Kati Laitinen, originally from Haukipudas, decided to embark on a career in the EU despite the fact that she enjoyed her job as a teacher. Initially, the plan was to move abroad for a few years, but she ended up staying in Luxembourg for 20 years. Now, Laitinen is continuing her EU career in Finland.
Kati Laitinen studied English philology at the University of Oulu, intending to become a language teacher. But when Finland joined the European Union, she ended up on a long career track in the EU. Today, she works as the head of communications of the European Commission Representation in Finland.
Kati’s student years were shadowed by the high interest rates caused by the economic recession of the 1990s. Despite this, Laitinen worked as a substitute teacher and remained confident in her job prospects. Her university years were enjoyable, and she has many fond memories of Oulu’s student culture, particularly Rauhala and karaoke nights in Reidar.
Laitinen recalls her university years to be the most stressful of her life – even more so than her years in the workforce. “That’s why I believe that students shouldn’t have to worry about making ends meet, because they’ve got enough stress as is.”
Laitinen finished her master’s thesis while simultaneously working in 1995. “I worked as a substitute teacher at Sotkamo Sports High School. I had nothing better to do than working and attending community college exercise classes, so I finished my thesis there.”
From a translator to a chief – and beyond
When Finland joined the European Union in 1995, job advertisements for positions in the EU started appearing in the papers. Laitinen noticed an ad for a translator position in Kaleva, and decided to join the competition.
“I always figured that I’d end up living abroad at some point. Granted, I thought it’d be somewhere in the United Kingdom, but once I saw the ad I figured that Brussels or Luxembourg could be worth the shot.”
To pursue a career in the EU, candidates have to go through competitions organized by the European Personnel Selection Office (EPSO). When Laitinen herself applied, the process was quite similar to what it is today: the first stage consisted of language proficiency tests, including reading comprehension tasks and questions testing EU knowledge. After that, the applicants completed translation tasks from two EU languages into their own native language. Finally, the most successful applicants were invited to an interview.
“The interview sure was something, considering I had no knowledge of any EU protocols. Eight interviewers sat in a row and started throwing curveballs at me. In a way, it was a really pleasant, relaxed situation, but I was interviewed in foreign languages and they went through all the languages I had listed myself proficient in. But I definitely don’t feel like it was an impossible experience to get through.”
Laitinen passed the competitions and was offered a career opportunity in the EU. She left her job as a teacher at the Patela secondary school and headed to Luxembourg. “I fell in love with the job and its community when I arrived in Luxembourg. There was a nice sense of community, the way people helped each other. We were sort of like pioneers as Finns in Luxembourg.”
After working as a translator for ten years, Laitinen moved into a managerial role despite never having thought about ending up in such a position.
In Luxembourg, she advanced to become the Head of the Finnish Translation Unit before being recruited for her current position as Head of Communications of the Commission Representation in Finland. She was hesitant at first, but after some consideration she felt that the change would be the right move.
During her career spanning over 20 years, Laitinen has witnessed great changes in the operations of the EU. There is less bureaucracy, and the commission has become a more modern employer. In addition to this, there is a great generational transition happening within the institutions of the EU. The first Finnish EU officials are now at a retirement age, and new Finns are desperately needed in the union.
“I feel like it’s my responsibility to ensure that the generational transition is smooth. Once that’s done, I’ll be the last of the original staff to depart and leave the work in the hands of the new team.”
EU careers need ordinary Finnish workers
Laitinen encourages anyone interested to apply for careers in the EU. She suggests that even those unfamiliar with the competitions should give them a try, if only for the experience. After all, academic grades don’t play a significant role in the selection process.
“We simply just look whether a person has completed a degree, even with mediocre grades, and has some work experience. Then we’ll have a conversation with the applicant during the interview.”
Laitinen is content with her career in the EU. The assignments are fascinating, there’s room for progress, and the union offers a decent salary. There’s also encouragement for employees to try out various jobs within the union.
It’s not impossible to get a job in the EU; Laitinen notes that she, too, was just a regular student. “Often, the media reports focus on creating this image of an application process filled with extremely difficult tests and the idea that an applicant must be some sort of exceptional individual. I’ve had what might seem like a remarkable career in the EU, but in reality it’s an ordinary place of work for ordinary people.”
