Southwest Finland in Broad Strokes

Southwest Finland in Broad Strokes Toni Koskinen & Markku Heikkil채

Southwest Finland in Broad Strokes Photos: Toni Koskinen Text: Markku Heikkil채 Translation: Deborah Hodgson / Verbum Kielipalvelut Oy Cover translation: Aki Myyr채 / Molehill Communications Design and layout: Anne-Mari Sironen Printer: Saarij채rven Offset Oy Publisher: Kirjakaari ISBN: 978-952-5969-64-1

Southwest Finland in Broad Strokes

Contents

58

Strong as steel, hard as rock

7

Preface

66

Bettering the world

8

Remembering the birth of Finland

72

Out of the cradle

18

On the road

78

A sense of beauty

28

Towards the sea

88

Happenings!

40

Motorways and paths to learning

98

Sports in our past and future

48

Finland’s breadbasket

108

Many faces

Southwest Finland

Preface

Southwest Finland, located on Finland’s south-western coast, is one of the most northern food-producing regions. It is home to ship-building and technology development known world-round. In addition to being a silicon valley, Southwest Finland is also a biotech valley; the joint resources of research and product development have made the area an internationally significant centre for biotechnology and healthcare.

The history of Southwest Finland is closely tied to the development of culture and lifestyles elsewhere in Western Europe.

There is a strong belief here in the power of science, skill and art. Tens of thousands of students at various learning institutions hold the flag of culture high. A single book cannot hope to give a full description of the

multifaceted region of Southwest Finland, its natural beauty and varied, colourful life.

Still, we want to give you a snapshot of our home region in its different seasons, and to share not only basic information but also little nuggets of interest. We will do this with broad brush-strokes, painting an overall picture.

The residents of Southwest Finland are considered proud and faithful to their home region. Bragging about one’s self is considered very inappropriate here, and boasting is indeed not the point of this book.

We warmly welcome our valued readers to Southwest Finland!

Markku Heikkilä Toni Koskinen

7

Remembering the birth of Finland The name says it all. Southwest Finland is also known as Finland Proper – the real Finland. The area was known as Finland even when today’s other Finnish municipalities were still considered unclaimed outlands.

The region’s history goes back more than 800 years, but organised societies existed long before life here was recorded on paper. At the Old Castle of Lieto, where the Aura River curves toward the sea, there was already a permanent settlement when the Acropolis was built in Athens. Roman glassware has been found in the grave of an aristocrat from Laitila. The Vikings carried on lively trade on the shores of Rikala in Salo.

Christianity and documented laws 8

linked Southwest Finland with Western European culture, first in Swedish but for half a century in Finnish, as well. The educated in Southwest Finland aspired to become students of Martin Luther, or rector of the University of Paris.

Gustav Vasa gave Southwest Finland as a duchy to to one of his sons, who maintained a grand court in Turku and later became John III, King of Sweden. The blue and yellow flag of the duchy still flies above Stockholm Palace, and Southwest Finland uses the coat of arms of the historical province.

The region was also home to a national awakening, a shared sense of being Finnish.

This is how Southwest Finland was born.

In the Middle Ages, clergy, too, needed the protection of stone walls. The ruins of these fortresses are located on the island of Kuusisto in Kaarina.

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The ancient fortified hill of the Old Castle of Lieto is now a popular scenic overlook.

A cross on the Aura River marks the place to which the seat of the bishop was relocated in 1229. The city of Turku counts its age beginning that year.

Masonry of grey stone churches from the Middle Ages often utilised rock from nearby areas. The region has about thirty of these sanctuaries.

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The Middle Ages in Southwest Finland were not a dark time, but a lively and sometimes stormy era.

Turku Castle, more than 700 years old, reflects those years of commerce, construction and power struggles.

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Many lofty estates are now busy tourist businesses. Wiurila in Salo hosts parties, meetings, and offers a golf course in summer.

