaho

ith its 1,1 million inhabitants, the Helsinki several trails of different lengths. The shortest one, the Maahisenkierros Metropolitan area is the most densely trail (1,9 kilometres) is accessible for wheelchairs and baby buggies. habited part of Finland. One might think There are dozens of recreational forests, walking routes, arboretums that in order to escape the urban hustle and woodland areas within easy reach in the Metropolitan area. By and bustle for pure nature one should public transportation one can easily reach woodland gems such travel rather far from the capital region. We let you in on a secret: as the oak forest of Tammisto in Vantaa, the Viikki arboretum at there is proper Finnish forest within walking distance from the city Vanhankaupunginlahti, Uutela nature trail in Vuosaari in eastern centre, to be reached in just 15 minutes. In fact, there is no other Helsinki and Haaga Rhododendron park in western Helsinki. Longer capital region of over million inhabitants in the world with so much urban walking and hiking routes include the Espoo Rantaraitti by surrounding nature. the seaside. The Metropolitan area has plenty The Central Park of Helsinki makes of options for bikers, too. Among them are it possible to reach a forest by foot from the various themed bike routes such as “the DID YOU KNOW THAT anywhere from the city centre. Traversing Central Park 100 years” and “the Olympic EVEN 20 MINUTES SPENT Helsinki from south to north, the Central Park games of Helsinki in 1952”.

IN A FOREST LOWERS YOUR is the green gateway for the commuters as A great choice for a nature enthusiast on BLOOD PRESSURE? well as an easily reachable outdoor haven for a rainy day is Haltia Nature Centre, close to those who enjoy the smell of green forest and the Nuuksio National Park in Espoo. Along birdsong. Founded in 1914, the Central Park with exhibitions, shop and restaurant it offers offers opportunities for outdoor sports and recreation throughout more detailed information about the Metropolitan nature network the year. Central Park begins near the Helsinki Opera House at the Green Belt. Other interesting options include the Botanic Garden Töölönlahti Bay, in the middle of the city. in Kaisaniemi as well as the Botanical Garden (Talvipuutarha) at Central Park ends in the untouched primeval forest of Haltiala Töölö Bay. s by the river Vantaa on the northern border of Helsinki. Other The Botanic Garden in Kaisaniemi is a great choice on a rainy day. nature protection areas in the northern part of the park include Pitkäkoski deciduous forest, Niskala arboretum and Ruutinkoski deciduous forest.

The green zones of the Metropolitan area form a unique Green Belt, extending from the Sipoonkorpi area to the peninsula of Porkkala.

The Green Belt consists of the archipelago, the coastline, the rivers, the forests, the bogs and the cultural landscapes of the Metropolitan area. The numerous nature conservation areas as well as the more recreational areas all form a pathway and a natural network allowing animals and plant species to transfer from one area to another. The widest forest areas, such as the Nuuksio and Sipoonkorpi National Parks in Espoo and Sipoo and Petikko in Vantaa are situated outside Kehä 3 (Ring 3) road.

Petikko, Sipoonkorpi and Nuuksio National Park all have walking trails to offer. In Nuuksio, for example, it is possible to choose between

photo: Nina Finell / Helsinki Marketing

photo: Harri Mustonen

woods Into the

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T

he career of Ellen Thesleff (1869–1954) spanned the turn of the 20th century, the time when avantgarde emerged. She began painting in the early 1890s, when she was in her twenties, and created her last works in the late 1940s at the age of 80. A professional female artist was inevitably a marginal figure in Thesleff ’s lifetime. Female artists around fin de siècle needed to not only work hard and struggle with livelihood but also had to withstand the constant doubts cast on their abilities, as well as active and passive exclusion. Their ideas were seldom taken seriously, and even if they were listened to, they received practically no support for their initiative and efforts.

Ellen Thesleff - Avantgardist and Woman TEXT BY Hanna-Reetta Schreck

Ellen Thesleff in 1889. photo: Svenska Litteratursällskapet i Finland

22

photo: HAM/Hanna Kukorelli

a very unfeminine way, Thesleff was absolutely convinced of her excellence. One might say that she murdered, in a figurative sense, her artistic father when in 1912 she remarked to her sister Thyra, “I work like a god…. I have realised something that no one has realised before me... I took down a Michelangelo from the wall – I thought it was bad – there – it’s done.”

Thesleff refused to be good and stay home to raise children. She travelled and she painted. She went on walks in wilderness, looking for subjects, sometimes dressed in men’s clothes. She pulled down her cap and dived into nature. Locals in Murole thought that she was a young man and left her to contemplate nature in peace. A modern tramp! When she was living in Florence, Thesleff would sit in cafés among men, even at the risk of losing her principal social capital: her reputation. Young Thesleff was a radical in a boyish haircut who did what she wanted and lived for her art.