KATI LAITINEN
Head of Communication and Outreach section of the Commission Representation in Finland
Kirjoittaja on tilastotieteilijä ja suomen kielen opiskelija, joka on vahingossa onnistunut kaveriporukoissa brändäämään itsensä keltaisella tuulitakillaan.
The academic year of 2024-25 is starting, and students are rolling onto campuses. Among them are lots of freshmen, to whom student life is new and exciting. How should one take care of their wellbeing in the midst of academic life? Oulu Student Magazine sought tips from an unexpected source.
The Tampere-based band Huora and Oulu’s very own Blind Channel have had a busy year: both bands released new albums in March that sent them on the road for respective tours.
Huora has been touring extensively around Finland, while Blind Channel has performed not only in Europe and the United States, but also in Tokyo, Japan – without forgetting their home country, of course.
Qstock brought the bands to Oulu, and members from both bands took a moment to sit down and have a chat with the Oulu Student Magazine.
Tip: Try to prepare for stressful times
What do a touring artist and a student have in common? Stress, pressure and tightly scheduled lives, for starters. But when we ask the members of Huora and Blind Channel how they manage such things, we get a hearty burst of laughter in response.
“It’s definitely been a learning curve for me, since I only entered the music industry in my thirties,” Huora’s singer Anni Lötjönen, who just turned 41, notes.
“I’ve learned it all the hard way, by just doing things wrong first and figuring it out from there.”
Blind Channel’s Aleksi Kaunisvesi, responsible for the band’s samples and percussion, shares the same outlook.
“You just have to learn by trial and error when it comes to figuring out when it’s better to take it easy and when it’s okay to stay up late.”
One lesson learned has been that it’s easier to manage stressful times when you have a plan for them and therefore can prepare yourself.
“Knowing that stress and strain come and go in seasons has been an important lesson. The most important thing is to prioritize downtime in order to bounce back from it all,” Blind Channel’s bassist Olli Matela says.
Blind Channel’s Aleksi Kaunisvesi (left) and Olli Matela.
Tip: Know yourself and your limits
Lötjönen says that a music career has forced her to get to know herself and where her limitations lie. The process is never-ending, because your energy levels and stamina undergo changes as you age. Such a phenomenon can be evident during one’s student years as well: a freshman can withstand the whirlwind of student life better than a person who’s further into their studies.
Huora’s drummer Saku Sahlstedt emphasizes the importance of introspection in order to find personal limitations when it comes to one’s ability to withstand stress. In addition to that, he mentions the importance of speaking out – even about negative feelings.
“Being vocal about your feelings with others is a good way of handling stress and pressure. If you keep mulling in your emotions alone, it’ll eat you alive. It’s vital to let it all out,” Sahlstedt says.
Course deadlines and exams can elevate stress levels, but talking about it can be helpful. Exercise is another way to let out some steam while taking care of your wellbeing. Lötjönen mentions cross-country skiing as one of the best ways to take care of your body and mind; she used to ski a lot last winter while preparing for the upcoming tours.
Blind Channel’s duo also consider exercise to be an important part of their lives. Kaunisvesi says that he exercises quite a lot, and Matela enjoys getting his body moving as well. The bassist’s favorite places in Oulu are by the water: there are tons of hiking routes by rivers and the sea. Additionally, Oulu has plenty of ski tracks, where it’s easy to clear one’s head.
Tip: Everyone’s study journey is different
There is a diverse lot of students on campuses, and each one of them has their own, unique background. The same goes for the artists we’re interviewing. Lötjönen from Huora studied to be a practical nurse after secondary school, while Sahlstedt studied industrial engineering and production. Lötjönen assures that she has always been a good student and focused in her studies – she even received a scholarship from her practical nursing studies.
“I was the complete opposite of that. I was always partying, and while my friends went on to graduate in four years, I had to stay behind for a fifth. That’s when I decided that it was time for me to graduate,” Sahlstedt recalls.
Huora’s Saku Sahlstedt (left) and Anni Lötjönen.
Lötjönen laments how studying has been made more difficult: it’s expensive and straining. Many students know this as well, as they have to work alongside their studies to make ends meet, which can make their years of studying that much more straining. Lötjönen would study more if it was emotionally and financially less draining.
“But I do enjoy studying, it just makes sense to me,” she adds with a laugh.