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The great Finnish Marshal Mannerheim was born in Askainen in Louhisaari.

On the road Southwest Finland is in the centre of the developing Baltic Sea area, in a quadrangle with its other points in Stockholm, Tallinn and St. Petersburg. Hanseatic merchants recognised its favourable location when building the commercial network of their era. Today, ships the size of stone houses criss-cross the waters of Southwest Finland to Sweden on a schedule as precise as a postal carrier’s. Ice jingles in grog glasses of carefree cruise passengers and trucks wait on car-decks to roll onto roadways with their multi-ton loads.

The drive from the region’s capital to Helsinki takes an hour and a half. The old 18

and new capitals are linked by the E18 motorway, which runs from Ireland to St. Petersburg.

Business travellers on route from Turku to Central Europe grab a cup of morning coffee in Copenhagen or Riga. Holidaymakers may find themselves lunching in Alicante or dining in Las Palmas. The airport is constantly developed to accommodate cargo traffic, as well; the region’s location is perfect for an air-cargo hub.

Rail traffic is also brisk. Many coastalrail passengers stop in Helsinki and are back home by evening. Connections to the east and north are via Loimaa and Tampere.

The maritime route to Sweden is traversed in evening gowns by guests on luxury cruise ships or in overalls by cargo handlers.

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Ferries and transport ships chug along their routes year-round. In the high season, tourists queue for a spot.

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The most bustling rail yards are along the coastal line between Turku and Helsinki.

Tons of cargo and half a million passengers pass through the Turku Airport each year.

Bridge-building designs vary according to needs; from Kaarina to Parainen, left, over the Turku rail yard and across the scenic Aura River.

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Towards the sea Half of the surface area of Southwest Finland is salt water. Six of the area’s eight cities are on the sea. The region’s three export harbours speak to the importance of maritime connections. Traditions are long.

The cogs of the Hanseatic League were wellknown on these shores, and a local seafarer mapped out the New World on Captain Cook’s legendary Endeavour.

Still, commercial factors are probably secondary in the minds of the thousands of sea-lovers who head for the world’s densest archipelago to enjoy boating, heat up their summer cottage saunas or outwit the aquatic residents of local waters.

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Maritime know-how ranges from building the world’s grandest high-seas cruise ships to crafting everyday row boats.

The region is home to the “world’s most expensive jogging track,” since the teak and mahogany sawdust from the worldrenowned builder of million-Euro yachts in Pöytyä is gathered up to pad the local fitness trail.

Concern about the Baltic Sea is shared in Southwest Finland, as well. Much work has already been done to ensure that agriculture, fish farming and tourism can coexist safely with the fragile environment of the sea.

However, much work still needs to be done.

The Archipelago Sea along Southwest Finland is at its finest during summer holiday months. Thousands of boaters seek the thrill of freedom on the waves.

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In summer the archipelago offers many small paradises.

Hotel & CafĂŠ Lanterna, Nauvo.

Tourism know-how creates memorable experiences from nostalgia and romanticism. Photos courtesy of Taattisten Tila in Rym채ttyl채 and Kustavin Lootholma.

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A night in a little cottage on a rugged outer island is an experience for all the senses.

Turku Harbour is Finland’s most important maritime gateway to Scandinavia.

There are many choices for travel to the archipelago, from a twenty-Euro steamship ticket to renting your own yacht for 100,000 Euros.

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Motorways and paths to learning The first Finns to receive formal education were from Southwest Finland. The path to learning that began at the parish school at Turku Cathedral has branched out and grown into a knowledge superhighway, travelled generation after generation by an ever-more skilled group of men and women of various ages.

Nearly 40,000 up-and-coming professionals and researchers are studying at the region’s two universities and its lively Universities of Applies Sciences. The total is even higher when the large number of students at high schools and educational institutes is included. Universities offer education in many fields at a top-notch 40

international level. Almost one-fifth of local higher-education students complete their education in Swedish.

