Culture - thisisFINLAND

8 questions on the Kalevala, the epic that shaped Finland’s identity

The epic Kalevala relates ancient tales, mainly from the Karelia region, and has become a cornerstone of Finland’s cultural identity. Its poetry has reached readers all over the world, including J.R.R. Tolkien, who took inspiration from it.

Arts & culture Music

Meet Ida Elina, Finland’s modern kantele virtuoso

When a Northern Finnish child picked up a kantele mostly to annoy her sister, no one imagined she would become one of the instrument’s boldest contemporary voices.

Life & society Travel

Where Finnish snow-how meets “Wow!”

Try ice sculpting, join an icebreaker cruise or bathe in a snow sauna. These destinations combine snow-how with hospitality.

Arts & culture Visual arts

Momentous Sámi exhibition arrives at Helsinki’s Kiasma Museum

We Who Remain is the first comprehensive exhibition of Sámi art ever shown at the Kiasma Museum of Contemporary Art in Helsinki. The Sámi are the only recognised Indigenous People in the EU area.

Arts & culture Visual arts

Sámi artist Lada Suomenrinne reclaims the remote in the far north of Finland

Lada Suomenrinne creates photography on Sámi land, drawing on experience that spans the Arctic and beyond. An interview with the artist accompanies a recent outdoor exhibition.

Arts & culture Music

Hear Tytti Metsä play an ancient Finnish instrument with a timeless voice: the jouhikko

Few Finns play the bowed lyre, or jouhikko, an instrument whose roots stretch back thousands of years. For Tytti Metsä, its breath-like, singing tone has become the centre of her musical expression.

Arts & culture Culture

The northern Finnish city of Oulu puts big ideas into action

This year’s must-visit destination? Look north to Oulu, the Finnish city that is European Capital of Culture in 2026.

Arts & culture Film

Finnish actor Alma Pöysti believes in curiosity, compassion and communication

For the award-winning actor Alma Pöysti, culture is a force to be reckoned with. It helps people understand each other in a polarised world in at least four ways, she says.