Matela from Blind Channel describes himself to be a picky student, one that was interested in some topics while having no fascination with others. After graduating from the Madetoja Music Upper Secondary School, he continued his studies at the Oulu Conservatoire, which he describes as a “little stress school” that taught him a lot.
In contrast, Kaunisvesi dropped out of upper secondary school to go study music production in Amsterdam. He studied abroad with an “all-or-nothing” mentality.
“I had to give it everything I had, because I had moved abroad and turned my life upside down to get a degree. I was fully immersed in my studies around the clock,” Kaunisvesi recalls.
Tip: Having plans is a good plan
Members from both Huora and Blind Channel have many years of experience in the music industry. When they are asked to share some words of wisdom to students, the first thing they all agree on is the importance of sleep. On tour, sleep can become a secondary priority – just like students with lectures, events, possible jobs and other hobbies filling up their calendars.
“It’s amazing what a good night’s sleep can do for you,” Kaunisvesi remarks.
Lötjönen considers sleep to be the basis for everything else in life. Additionally, it’s beneficial to be around people that give you strength to go on. Matela mentions the importance of planning and setting schedules, even in the long run.
Sahlstedt agrees. He urges students to consider their priorities. Student life often revolves around various events and parties, but it’s also important to consider whether it’s beneficial to go out during the weekend if there’s going to be an exam the following Monday.
“I know it’s hard. Though I didn’t exactly follow my own advice when I was younger, I’d still advise students to consider the benefits of short term “sacrifices” in the long run,” the drummer notes.
“It’s surprisingly easy once you stop taking everything too seriously,” Kaunisvesi concludes.
Raves are in their golden age. Electronic dance music is taking center stage, and parties are being thrown in restaurants and large warehouses. But what lurks underneath the surface? Are there depraved bacchanals happening within the shadows of Oulu’s forests and run-down warehouses?
Three DJs and party organizers shed some light on Oulu’s underground (ug) scene. The light remains dim, because underground thrives in darkness. But we do catch some glimpses through the veil of secrecy.
Rene Tauriainen is a pioneer of rave culture in Oulu. Juhani Oivo has been throwing various types of parties for 20 years, and Vilma Kallunki is a prominent figure of the younger rave generation.
At raves, DJs and live performers play electronic dance music for a dancing crowd. The music is unified by a varying, aggressive bass and a quick tempo that varies in different styles.
Rave culture was born in the US in the mid-1980s and spread fast to Europe, especially England. The first rave party in Oulu was thrown at the beginning of the 1990s.
Ug, aka underground is something alternative, dubious and non-commercial – perhaps even forbidden and illegal. Some call it a subculture, but the term “ug” has cemented itself in the culture. Something is happening underground or atleast beneath the surface – something secret, perhaps even dangerous.
Underground eludes being defined, because it is constantly evolving. Commercial operators seek the underground for influences, and things are moving towards a more mainstream direction.
Rene Tauriainen ponders on the concept of underground. “Ug strays away from mainstream, but nowadays it can also be commercialized. Commercial night clubs like 45 Special play ug music.”
“Ug parties are held in places other than restaurants, bars or clubs, but the culture is also showcased in those places. The parties are organized for a small, knowledgeable crowd, and they usually require an invitation,” Vilma Kallunki says.
The allure of underground parties is based not only on secrecy and a sense of danger, but also the sense of freedom. The music can be more hardcore, experimental or deeper than in restaurants; there is no last call, and there is less harassment and bad behavior than in restaurants. The information about the parties spreads through the grapevine, these days usually in private chat groups online.
Early beats at warehouse parties
When the first rave parties in Oulu were thrown in the early 90s, Rene Tauriainen was in the middle of it. He was one of the establishers of Oulun Warehouse and H.A.N.D (Have A Nice Day) associations, which operated in secret.. Oulun Warehouse threw parties in empty warehouses and other abandoned spaces, like a closed-down bowling alley.
The only way you could get in was by knowing the right people, and the raves were announced at the last minute through a secret phone line. The Warehouse parties started after midnight and ended sometime in the morning – whenever the organizers so desired.
The inspiration for organizing the parties was “acid house” music that you couldn’t play during DJ sets at restaurants. Disco music and culture had already evolved in England and the US.