Not all those who complete their studies in Southwest Finland stay in the area after graduation. Southwest Finland has contributed intellectuals to both Finland and other parts of the world for as long as education has been offered here. Travellers on the knowledge superhighway invigorate the area even during their studies; groundbreaking culture and a lively campus atmosphere are as much a part of life today as they were when the sparks of Finnish national awakening crackled among the region’s fiery university students.

Craftsmanship has not been lost in the flood of a technological society. Fun is a part of education, too.

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The University of Turku was built with contributions spurred by national enthusiasm. Library construction was funded by a legacy from two gold prospectors.

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The new Turku Main Library and the shared ICT centre for higher-education institutes.

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The most spectacular views in learning can be found at the observatory. From here we look into infinite galaxies and the depth of black holes.

Finland’s breadbasket Many residents of Southwest Finland make their living in agriculture and related fields, in the foodstuffs industry and in foodstuffs sales. Food production in the region is taken seriously. Not too many generations ago the success or failure of a crop was literally a matter of life and death. It was said that the south-western region fed the entire population. “Finland’s breadbasket” is a description that has endured.

Viewed on a map, Southwest Finland produces unlikely treasures. Wheat and rye fare well on farmland at the same latitude as Greenland, Alaska and Kamchatka. Food-oil crops bloom in mid-summer. Local products make for sweets; sugar beets are a commonly cultivated plant. Hundreds of 48

ranches and farmsteads also produce food.

The region has four times as many chickens as it does people. Half of the eggs on Finnish breakfast tables are laid here. Southwest Finland is also a leading producer of pork.

The region is a significant productdevelopment area for the foodstuffs industry, producing for example plant oils that reduce cholesterol and feed that increases milk production.

Horticulture is also important in the area, and the new-potato harvest is cause for celebration. Gardening is a popular hobby, as well. The rosy apple harvest is so plentiful that heaping bucketfuls often appear at gates with the message, ”Help yourself!”

ChĂŠf knows how to create not only healthy but also trendy fare using fresh products from land and sea. Musiikkikahvila Sointu, Turku.

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Samu the kitten and its fowl friends are among the joys of country scenery.

The roots of Southwest Finland are in the countryside, in Finland’s most cultivated land.

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Outdoor-cucumber growers pin their hopes on two magic words: warmth and water.

Sheep can be not only farm animals but also pets keeping an eye on the rural scene.

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Many horticultural growers improve profitability by further processing their produce. Apples from Southwest Finland are often used in wine and cider-making.

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Strong as steel, hard as rock How to produce the world’s most luxurious cruise ship or deliver a 400-ton steel container structure to Siberia? How to design a pocket-sized device with an endless amount of data and limitless communication capabilities, which formerly went by the dull name ”phone”? And how to assemble 100,000 modern Mercedes-Benz? The answers to these and many other equally challenging questions have come from work tables of engineers and production facilities in Southwest Finland.

When a designer’s skill meets professional manufacturing, productivity and demand is created. Southwest Finland’s strengths include effective collaboration 58

among the research, education and business sectors.

This three-pronged power can bend even steel. Southwest Finland cannot boast extensive natural resources, but of course we dig into our stone, as well. Lime is processed for use as a raw material in dishware or to strengthen eggshells.

The region’s characteristic red granite graces historic buildings around the world and lasts almost forever in kitchen counter tops. The final sign of respect for many from Southwest Finland is a headstone carved from stone from their home region.

The first Finnish car was manufactured in Southwest Finland 100 years ago. Today, the leader in the field is in Uusikaupunki.

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Iron moulds iron and a giant of the sea is born.

In New York City’s Manhattan you can admire skyscrapers whose façades are Balmoral red, a red granite. It is cut from the crags of the Palin Granit mine in Taivassalo.

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Bettering the world In its best years, every tenth medication to be licensed in Europe has been developed in Southwest Finland. Medical research, product development and medical-industry production make up a positive alliance here that benefits everyone.

