09 kesäkuuta 2019

Visiting Lotta Museum


A week ago I read Sharon's touching post about tracing her fathers World War II footsteps in Europe.
That inspired me to publish my photos of one of our wartime museums -
The Lotta Museum in Tuusula. This impressive modern museum concentrates
totally in presenting how women - called lottas - helped in our Winter and Continuation wars, 
both in the war zone and the home front.


The Lotta museum is located in a beautiful rural setting, about 40 km from Helsinki. 
On the property there used to be a beautiful old villa that burned down in the 40's. 
This beautiful building in old style was built in 1995 to host the Lotta Museum.


Women played an active role during our Winter and Continuation Wars. 
The Lotta Organization was a women’s voluntary civil defence organization that operated 
from 1921 to 1944. In wartime lottas carried out catering, medical and air surveillance duties 
in the war zone. Their work was of utter importance.




The Lotta museum was impressive. It uses the latest digital technology, audio-video, 
huge enlarged photos & all kind of relics from wartime. 
One could easily spend there many hours examining the details. 





As you may know Finland lost and we had to hand over big parts of Karelia 
to The Soviet Union. There were about half a million Karelians that had to be settled 
in other parts of Finland - both my mother’s and father’s families among them. 
These Karelians who lost their homes were called evakko. 
Evakko’s Song / Youtube presents touching old photos of people leaving their homes 
around summer solstice 1941.


Now and then it is good to remember the history - and be grateful being able to live 
in a free & independent country.  The video underneath - Regional Anthem of Karelia -
shows modern young Finnish people & beautiful views, also of Imatra waterfall, 
a city where I was born.

The anthem tells that Karelia has an abundance of song. And that is true:
Our national epic Kalevala (first published in 1849) is based on Karelian poems.
There used to be a lively folkloristic poem singing / keen chanting tradition among Karelians.

https://lyricstranslate.com/en/karjalaisten-laulu-regional-anthem-karelia-song-karelians-regional-anthem-karel.html

n our sweet Finland
Is there a land more dear
Than our beautiful Karelia
Great homeland of song!
The roaring rapids are singing
The wildwood are full of tunes
Wuthering of ancient trees
We have no wealth
Our land is not fertile
But we have an abundance of song
It grows without sowing
It won't be fucked by the Eastern frost
Or the cold spells of the North
Oppression can not bring it down
It won't be beaten by the hail
Oppression can not bring it down
It won't be beaten by the hail
When persecution
Afflicts our Finland
Then poor Karelia
turns Finland's sorrows into song
And when the happy dawn
Breaks upon Finland
Then a great joyful music
Will ring out from Karelia!
And when the happy dawn
Breaks upon Finland
Then a great joyful music
Will ring out from Karelia!
https://lyricstranslate.com/en/karjalaisten-laulu-regional-anthem-karelia-song-karelians-regional-anthem-karel.html

In our sweet Finland
Is there a land more dear
Than our beautiful Karelia
Great homeland of song!
The roaring rapids are singing
The wildwood are full of tunes
Wuthering of ancient trees
We have no wealth
Our land is not fertile
But we have an abundance of song
It grows without sowing
It won't be fucked by the Eastern frost
Or the cold spells of the North
Oppression can not bring it down
It won't be beaten by the hail
Oppression can not bring it down
It won't be beaten by the hail
When persecution
Afflicts our Finland
Then poor Karelia
turns Finland's sorrows into song
And when the happy dawn
Breaks upon Finland
Then a great joyful music
Will ring out from Karelia!
And when the happy dawn
Breaks upon Finland
Then a great joyful music
Will ring out from Karelia!


In our sweet Finland
Is there a land more dear
Than our beautiful Karelia
Great homeland of song!
The roaring rapids are singing
The wildwood are full of tunes
Wuthering of ancient trees

We have no wealth
Our land is not fertile
But we have an abundance of song
It grows without sowing
It won't be fucked by the Eastern frost
Or the cold spells of the North
Oppression can not bring it down
It won't be beaten by the hail
Oppression can not bring it down
It won't be beaten by the hail

When persecution
Afflicts our Finland
Then poor Karelia
turns Finland's sorrows into song
And when the happy dawn
Breaks upon Finland
Then a great joyful music
Will ring out from Karelia!
And when the happy dawn
Breaks upon Finland
Then a great joyful music
Will ring out from Karelia!


❤︎❤︎❤︎

// MAKROTEX, Kesäkuu - June 
Osallistun melkein aina kukkakuvilla, ja niitäkin olisi vaikka kuinka.
Mutta kerrankin toisenlaisella postauksella. Minusta imatralaisen Osmo's Cosmosin
Karjalaisten laulun moderni tulkinta on upea - joten suosittelen!
 
