Finnish Business & Culture in Poland 2024

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Culture & Sport | Finnish Business & Culture in Poland

Following Mannerheim’s Footsteps in Poland

Jukka and Anna Soisalon-Soininen jukka.soisalonsoininen@gmail.com +358 50 501 54 50 Kozłówka palace of Zamoyski family near Lublin. Photo by Anna Soisalon-Soininen

FOLLOWING MANNERHEIM'S FOOTSTEPS IN POLAND Jukka with The Ambassador Paivi Laine duringOsakunta the Finnish Army reception. Viipurilainen anniversary celebration. Photo by Anna Soisalon-Soininen From the collection of Anna Soisalon-Soininen

Mannerheim - the Polish years After the success of their book "Mannerheim – Puolan vuodet" in Finland, the time came for the authors, Jukka and Anna SoisalonSoininen to publish the Polish version of the book. They were constantly being asked when "Mannerheim – Polskie lata" would be available. However, it was no easy task, with the big publishers asking why they should publish this book when Mannerheim is so little-known in Poland. The authors’ response to them was simple: "To make him better known here." Suddenly, Leszek Celej, the director of the Muzeum Ziemi Mińskiej, came up with an idea. Since Mannerheim was closely tied to Mińsk Mazowiecki, he agreed to publish the book in Polish. Financing was also a significant challenge, but they gratefully received support from several Finnish foundations, the Embassy of Finland, as well as the Finnish Trade Guild and its member companies. Through hard work and good fortune, Jukka and Anna managed to get the book printed just in time for its first presentation on Mannerheim's birthday,

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A Journey through His Life in the Book and on Trips June 4, during the Finnish Army Day reception at the Finnish Embassy. An eager audience awaited the release of the Polish edition and initial sales were quite dynamic. Now the book requires more promotional efforts to reach a wider range of readers.

tionally beautiful and well-maintained place, visitors often remark that they can almost feel the presence of Mannerheim and Zamoyski, as if the friends were chatting on the terrace or enjoying cigars and cognac in the library after lunch.

Mannerheim-inspired trips: Warsaw and Helsinki

Hopefully, the book will also inspire travelers to explore places related to Mannerheim in Finland. They can visit his birthplace in Askainen or his residence in Kaivopuisto, Helsinki, furnished with the same furniture he used in his Warsaw apartment. Numerous other interesting places associated with Mannerheim are still waiting to be explored, such as a hospital built at his initiative. He wrote about it to Countess Lubomirska, saying that in ancient times, people used to erect churches, but now they build hospitals to be forgiven for their sins.

Mannerheim's years in Poland are relatively unknown. Traveling in his footsteps makes it possible to discover his fascinating time in Poland and the relationships he made here. There is a lot to explore. Since 2015, over half a dozen trips have been organized for Finnish groups by Jukka SoisalonSoininen, and more are being prepared for September 2024. Groups are guided around Warsaw, visiting Łazienki Park, where Mannerheim's unit was stationed, along with his favorite hunting club, and the former garrison church, in front of which a Mannerheim memorial stone has been placed. The trips continue on to Mińsk Mazowiecki, formerly known as Nowomińsk, where Mannerheim served from 1909 to 1911. From there, the journey proceeds to Kozłówka Palace, which belonged to Mannerheim's best friend, Adam Zamoyski. While visiting this excep-

Other places worth visiting include Mikkeli, the headquarters of the Winter War, or Hanko's "4 Winds Café," which Mannerheim ran during his years of retreat from public activities. And, of course, a must-see is his monument in the heart of Helsinki, as well as his grave in Hietaniemi Cemetery, where he rests alongside his soldiers and other distinguished Finnish individuals.


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Articles inside

Following Mannerheim's footsteps in Warsaw and Helsinki: A journey through his life in the book and on trips

3min
pages 58-59

A Decade of Success: Miilux's Journey in the Polish Market

4min
pages 20-21

Kemira Świecie & Gdańsk: Celebrating Milestones in the Polish Market

3min
pages 18-19

Noli Studios: A Finnish Concept Redefining Co-Living in Warsaw

3min
page 22

Ecovis Legal Poland: 15 Years of Legal Support for Finnish Businesses in Poland

4min
page 36

Exploring Kalevala, A Finnish Oasis in the Polish Mountains: Interview with Founder Michał Makowski

4min
page 60

Kempower Poland: Shaping E-Mobility in a Finnish Style

3min
page 19

A Very Finnish Accounting Office in Poland: Interview with Maria Onikki-Górski, Managing Director at Leinonen

3min
page 40

HT Laser: Quality, Passion & Common Sense

3min
page 39

Backstage with Blind Channel: Music, Business, and the Road Ahead

4min
page 54

From Corporate Challenges to Cost Optimization: A Journey to Business Success in Poland

5min
page 37

IT market, Finnish origins, and ChatGPT: Interview with Henri Jääskeläinen, CEO of Polar Night Software

4min
page 43

Fazer in Poland: Making Life Sweeter for More Than 30 Years

4min
page 38

20+ Years of Leading a Finnish Company in Poland: Insights from Wojciech Szwedziński, Head of EE Region at Orion Pharma

4min
page 24

Quality Urban Developments with a Finnish Twist: Interview with Andrzej Gorgoń, Marketing Director at YIT

4min
page 48

Oddlygood Recipe for Polish Market Entry: A Conversation with Lev Rubinstein

4min
page 23

How to Thrive in the Polish Market for 15+ Years: The Koskisen Success Story

2min
page 20

Agileday's Dive into the Polish IT Market

3min
page 14

Developing Industrial Real Estate in Poland

3min
page 41
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