Exports of Finnish pharmaceutical products have tripled in the first decade of the 21st century. A significant portion of that growth has been achieved in the Turku area, where half of Finland’s medical industry, pharmaceutical and diagnostic companies are located. In reviewing financial growth figures in the field, we should remember how much good this work has done for humanity throughout the world, as well. Birth-control 66

products developed mean a new quality of life particularly for families in developing nations, medications for treatment of alcoholism can rescue people from a seemingly hopeless cycle of social alienation and the most commonly sold analgesic in Finland reliably treats everyday aches and pains. Research and product development have risen to the challenge of Alzheimer’s and cancer, as well.

Healthcare in Southwest Finland is at a top level internationally. A great deal has been invested in the newest technologies and in modernising hospitals. Volunteer work in the healthcare field, which offers help, information and peer support alongside community services, should also not be forgotten.

Birth-control is a biotechnology specialisation in Southwest Finland. Its products are trusted in extensive family planning projects.

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The newest special-care hospital complex in Turku is an architectural achievement and workplace for hundreds of top healthcare experts.

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The hospital’s national PET Centre captures causes of illness and injury with an accuracy of millimetres.

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Out of the cradle According to the region’s anthem, Southwest Finland is the cradle of Finnish culture. The composer of the lyrics alluded to the fact that Southwest Finland was the first to embrace international influences, which after their infancy here spread to the rest of the country.

But the cradle has long since been outgrown.

Multifaceted cultures in all imaginable forms overflow throughout the region.

Theatre, music, literary events and artwork enrich people’s live both as hobbies and professional productions receiving critical acclaim.

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In 2011 Turku was named the European Capital of Culture, a celebration of spirit that had many lasting effects on the already brisk cultural life of Southwest Finland.

Researchers have found that people who are particularly happy in life have many social contacts and take part in creative work, be it singing, drawing or acting. On that basis, Southwest Finland can indeed be considered a happy region. Choirs, orchestras, amateur theatre troops, art groups and writing circles can be found in the smallest towns and the busiest city centres.

Lovers of literature flock to Turku’s grand library and the name-day celebration of the region’s favourite son, Volter Kilpi, in Kustavi.

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The Jussi Fredriksson Trio jams at one of the year’s many jazz events, Flame Jazz.

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Jesus Christ Superstar, a musical hit at the Ă…bo Svenska Teater.

Concerts abound indoors as well as out. Above, the Logomo Cultural Centre. Below, summer atmosphere at Ruisrock.

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A sense of beauty The alphabet of design and architecture in Southwest Finland begins with A, with the name Aalto, Alvar. His work still stands out in the region in many ways, although a couple of generations have passed since the legendary Finnish architect’s days in Turku. Many of the master’s designs, buildings which have become pilgrimage sites for architects, are located here. Aalto’s design furnishings are still manufactured in Littoinen.

Today’s achievements by architects from Southwest Finland are also significant.

The renowned Helsinki Music Centre, designed in Turku, could be considered even

by Aalto as owning a sense of beauty and 78

functionality of space that go hand-in-hand.

Design in Southwest Finland is enjoying a strong era. Crafts professionals and artists are trained at a number of institutes, and small companies in the art field understand the significance of networking to highlight and market their works. Unique artistic and functional products have an effect on the tourist industry, as well.

The footprints of Wäinö Aaltonen, Otto Mäkilä, Alpo Jaakola and others from Southwest Finland can still be found, as instruction in painting continues at the University of Applied Sciences in the spirit of Turku’s legendary drawing school.

Alvar Aalto’s design language has stood the test of time with style, be it his Artek stool or the clean lines of the Paimio Sanatorium built in the 1930s.

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The Achim K端hn Harmonia in Aurajoki is reminiscent of whaling days.

Architect Matti Sanaksenaho designed the ecumenical art chapel in Turku.