// ALL SEASONS
https://lyricstranslate.com/en/karjalaisten-laulu-regional-anthem-karelia-song-karelians-regional-anthem-karel.html

In our sweet Finland
Is there a land more dear
Than our beautiful Karelia
Great homeland of song!
The roaring rapids are singing
The wildwood are full of tunes
Wuthering of ancient trees
We have no wealth
Our land is not fertile
But we have an abundance of song
It grows without sowing
It won't be fucked by the Eastern frost
Or the cold spells of the North
Oppression can not bring it down
It won't be beaten by the hail
Oppression can not bring it down
It won't be beaten by the hail
When persecution
Afflicts our Finland
Then poor Karelia
turns Finland's sorrows into song
And when the happy dawn
Breaks upon Finland
Then a great joyful music
Will ring out from Karelia!
And when the happy dawn
Breaks upon Finland
Then a great joyful music
Will ring out from Karelia!

26 kommenttia:

  1. Dear Riitta,
    that's history that touches you right away. The museum is really a magnificent building and the exhibition is very interesting.
    I wish you from the bottom of my heart happy Whitsuntide and would like to send you
    kind regards
    moni

    VastaaPoista
    Vastaukset
    1. It is important to know one's history, of course you don't have to think about the possible tragedies all the time. Thank you for visiting moni ❤︎

      Poista
  2. Riitta - how wonderful that this museum should celebrate the critical role that these women played in wartime. I am always impressed with the new and innovative ways that curators are using today to draw us in and make us part of the experience. I cannot imagine being forced to evacuate from my own country - it seems your ancestors have done well to pass on their traditions. Thanks for linking to Mosaic Monday and enjoy your week ahead!

    VastaaPoista
    Vastaukset
    1. There are so many refugees all over the world even today. Take for instance Venezuela - four million people have left their home country, not exactly war but very difficult circumstances...

      Poista
  3. Thanks for sharing and for the precious suggestion for a visit!

    VastaaPoista
    Vastaukset
    1. This museum is really impressive and most modern I have ever seen. Worth visiting, around Lake Tuusula this too!

      Poista
  4. ...old men wage war and women are the unsung heroes! What a wonderful world this would be if women were in charge. Thanks Riitta for stopping by, enjoy your week.

    VastaaPoista
  5. Hello, what a pretty museum and building. A wonderful exhibit, I am thankful for our women heroes. Wishing you a happy day and a great new week!

    VastaaPoista
    Vastaukset
    1. It is a pleasure to write and give reckognition to women, so often silenced and left back in the history.

      Poista
  6. Thanks for teaching me something today.

    VastaaPoista
  7. Muy interesante riitta, me ha encantado conocer un poco de la historia de tu país. Feliz semana.

    VastaaPoista
  8. Thank you for sharing all of this with us.
    Until now, i did not know this part of the story . . . You have given us something beautiful and proud.
    In my heart i am shaking hands with you - in gratitude -
    I have received a Great Treasure from YOU today.

    VastaaPoista
    Vastaukset
    1. Thank you so much Maggid for your lovely words ❤︎

      Poista
  9. I agree...this is a beautiful place to show the women that made such a wonderful contribution! Beautiful mosaic! Love seeing the photos of each individual woman too!

    VastaaPoista
    Vastaukset
    1. Right after the war lottas were critizised a lot; bad mouths said that they led an immoral life at the warzone - can you imagine! Women's share is not just!

      Poista
  10. Very interesting. Happy mosaic Monday

    Much❤🕊❤love

    VastaaPoista
  11. Mielenkiintoinen historiallinen museo!

    VastaaPoista
  12. Lottamuseo on hieno paikka. Minullakin on äidin puoleinen suku evakkoja Karjalasta.

    VastaaPoista
  13. Tutustumisen arvoinen paikka tuo Lottamuseo.
    (Lapsenlapsi sanoi pienenpänä rottamuseo)
    Videolla laulun lisäksi myös hienot kuvat.
    Miehen vanhemmat ovat Antreasta ja Kirvusta.

    VastaaPoista
  14. Enpä ole koskaan käynyt museossa, vaikka melkein naapurikunnassa onkin ja olen tehnyt käsi-ja taideteollisen julkaisuksi painetun opinnäytetyöni lottapuvuista :D Pitäisi varmaan vierailla!

    VastaaPoista
  15. Minäkin kävin tuolla lottamuseossa viime kesänä. Sr oli hyvin koskettava paikka. Kiitos kauniista kuvista ja mieltä liikuttaneesta tekstistä. Evakon jälkeläinen minäkin.

    VastaaPoista
  16. Varmaan mielenkiintoinen paikka!

    VastaaPoista

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