Church bells across the country will ring from 10:55 to 11:00 on Friday morning, marking the exact moment 80 years ago when the Winter War against Russia came to an end.
All Lutheran, Orthodox and Catholic churches are taking part in the commemoration and flags are flown all day Friday as well.
While the bells ring, 105 candles will be lit on the steps of Helsinki Cathedral, one for each day of the Winter War which began on 30th November 1939 and ended with the peace treaty between Finland and the Soviet Union which came into force on 13th March 1940 at 11:00.
More than 27,000 Finns lost their lives in the short but brutal conflict.
A national commemoration involving veterans, the President, the Government and members of the public at Helsinki Cathedral and Senate Square was canceled by authorities due to the spread of coronavirus.
What was the background to the Winter War?
The Winter War conflict began when the Soviet Union attacked Finland without a declaration of war, sparking 105 days of fierce fighting which left tens of thousands dead, wounded and captured on both sides – although the Russians suffered the heaviest losses by far at the hands of Finnish forces.
There are hundreds of men and women still alive today who took part in the Winter War, and thousands more who participated in the other two conflicts which proceeded it during the time of World War Two: the Continuation War of 1941 to 1944; and the Lapland War of autumn 1944.
Although the number of surviving Winter War veterans is dwindling, with just 700 to 1000 left, the last Finnish war veterans from the WWII era are expected to live until 2036
The Winter War came just 20 years after the bitter divisions of Finland’s Civil War, but the country pulled together when faced with a common enemy from the east.
“Although we were really poor and our military was really poorly equipped, we were able to repel the attacker. That’s the thing we call the miracle of the Winter War” Sakari Martimo, from the Military Veterans Foundation recently told News Now Finland.
A national sense of unity, and cohesion of purpose, saw the Finns through the most serious external threat the young had ever faced.
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