“My friends had traveled there, and we read articles in online magazines. The allure was about unconventionality and a sense of danger. Our group of congenial friends decided to start throwing parties in Oulu.”
“Warehouse parties had an estimated 100-150 participants, but the vibe felt more like 15 000. The venues were pitch dark, full of smoke and a lot of strobe lights.”
Information about the illegal parties reached the ears of law enforcement, and the police even ended shutting down one party.
Illustration: Maiju Putkonen.
“There were members of the Screaming Men’s Choir present, and the guys performed the Finnish national anthem as the police were clearing out the place,” Tauriainen reminisces amusedly.
The operations of Warehouse Ry ended in the late 90s. There was a rising moral panic spreading through Europe concerning illegal parties where criminals were rumored to be doing drugs. In many countries law enforcement cracked down heavily on the parties. Compared to that, the police in Oulu took a more lenient approach.
“We were throwing a party and happened to be standing outside with the other organizers. The chief of police arrived at the scene and told us “listen guys, I know you’re having a party downstairs and I’ll look the other way this one time, but the next time there will be consequences. Could you please make your operations more official?””
“After that we had to rethink our approach; after all, organizing those parties was really tough in hindsight,” Taurianen sums it up.
New beats emerge from silence
Rave culture has gone through a resurrection in the past few years. People are talking about a renaissance and a third wave: the second wave was EDM and eurodance, which are not often associated with credible subculture.
In the parties, new artists and experiences are thriving. During the summer, people party in the forests and on the beaches of Helsinki almost every weekend. Clubs and large venues host more commercial parties, and raves have become a largely accepted part of mainstream culture.
Vilma Kallunki is known as DJ Otilia, and she’s thrown gigs both in Finland and abroad. Kallunki is a part of the multi-artistic collective Cultish, which organizes parties and various events that combine video art, installations and electronic music.
Kallunki notes that nowadays there are a lot of people actively organizing various interesting events. After covid, many new people have entered the scene; party culture lives and is thriving.
Rene Tauriainen agrees.
“At one point it felt like there was nothing worthwhile going on, but what I’ve seen lately is looking good again.”
Rene Tauriainen (left), Vilma Kallunki, and Juhani Oivo know the party scene in Oulu. They’ve gained experience over several decades.
Juhani Oivo has worked as a DJ and an event organizer in the electronic music scene for over 20 years. Oivo has organized hundreds of events and spins records under the names of DJ Oivo, DJ J Honey and DJ Jay Day. Nowadays he organizes events like Elektorni during the summer at Tähtitorni in Oulu’s Linnansaari and during the winter at 45 Special.
From an outsider’s perspective, it seems like the electronic music scene in Oulu is personified in Oivo. However, he does not endorse this idea, even though Tauriainen believes that at one point, Oivo was the only active organizer in the area.
“I fully disagree. All of this is by no means all on my shoulders. Sure, at one point there were less events happening in Oulu, but nowadays there are lots of active organizers.”
“It was a bit quieter from 2000-2015, and many people didn’t attend the parties. But even during that time, there was fluctuation. The location of Oulu also plays a key role in all of it: the city is not a huge metropolis, and young people tend to move south.”
Oulu has style
New electronic music collectives have been established all over Finland.
Oivo notes that the rise in popularity has been evident in Oulu during the past 5-10 years as well. Vilma Kallunki agrees.
“We’ve been organizing club events with Cultish for four years now, and even during that time the scene has evolved a lot,” Kallunki amplifies. Kallunki says that there has been demand for both open and underground events organized by Cultish: the combination of music and visuals clearly appeals to their audience. Events organized by Cultish carry a recognizable visual style. The music is rooted in techno, but varies according to the venue and the theme of the party.
The scene is evolving in many ways in various different directions, and the artists draw influences from other subcultures without prejudice. The style of rave music varies from city to city: Oivo mentions that traditionally a lot of music from the UK has been played in Oulu. Many DJs have embraced the British sound, and Oivo’s club night, Children of Boom, featured UK music heavily.
“There’s a certain continuity here; it’s one of the defining characteristics of the Oulu sound. Then again, the UK sound is currently gaining a lot of traction across other parts of Europe,” he adds. “Back in the 90s, the music was predominantly European, especially British,” Tauriainen notes.
Where’s the party?