At Muurla in Salo, a 1000-degree mass of glass is moulded into unique decorative objects in the hands of a glass-blower.

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Young artists Saana and Olli believe in local ties and humanity. Logomo’s tapestry (left) is their design.

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Happening!

Each year Finland’s oldest and most famous rock festival, Ruisrock, draws tens of thousands of partiers to Turku, population 180,000. Other major events include the Kustavi salmon festival and Askainen cucumber festival, which double or quadruple the municipalities’ populations for days of commerce and leisurely town life.

In the summer in Southwest Finland it’s hard to find a place without an event going on. They range from international mega-happenings like the Tall Ships Race to small-town yard festivals, where the top attraction is a sack race. Marketplace events are in a class of their own, drawing thousands 88

of people week after week into their friendly throngs in Salo and Somerniemi.

The largest events take place in the region’s capital city, Turku, but others beckon, as well. The Oripää Lions Club put together one of Finland’s largest agricultural exhibitions from scratch, drawing nearly as many visitors as Ruisrock.

Even wintertime doesn’t quell the spirit.

Christmas week bustles with activity at shops and concerts, and outdoor events on the Finnish winter holiday Laskiainen, which is associated with the beginning of Lent, and other mid-winter weekends put a blush on everyone’s cheeks.

In summer, many a market square or field turns into a cultural arena and common-man’s place of commerce.

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The Night of the Ancient Bonfires blazes in August in support of saving the Baltic Sea.

The evening market in Salo is famous, and Salonjoki bridges are filled on summer Thursdays with thousands of customers.

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Christmas draws a large number of faithful to Turku Cathedral, centre of Finland’s spiritual life.

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New Year’s Eve is a fairly understated carnival in Southwest Finland. As fireworks crackle, thoughts already turn towards spring.

Sports in our past and future Balls are round. Excepting American footballs, which are oval. In the minds of many, Southwest Finland is a Mecca of sports and fitness. Thanks to long traditions, we are tops in Finland both in our number of enthusiasts and our professional sports successes. The glory of Paavo Nurmi has not faded, but today the largest number of fans follow ball sports.

The first Finnish football match was played in Turku in 1890, and even now Turku residents are sure that Turku is the football capital of Finland. A topic of bitter debate is whether the best team wears black and white or blue and black shirts. Ice hockey is the undisputed top sport; fans come 98

from all around the region to watch Turku teams’ matches. Turku’s sports community is expecting a jackpot, the Finnish Championship in football and hockey in the same year. Southwest Finland’s countryside capital Loimaa may win a jackpot of its own, as after its best years in Finnish baseball it has produced top basketball and volleyball teams.

For many years a master of a slightly smaller ball, tennis ace Jarkko Nieminen from Masku, has been named Southwest Finland’s best athlete.

And yes, the Turku Trojans are among the winners in the Vaahteraliiga, Finland’s American football league.

Today, Finland is among the world’s best in indoor ball sports. Southwest Finland is home to both the country’s best volley ball team...

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...and basketball team, with the Loimaa Bisons shoring up their hometown’s reputation as Finland’s Texas.

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Rubber screeches and the smell of high-octane fuel fills the air at the Alastaro Motor Sports Centre.

In addition to racing, the track is often used for test-drives to improve traffic safety.

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Sports and fitness enthusiasts have plenty of choices, from a ski slope doubling as a gravity-racer track to an outdoor ice rink and pool.

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Trotters take stock of each other at the Mets채m채ki track in Turku.

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Long-time TPS player Dennis Okaru has helped build the region’s strong football reputation.

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Many faces The seeds of trade, commerce and culture have been sown in Southwest Finland in Latin, German, Russian and Swedish, and of course in Finnish in the local clipped-syllable accent.

Languages, nationalities and ethnicities living side-by-side have always been considered enriching in the end, though a degree of reticence at first is no doubt human nature.

Today, more than 100 languages are spoken as mother tongues in Southwest Finland.