Bold and uncompromising as an artist, she was the first to introduce many international art trends in Finland, such as symbolism and expressionism. Later, from the 1920s onwards, she also approached surrealism. I think this is something still not mentioned often enough about Thesleff.

In the early 1890s, Ellen Thesleff adopted the symbolist approach to art, which had a strong influence on 20th century avantgarde. She travelled to Paris for the first time in autumn 1891, immediately after Ellen Thesleff: Thyra Elisabeth, 1892. her debut exhibition. Just a few months of living in the metropolis and studying at Académie Colarossi, which also admitted women It is therefore important to write about, discuss and tell the stories of as students, had a transformative effect on her style: the naturalist women who worked in the field of art at the turn of the century. How idiom of her early years was replaced by a more philosophical and did they persist in the face of disparagement and resistance? We need contemplative symbolist approach to art. to examine their work and life, their position, their strategies, their Forthcoming art trends of the 20th century would be characterised abilities and their ambitions to survive in a demanding profession, by a strong demand for individuality. From the late 1890s onwards, despite pressures and opposition; otherwise we will remain ignorant Thesleff increasingly began to spend time in Italy, particularly in of the contribution of many important figures to Finnish art, society Florence, and there too one was expected to find a personal artistic and national self-understanding. How did idiom and lifestyle. The Anglo-American artist BOLD AND UNCOMPROMISING Ellen Thesleff manage to thrive and become network in Florence, to which Thesleff secured one of the pioneers of art of her day? access through her friend Edward Gordon AS AN ARTIST, SHE WAS THE Thesleff grew up in a bohemian and Craig (a British theatre practitioner), included FIRST TO INTRODUCE MANY liberal family that dispensed with the strict, notable, open-minded and innovative artists, INTERNATIONAL ART TRENDS traditional division between boys and girls. thinkers and art patrons. The Anglo-Florentine IN FINLAND. The family’s support meant that Thesleff was circles also discussed new trends and artists able to study for a profession not generally such as Wassily Kandinsky, Henri Matisse available for women at the time. This alone does not explain Ellen and Paul Cézanne. The radical ideas of futurists Marino Marinetti Thesleff’s career as an artist, however. Any artistic endeavour by women and Giovanni Papini clung to the mind in tumultuous discussions in was seen as having merely a general educational value and had to artist cafés as well as through pamphlets and writings in many journals. be subordinate to the needs of the family and children. Cautionary In view of her Italian influences, Thesleff can be said to have ideas were practically crammed down women’s throats – according been the first expressionist in Finland. Around this time, she also to physicians, the nervous system of women was unable to bear the became interested in woodcut thanks to the influence of Gordon burden of creativity and the artistic profession. Women were cast as Craig, who considered woodcut to be the purest form of art. Thesleff “hysterics,” and the condition was attributed to excessive self-esteem. enjoyed great appreciation in Craig’s circles, and from the early 1900s Hysterical women held ambitions for “unnatural” roles, such as that painting and graphics lived side by side in her work. The techniques of an artist. Thesleff ’s paintings too were criticised: “they seem indeed also influenced each other to a great degree. to come close to the extreme limit of permissibility.” Permissible or In Paris and Florence, Thesleff lived as a New Woman, a free not – Thesleff painted and tried to stay sane. flâneur wandering the city and exploring its marvels, passers-by, In 1934 Thesleff wrote to her friend Edward Gordon Craig, “Your café dancers, artists and intellectuals. She consumed a good deal of letter amuses me: ‘a woman as an artist,’ how shocking?? What – what fiction, philosophy and contemporary writings about art. From all do you mean – may I ask (?) I do not understand. Quite simply, the this she drew both self-understanding and ideas for her work. The artist is god – and that’s that?” period marked the birth of the modern, independent and autonomous Ellen Thesleff was a brave and emancipated woman. In spite subject, and artists were at the centre of this development. Everyone of her gender, she did not hesitate to enter the masculine arena of had to find their own unique way to live and paint. Conventions were art, and quite often she refused to behave as was expected of her. In an obstacle, and tradition needed to be reinterpreted and shaped to 24

photo: HAM/Hanna Kukorelli

"YES, I HAVE PAINTED.

ONE DAY I

THOUGHT I MIGHT

WELL BE A

LEONARDO OF THE NORTH

– ON

ANOTHER I

WASN’T SURE

ABOUT THAT.”

Ellen Thesleff: Lukuhetki (Gerda Thesleff and Sigrid Schauman), 1906.

fit one’s personal view. As genders became more fluid, androgyny was seen as a high ideal in artist circles around the turn of the century.