Where and what kind of underground parties are organized in Oulu? The organizers exchange long looks, and there is a long silence. Finally, Tauriainen responds: “Let’s just say that they exist.”
They wouldn’t be underground raves if they were public. The venues and locations remain secret. They do, however, share that several open-air parties are held in the forests around Oulu during the summer.
The organizers quickly and smoothly shift the topic to more public events. Kallunki tells that public parties are held at Nelivitonen (45 Special) and Kulttuurilaboratorio. He recalls a particularly memorable event: the pride-themed party thrown by Cultish a few years back.
Oivo says that it’s really nice to play at Elektorni, and it’s an open-air party since it’s not indoors but under the starry sky. Tauriainen also remembers that the first Time Tunnel at Valvesali was an extremely impressive experience.
There’s no point in asking more about the locations or nature of underground parties. They do happen, though.
Wild partying?
Illustration: Maiju Putkonen.
The party organizers feel most at home at small, underground parties, but huge festivals with tens of thousands people have their moments, as well. Tauriainen says that squat parties in abandoned houses in London are wild. “Once you leave, you can definitely say that you’ve experienced something.”
“I’ve been to some parties in London that, whew, I wouldn’t even talk about them out loud. At squat parties, homeless people sleep in the corners, junkies shoot up, and there’s insane drum’n’bass blasting. People party like crazy, sometimes until who knows when,” Tauriainen says, adding that the parties are not specifically drug-fueled parties, but it is one way to party.
Squat parties in London are a far cry from the reality of a small, northern city; but since the parties are secret, there are a lot of rumors circulating about them – some of which are not entirely true.
The organizers unanimously agree that drugs always come up in the conversations, even though in their experience people are more inebriated in bars. They all emphasize that people come to raves for the music.
And while drugs, particularly MDMA (aka ecstasy) are a part of rave culture and visible in the imagery and in dilated pupils, it’s not a topic the organizers like to discuss. Drugs make for sensational headlines and are an enticing subject, which often leads to exaggerated focus on them in the media. Similarly, the essence of Finnish rock music isn’t defined by flat beer.
“I want to keep drugs separate from the music and the events. It’s none of my business if someone uses before coming to a party. It’s a whole different matter if it turns into problematic use – that’s something that needs to be addressed,” Tauriainen emphasizes.
Vilma Kallunki emphasizes the importance of the principles of a safe space. Raves have unwritten rules and a code of conduct that people follow. Everyone is welcomed as they are. It’s forbidden – or atleast impolite – to film the party-goers, and people treat each other with respect.
Kallunki says that the freedom to express oneself in a non-judgemental environment is remarkable. For her, clothing is an important form of self-expression. Fantasy costumes and jeans with a T-shirt are both equally welcome.
It’s also an advantage that all the participants are somewhat like-minded. When everyone has a sense of what they’re getting into, the risk of conflicts is smaller compared to in bars, for example.
Kallunki says that she’s experienced significantly less bad behavior and harassment at underground parties than in restaurants or public parties.
“Fortunately, nowadays there are written rules that are shared with party-goers in advance and are displayed at the venue. People need to commit to them if they want to attend the party. This way, we can address any issues that arise,” Kallunki notes.
I want to party too!
What should you do if you want to party at an exclusive event? The organizers of underground parties say that it’s relatively easy to gain access to ug parties in Oulu. A step in the right direction is to attend the public parties, such as Elektorni, where you can meet like-minded people.
“Like the saying goes, those who ask will not get lost. References are not necessary, but there needs to be a certain level of familiarity for you to receive an invitation,” Tauriainen explains.
“It’s good to know someone from the scene or to be aware of other parties. In Oulu, the scene is quite open. If you’re interested in the music scene, you’ll definitely find your way in,” Kallunki says.
Raves will take you on a journey
What inspires people to organize raves and gather together to dance till the early hours of the morning? Do the music, the community, the exclusivity, the mystery, drugs and aesthetics explain it all?
Underground parties are organized with a DIY mindset and money doesn’t play a significant role in the events. The organizers emphasize that for them, hosting parties is, and always has been, about the fun and love of music.
Or, it can also be about the fact that at their best, raves can be a mystic experience:
The movement to the repetitive rhythm is ceaseless. The music, lights and smoke hit your body and all your senses with tremendous force. You are the person or entity you want to be at that moment. You’re free.
