Finland – Kalevala Paintings

These paintings and drawings were inspired by the old Finnish folk tales collected into the epic poem the Kalevala. The HELSINGIN SANOMAT INTERNATIONAL EDITION - CULTURE Wrote, and I quote, The Kalevala poets lived hundreds - maybe even thousands - of years ago and their poems were passed down in the oral tradition from generation to generation far away from European high culture. Finnish folklorist, physician and literary scholar Elias Lönnrot compiled the Finnish national epic Kalevala from Finnish and Karelian folklore in 1849. Right from the beginning, Kalevala started to inspire visual artists. To celebrate the 160th anniversary of the Finnish national epic, the Finnish Ateneum Art Museum has opened an extensive exhibition of Kalevala art covering the period from the 19th century until today. The display features more than 200 works from almost sixty artists, all inspired by the national epic. Many Finns still believe that the Finnish painter Akseli Gallen-Kallela’s view of Kalevala characters from the 1890s is the only correct one, and will accept no substitute, which is why Gallen-Kallela is also playing the leading role in the Ateneum exhibition.

The cards displayed show two such paintings. The one on the left features ‘Means of conveyance’ and the one to the right is about ‘fishing boats and supplies’. Merja sent me these two wonderful cards.

Japan - Kobe

Kobe is the sixth-largest city in Japan and is the capital city of Hyōgo Prefecture on the southern side of the main island of Honshū, approximately 500 km (310.69 mi) west of Tokyo. Kobe is a prominent port city with a population of about 1.5 million. The city is located in the Kansai region of Japan and is part of the Keihanshin (Keihanshin) metropolitan area along with Osaka and Kyoto. Keihanshin in turn is part of the Taiheiyō Belt, a megalopolis.
The earliest written records regarding the region come from the Nihon Shoki, which describes the founding of the Ikuta Shrine by Empress Jingū in AD 201. For most of its history the area was never a single political entity, even during the Tokugawa Period, when the port was controlled directly by the Tokugawa Shogunate. Kobe did not exist in its current form until its founding in 1889. Its name comes from "kanbe", an archaic title for supporters of the city's Ikuta Shrine. Kobe became one of Japan's 17 designated cities in 1956.
Kobe was one of the cities to open for trade with the West following the end of the policy of seclusion and has since been known as a cosmopolitan port city. While the 1995 Great Hanshin Earthquake diminished much of Kobe's prominence as a port city, it remains Japan's fourth busiest container port. Companies headquartered in Kobe include ASICS, Kawasaki Heavy Industries, and Kobe Steel, as well as over 100 international corporations with Asia or Japan headquarters in the city such as Procter & Gamble, Boehringer-Ingelheim and Nestlé. The city is the point of origin and namesake of Kobe beef as well as the site of one of Japan's most famous hot spring resorts, Arima Onsen.

Finland – Winners of World Cup Ice Hockey 2011

These three cards sent to me by Ella show the mood in Finland on the 16^th of May a day after the Finnish Ice Hockey team beat Sweden and won the World Cup. It was as though the whole country exploded in a frenzy of celebration. Mere words cannot express the feelings, but the feelings can actually be felt seeing the faces and expressions of the flag wielding populace.

Finland – Kustaanmieka

Suomenlinna, until 1918 Viapori (Finnish), or Sveaborg (Swedish), is an inhabited sea fortress built on six islands (Kustaanmiekka, Susisaari, Iso-Mustasaari, Pikku-Mustasaari, Länsi-Mustasaari and Långören), and which now forms part of the city of Helsinki, the capital of Finland. The island in the picture is Kustaanmiekka. Suomenlinna is a UNESCO World Heritage site and popular with both tourists and locals, who enjoy it as a picturesque picnic site. Originally named Sveaborg (Fortress of Svea), or Viapori as called by Finns, it was renamed Suomenlinna (Castle of Finland) in 1918 for patriotic and nationalistic reasons, though it is still also sometimes known by its original name. In Swedish-speaking contexts, the name Sveaborg is usually used. And the Swedish Sailing Ship Götheborg is also there.

For those who dont know about Götheborg here is a short history about the ship. The Swedish Ship “Götheborg" - a reconstruction of a ship from the mid-18th century is now one of the largest fullrigged wooden sailing ships in the world, and meets international safety requirements for ocean going vessels. The project is based on modern research combined with the revival of traditional methods of craftsmanship dating from the 18th century. Anyone meeting The Swedish Ship “Götheborg" under full sail out at sea would find it impossible to distinguish her from the original ship. Above the waterline, the “Götheborg" is a historical sailing ship. The modern machinery and the majority of the advanced technical equipment have been concealed deep down in the hull. A feat that many considered impossible has now been achieved. The magnificent 18th century ship is sailing again! My Dear friend Merja sent me this card.

USA – John Wayne

Marion Mitchell Morrison (born Marion Robert Morrison; May 26, 1907 – June 11, 1979), better known by his stage name John Wayne, was an American film actor, director and producer. He epitomized rugged masculinity and became an enduring American icon. He is famous for his distinctive voice, walk and height. He was also known for his conservative political views and his support, beginning in the 1950s, for anti-communist positions. A Harris Poll, released January 2011, placed Wayne third among America's favorite film stars, the only deceased star on the list and the only one who has appeared on the poll every year since it first began in 1994. In 1999, the American Film Institute named Wayne 13th among the Greatest Male Stars of All Time. Thank you Maria for this card and reminding us of this Great Actor.

Portugal – Murtosa

The picture is that of a traditional boat from Murtosa. The fisherman in this boat is obviously an admirer of Uncle Sam as he is flying the US flag on top of his sail. Murtosa is a town (vila) and one of four parishes (freguesias) of the Murtosa Municipality in Aveiro District in Portugal. My friend Jose sent this card

Finland - Edvard Isto

Edvard Isto's painting Attack symbolizes Finnish resistance to the perceived Russification.
In the famous painting Hyökkäys by Edvard "Eetu" Isto, the Finnish Maiden is being attacked by the Russian double-headed eagle, which is tearing away the law book. The Maiden of Finland "Suomi-neito" is the national personification of Finland. The Maiden of Finland can also refer to the shape of Finland on the map. With a little imagination it looks like a female form which has one hand raised (and another before the Moscow Armistice of 1944), a head, and a skirt. The metaphor is so commonly used that the northwestern area around Enontekiö is known as the Arm (Käsivarsi) even in official contexts. Russification of Finland. The policy of Russification of Finland (1899–1905 and 1908–1917, called sortokaudet/sortovuodet (times/years of oppression) in Finnish) was a governmental policy of the Russian Empire aimed at limiting the special status of the Grand Duchy of Finland and possibly the termination of its political autonomy and cultural uniqueness. It was a part of a larger policy of Russification pursued by late 19th–early 20th century Russian governments which tried to abolish cultural and administrative autonomy of non-Russian minorities within the empire. The policy included the following measures:

· The February Manifesto of 1899 was a decree by Emperor Nicholas II which asserted the imperial government's right to rule Finland without the consent of local legislative bodies.

· The Language Manifesto of 1900 was a decree by Emperor Nicholas II which made Russian the language of administration of Finland.

· The conscription law was signed by Emperor Nicholas II in July 1901 and incorporated the Finnish army into the imperial army.

Thank you Pia for this lovely card.