In this bewildering atmosphere, daring and purposeful women like Thesleff could also assume new freedoms.

Thesleff’s travels and longer stays abroad as a European cosmopolite were interrupted by the First World War. After Finland gained its independence, she was no longer able to live abroad for longer periods of time. When the value of money plummeted, she could no longer afford to travel as before, apart from short trips to Italy and Florence. But she held fast to her European and international orientation by engaging in correspondence with Gordon Craig and by reading international art magazines and art writing. Exhibitions in Finland, especially international shows at Kunsthalle Helsinki, were also important from the late 1920s onwards.

Finland was imbued with a heightened sense of nationality, however, and to be European was considered unpatriotic. Thesleff ’s art was often criticised for having too many foreign influences.

Her art of the 1920s and 1930s, with its dreamlike and fantastical imagery approaching surrealism, was not understood or was wilfully not understood, and her works were condemned for being “hyper-aesthetic”. She also struggled to make ends meet, or as she

put it herself: A female painter needs a lot more money than a gentleman painter. In the 1920s in particularly, Thesleff suffered from downright poverty, and for many years she lived extremely frugally, on nothing but sales of her works and occasional grants. Her sister Gerda, her life companion, was a medical gymnast and ceramicist and provided for them both.

Thesleff hated teaching, but she needed money – to be free and travel, to live abroad and paint just as she liked. Thesleff wanted to paint like a man and paint the same subjects as men: women, landscapes and, towards the end of her career, even abstraction.

Feminine subjects, such as still-lifes, animals or motherhood, held no appeal for her. This meant that throughout her career she was dependent on the sale of her works and grants. The support of her family, initially that of her parents and later of siblings, was vital.

In the early 1930s, Thesleff had a stroke of luck when she and her sister could move to her brand new “palace” – the Lallukka artists’ home. The financial support this entailed greatly facilitated her work at the end of her career, making possible an intense shift towards abstract style in the spirit of French informalism. In 1945, at the age of 76, Thesleff was still in fine mettle: “Yes, I have painted. One day I thought I might well be a Leonardo of the North – on another I wasn’t sure about that.” s

Ellen Thesleff 26.4.2019–26.1.2020

Hanna-Reetta Schreck is an art and cultural historian, and curator of Helsinki Art Museum’s (HAM)

HAM HELSINKI ART MUSEUM

Ellen Thesleff exhibition. She is also the author of the Thesleff biography from 2017, Minä maalaan kuin

Eteläinen Rautatiekatu 8

jumala (I Paint Like a God, Teos). The exhibition at HAM will highlight Thesleff ’s trailblazing and evolving art

00100 Helsinki

alongside texts, photographs and archive materials about her life. The HAM collection contains key works from

Tue–Sun 11:00–19:00

Thesleff ’s oeuvre, which are complemented with major pieces from private and public collections.

Monday closed 25

photo: WSOY

The forever-fascinating, magical world of

the Moomins

A

written BY Pauliina Eriksson

Cover art of the first Moomin book Moomins and the Great Flood, originally published in 1945.

the artist Tuulikki Pietilä. Snufkin, with his longing for a peaceful life and his own place in the world, and the outsiderly and lonely Groke have been interpreted as reflections of Tove Jansson herself.

The Moomins are also relevant to present-day concerns, as respect for nature, caring for one’s fellow human beings, and mutual acceptance are all clearly present in Jansson’s texts. Moominhouse is always a welcoming place for visitors, and no-one is excluded. Family and friendship are important themes in the books, which also throw in a touch of adventure and playfulness to spice up everyday life. One character who is particularly in touch with the times is Snufkin, a nature-lover who wanders far and wide carrying only the contents of his backpack.

And now, with a 3D animated series, the Moominvalley characters get yet another lease of life. The previous TV adaptation of the Moomins was produced in the early 1990s. The latest adaptation is a big-budget international effort that was long in the making. Much attention has been paid to the choice of voice actors. The Finnish- and Swedish-language versions are voiced by Finland’s finest acting talents, and Kate Winslet, Rosamund Pike and other superstars give Jansson’s characters their voices in English.

The series has been well received, and the first episode was watched nearly 1.5 million times in its first week.

The new TV adaptation should dispel any lingering misconceptions that Moominland and its inhabitants represent a bygone world. By keeping a firm hold on universal character traits and emotions, Jansson made sure that the world of the Moomins would remain timeless and permanently relevant. They – and their creator – are sure to continue shaping imaginations for generations to come. s

26

photo: Irmeli Jung / WSOY

re you already familiar with the inhabitants of Moominvalley, created by Tove Jansson? Fond and gentle Moominmamma with her handbag, Moominpappa with his black top-hat, and the gutsy and boisterous Little My are well known to many people in Finland from picture books, television or a visit to Moominworld in Naantali, western Finland. The Moomins are especially topical this year, with the release of the new animated TV series Moominvalley.

