The Finnish summer ice hockey article you didn’t even know you were waiting for
Why talk about ice hockey during the summer? Funny you should ask. The answer has to do with Finland, climate change, a group called Save Pond Hockey, the NHL and more.
New audiences continue to find Finland’s number one painter, Helene Schjerfbeck
Early in 2020, record-breaking attendance at Helsinki’s Ateneum Art Museum and the release of a feature film signalled that artist Helene Schjerfbeck is getting much-deserved attention from audiences of all ages. We talk with actor Laura Birn and curator Anna-Maria von Bonsdorff.
How a Finnish fish market stays afloat when Russian customers must stay home
Some eastern Finnish merchants normally get most of their income from Russian cross-border shoppers. To see how businesses are coping with the coronavirus situation, we visit a fish market where the parking lot is empty but the boss is already focusing on the future.
State of the artificial: Finland expanding free online AI course to all EU languages
“Our goal is to demystify AI,” proclaims the website of Elements of AI, a free online course from the University of Helsinki and the tech firm Reaktor, now available in an increasing range of languages. Our reporter signs up to learn about artificial intelligence and how it affects our lives.
In Finland’s far north and far south, life revolves around nature
Life in Finland’s northernmost and southernmost villages offers natural beauty, but it also requires a certain kind of attitude. And you can’t be in a hurry.
It sounds like some sort of modern fairy tale: Once upon a time, there was a police officer who turned into an opera singer. Years passed, and he turned back into a police officer. Later, he gained renewed renown on Youtube.
Up close and online: View the Finnish wilderness with webcams
Many people have had to spend long periods of time indoors, not to mention curtail travel plans, because of Covid-19 social distancing measures. With live webcams showing Finland’s wildlife and wilderness, you can pass the time and get a travel fix.
Tom of Finland and IDAHOTB both continue to contribute to pride and acceptance
May 8 is the birthday of Tom of Finland (1920–91), often called Finland’s most famous artist globally. Shortly after that anniversary, on May 17, the annual International Day against Homophobia, Transphobia and Biphobia (IDAHOTB) takes place.
In the extraordinary circumstances of 2020, Finland’s wild, carnival-calibre celebration Vappu (known as May Day, Labour Day or Walpurgis in English) calls for unusual amounts of creativity so that people can get together while still staying apart. Vappu – this time it’s virtual.
Kids ask the Finnish government questions in corona info session
For the first time ever, a Finnish prime minister held a press conference in which the journalists asking the questions were schoolchildren. Sanna Marin and her colleagues addressed the nation’s kids directly.
Finnish museums step up their online game to meet demand
Unable to invite visitors onto their premises, Finnish museums are taking to their websites and social media to meet the demand for beauty, inspiration and ideas, bringing audiences everything from video art to VR guided tours. Here are some of our favourites.
Bridging the social distance, Finnish musicians realign online
As tons of gigs get cancelled or postponed, relegated to an indefinite future because of Covid-19, many musicians and other performing artists in Finland are reaching their fans online, either on designated concert sites or by posting video material.
As Finnish teachers move classes online, family routines change
Families in Finland and all over the world are facing new challenges. Many parents now have more experience of working from home, and many children and educators are now well acquainted with distance learning. They are wondering if they will need to use those new routines in the future.
Happiness report elevates Finland and other Nordics, shows that people should look after each other
The annual World Happiness Report seeks to measure how happy people are in more than 150 different countries. The Nordic countries have repeatedly done well in this listing, and in the 2020 edition of the report, Finland is at the top for the third year in a row.
Facts and feelings: Do taxes make Finnish people happy?
What comes to mind when you consider Finland and taxes? What do Finnish people think about taxes? What are the facts? And what do the Finns get in exchange for their tax payments?