Alongside Finland’s and it’s close neighbours’ languages, Arabic, Kurdish, Albanian and Somalian as well as many more exotic languages are spoken.

Many newcomers have become valued members of the community through their 108

talent and tenacity. Immigrants who arrived in Finland in the wake of upheavals in the Far East starting in the 1970s have been praised for their entrepreneurship and industriousness. Many Chinese restaurants and ethnic shops serve customers fluently in Southwest Finland’s tell-tale accent.

There is of course a degree of prejudice and friction among ethnics groups, which requires recognition and tolerance. Still, Finland’s south-western coast has learned through long experience that curiosity is a better option than antagonism. Embracing all the positive effects and gathering up the joys and benefits available to us will give Southwest Finland even more ”faces” in decades to come.

As a deacon with nursing training, Mertsi Ă„rling knows the Roma community well. He works to help the poor and suffering.

The Buddhist Lotus Heart Temple in Maaria in Turku and the Turku Islamic Community Mosque are new places to practice your faith.

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The Turku Market Hall offers ingredients for example for an African meal.

At the Turku Synagogue the time is shown in Hebrew, as well.

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Until next time!

Cultivators of land and sea. Sowing the seeds of culture and grain. Cutting steel and splitting atoms. Remembering history, building the future. The people of Southwest Finland share all this and more.

We hope this book gave you an overall picture of the people in our region, the goals of businesses and the life of our community.

Nature is always near in Southwest Finland, and we hope our photos made you want to experience the region’s scents and breezes for yourself.

Welcome to Southwest Finland, to visit or to stay!

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Photos

TONI KOSKINEN

Table of contents Toni Koskinen and Fotolia.com pg. 58 HandmadePictures – Fotolia.com pg. 60–61 Valmet Automotive pg. 66 kurapy – Fotolia.com pg. 67, 69 (left and top right) Bayer pg. 68, 69 (lower right) Orion pg. 72 shutswis – Fotolia.com pg. 102–103 Pertti Kangasniemi pg. 108 Popova Olga – Fotolia.com

Acknowledgments Regional Council of Southwest Finland / Jessica Ålgars-Åkerholm and Lauri Palmunen Achim and Helgard Kühn Alastaro Circuit / Resykli Oy Annika Baarman-Sundblom Artek Oy Ab Bayer Oy Felly Nzoko-Mungala Flame Jazz ry HC TPS Turku Oy and FC TPS Turku Oy Hotel Restaurant Lanterna Huonekalutehdas Korhonen Oy Steamship S/S Ukkopekka Jasmin Rauha Kalaliike S. Wallin seur. Oy KH Areena Kiinteistö Oy Turun Monitoimihalli Oy Klas Mattsson Salpaus Further Education Kustavin kirjallisuusyhdistys ry Kustavin Matkailu Oy The Old Castle of Lieto Live Nation Suomi Livonsaaren kyläyhdistys Logomo Oy 116

Lokoko Bisons ry Louhisaari Manor Matti Sanaksenaho MCC Action Oy Mertsi Ärling Minna Hokka Sointu Café, Bar and Restaurant Muurla Design Marketing Oy Orion Corporation Palin Granit Oy Pertti Kangasniemi Port of Turku Raision Loimu ry Saana and Olli Stefan Wallin STX Finland Oy National Museum of Finland Suomen Lauttaliikenne Oy Finnish Vietnamese Buddhist Community Taattinen Farm Tallink Silja Oy Tammiluoto Vineyard Turku Game Lab Turku Science Park Ltd Turku Philharmonic Orchestra Islamic Society of Turku Turku Synagogue Turku City Library Turku Airport and Finavia Oyj The Museum Centre of Turku The University of Turku Turku University Hospital and PET Centre Valmet Automotive Vantaan Festivaalit Oy Vietnam Food Ky Viking Line Wiurila Manor Åbo Svenska Teater