Tove Jansson (1914–2001) was a Finnish-Swedish writer, cartoonist and painter whose Moomin creations have become an important part of the Finnish cultural tradition. The Moomins also enjoy great popularity further afield, especially in the other Nordic countries and Japan. Jansson’s books have been translated into over fifty languages, with a huge secondary market for Moomin-branded products. Moomins can be found in all sorts of places – containers, clothes, sweet bags, in theatre performances, and more.

Far from being an overnight success, however, it took years for the world to warm to Jansson’s Moomin books and the Moomin cartoons she created with her brother Lars. The Moomins themselves were also very different from what they are now. In their early days, back in the 1930s, they were black, red-eyed horned creatures – a bit on the scary side, threatening even. It was only later that they softened into the characters we know today.

The first Moomin to emerge from Jansson’s literary imagination was Moomintroll, and the first book was written in the early 1940s. The Moomins and the Great Flood Tove Jansson. was published in 1945, as World War Two came to an end. It was first published in Swedish, Jansson’s mother tongue. It was only with the third book in the series, Finn Family Moomintroll, published in 1948, that the inhabitants of Moominvalley began to make a truly big impression.

Jansson’s creations became loved by young and old alike. The author incorporated aspects of people she knew into the characters, and those who knew Jansson well were able to see themselves in one or other of the Moominvalley folk. Moomintroll has often been described as the author’s alter ego, while Moominmamma has many features of her mother. Too-Ticky, for her part, was inspired by Jansson’s long-time partner,

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A Room of Her Own

that was due to my own incompetence, of course. Overall, though, there have been quite few problems given the number of hours I have spent in different hotel rooms. For me, the best hotel room is one where you don’t have to interact with the hotel staff at all. If I can avoid meeting the cleaning staff, I’m even happier.

The hotel room of my dreams would have a bathtub, bathrobe and slippers, electric kettle, writing desk and a pleasant view. Having a private sauna is such a rare luxury that I have come across it only a couple of times. Nowadays when I travel, I will gladly pay a little extra to get a room that is at least a cut above the basic level, since I know from experience that I will probably spend more time in the room than the average person. The amount of money that some other hotel guest might spend in the bar is money I’d rather spend on a nicer room.

One more reason to love hotel rooms is that, as liberating and relaxing as they are, after returning home my own bed feels like the best place in the world, at least for a couple of nights. Perhaps it would be a good idea to take a short holiday in your home town with a few nights at a hotel? You might even start to see the old familiar places from a fresh point of view, and could at least forget the housework for a while. s

Of course, over the years I have encountered all sorts of hassles in hotel rooms: noise from outside or a neighbouring room, the room is too warm, or too cold, the air conditioning is too loud, or is non-existent, the toilet is blocked, the shower doesn’t work, the floor drain is clogged... Once I had a hotel room with a shower so new-fangled that I couldn’t figure out how to get it to work. I ended up having to wash my hair while crouched down under the tap. But 28

Salla Simukka (born 1981) is a writer who lives in Tampere. She has won many awards, and her Snow White trilogy has been an international success. The rights for the novels have been sold to more than 50 countries. She has travelled all over Europe, and even to Japan, Mexico and Thailand, in connection with translations of her books.

Photo: Hanna Poropudas

I love hotel rooms. I love their anonymity, cleanliness and orderliness, creating the illusion that I am the very first person to spend the night there. I am not the least bit bothered if a hotel room is impersonal. Quite the opposite: I find that calming. Hotel rooms with their own distinctive character and quirks do have a place in my heart, but I can sincerely say I love the rooms in hotel chains, where there may well be absolutely nothing to tell you even what town or country you’re in.

Once in the room, I can let myself be whoever I want to be. The furniture and objects around me carry no memories of my own life. I have not chosen the bedlinen or bathroom products or wall colours. Nothing in the room is “me”, so my identity can also take new forms. That’s why hotel rooms are often good places to write something completely new and different, while in a way keeping it a secret from yourself. Your thoughts get to roam freely and search out untrodden paths.

Another wonderful thing about hotel rooms is that they give permission to rest, since there is simply no housework to be done.

I confess that on my travels I have often spent a downright sinful amount of time in the hotel room simply for the pleasure of being able to lie in a soft bed or in a bubble bath and read a good book. For me, this brings more happiness and is a greater luxury than checking out the restaurants or nightlife in a new town. I mostly travel alone, so for a brief period the hotel room is completely my own reality, beyond the reach of the outside world.

Written by Salla Simukka

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