Famous Finns
For a country with a relatively small population, Finland has made an impressive mark on the world. Finns have excelled – and continue to excel - on the international fields of sports, music, architecture, design, literature and industry. Much credit for the success of Nokia, for instance, goes to the management in recent years of CEO Jorma Ollila, while Linus Torvalds is pioneer of the Linux computer operating system. On a broader stage, Finland’s Presidents are respected for their diplomatic roles in world affairs. President Tarja Halonen is regarded with affection at home and abroad, while her predecessor Martti Ahtisaari played an important role in recent Indonesian peace talks, for example.
Finns are an especially creative nation. Their contribution to the music of the world, for example, is both prolific and diverse. The most famous of them all, of course, was composer Jean Sibelius (1865-1957), whose stirring yet melancholy music serves as a rallying cry for the collective Finnish soul. Pianist Ralf Gothoni, singers Monica Groop, Karita Mattila and Matti Salminen, and conductor Esa-Pekka Salonen are representative of a vast pool of classical talent, while rock and dance bands HIM, The Rasmus, Darude and Nightwish are well known names across Europe and beyond. Traditional musical elements are given a contemporary edge by the female harmonies of Värttinä.
As for art, the paintings of Helene Schjerfbeck (1862-1946) have attracted high prices at international auctions. Architecture has a prominent tradition here as well, with modern architects such as Juha Leiviskä and Pekka Helin following in the tradition of masters such as Juhani Pallasmaa and Alvar Aalto (1898-1976). Aalto’s Finlandia Hall in Helsinki is a landmark and a magnet for students of architectural design from all over the world.
Aalto and his wife Aino were also trend-setting designers, and their enduring work joins that of Tapio Wirkkala, Timo Sarpaneva, Vuokko Nurmesniemi and Maija Isola in the distinguished catalogue of Finnish design artists. Nurmesniemi and Isola are names closely associated with the fashionable, bold and distinctive Marimekko textile motifs. In other visual arts, Hollywood action-movie director Renny Harlin hails from Finland, as does the more offbeat art film director Aki Kaurismäki.
Sport is something of a Finnish addiction, encouraged by a host of international stars and champions. Finnish athletics rose to prominence at the 1924 Paris Olympics when Paavo Nurmi (1897-1973) won five gold medals in just six days, and Lasse Viren kept the tradition alive in the 1970s and 1980s. In other sports, Mika Häkkinen and Kimi Räikkönen have taken the lead in Formula One while Finland produces an endless procession of rally drivers, including World Champion Marcus Grönholm. Footballers Jari Litmanen, Sami Hyypiä, Teemu Tainio and Mikael Forsell have emerged as stars at their respective European clubs. Last but not least, the new Queen of alpine skiing is Tanja Poutiainen.
Oh, yes, and we shouldn’t forget the most famous and most-loved Finn of all: that would be Santa Claus, of course.
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