The experience can be primitive, almost shamanistic; the soul momentarily transcends this world. And while the experience can be enhanced, you can also enter another dimension without the aid of any shamanic substances. For a brief moment everyone is alone, yet simultaneously connected to one another and the universe.
Translation by Anna Tiira.
Julkaistu
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Pete Huttunen
Humanistiopiskelija ja ite tehty kulttuuritoimittaja. Harrastuksena pahennuksen herättäminen kaiken maailman kulttuuririennoissa. Juttuja olen tehnyt metallifestareista oopperaan. Tarinoiden toimivuutta testaan lukemalla niitä ääneen kissalle.
Trumpets are blaring in full swing, blasting out familiar tunes on a big stage. The academic year opening festival Hurmos has officially started. The weather is gloomy with drizzles of rain at the beginning of the evening; however, Teekkaritorvet has already gotten some of the crowd swaying. The sky is clearing as more people walk in through the gates. As night falls, thousands of students are in for a wild party.
Hurmos is the joint academic year opening celebration organized by the student unions of the University of Oulu, Oulu University of Applied Sciences and the Diaconia University of Applied Sciences.
By working together, they’ve managed to organize a large event featuring well-known artists. The festival is held at the Kuusisaari Recreation Park.
Mouhous, Etta and Isac Elliot drove the crowd wild on the main stage, while talented student bands Aamun Kuningatar and Postvision captivated their audience with a more rock-inspired vibe at the smaller Hurmos Stage.
The event’s hosts were the charming Drag Duo: Carrie & Aurora the Queen of Stars. The stylish duo took on the Hurmos Stage in the early evening to show how to put on a proper show. Their performance was filled with energy and excitement, featuring familiar characters such as Ellinoora and Käärijä.
The city’s official greeting was given by Oulu’s Director of Communications, Events and Marketing, Mikko Salmi. Salmi highlighted that Oulu is the 13th happiest city in the world.
Ranking cities by happiness is at the very least a bit peculiar, but at least we know how to throw good student parties!
At the stands, various student organizations shared information on their activities and engaged in friendly chats with students. A few stands offered snacks to ensure that the partygoers had enough energy to last until the end.
At the Student Union stand, Manta Mankinen, Eveliina Tiusanen and Vilma Sippola mentioned that they also serve as a small information desk for the event.
“The most important thing is that we’re here for the students. Many want to talk to us about their studies and sometimes about student advocacy.”
At the OYY stand, partygoers had the chance to try out their luck with a prize wheel. Vilma Sippola (left), Eveliina Tiusanen and Manta Mankinen were excited to meet new people and to see happy faces. Photo by Miia Torro.
In the early evening, the crowds consist mostly of small groups of first-year students. The more seasoned students are still at their pre-parties and usually arrive at the scene once the event really gets going.
There’s a shared excitement about kicking off the new academic year with a celebration. People have come to dance, to have fun and to meet old and new friends.
No one really thinks that the performers are the event’s main attraction; they’re simply a welcome addition to the party. The consensus seems to be the same as at Qstock: meeting friends is the most important thing.
Qstock sells out every year, and even though the headliners canceled their performances the past few years, no one really seemed to mind. Maybe the secret to happiness in Oulu is the sense of community.
But music does have significance; it moves people. Mouhous, Etta and Isac Elliot drew a crowd of partygoers to the front of the stage. A bit further back, people had more room to dance more freely with friends. Needless to say, there were also fans of the artists’ in attendance.
ITE students Kyösti Kiljala, Jere Metsävainio, Elias Rekilä and Valtteri Määttä have come for the friends and the company.
“The artists themselves don’t really interest me at all, I mostly listen to metal music,” Metsävainio says, and the others agree.
Kyösti Kiljala, Jere Metsävainio, Elias Rekilä ja Valtteri Määttä are metalheads. They didn’t come to Hurmos for the music. Photo by Pete Huttunen.
As night falls over the festival, the area fills with colorful overalls, loud echoes of sing-alongs led by the artists and celebratory crowds of students. Though the largest crowds can be found partying at the front of the stages, all around the area you can see the cheerful faces of people enjoying drinks, food and other activities.
OYY’s event producer Katri Jämsä says that she’s happy with the overall atmosphere of the evening and the development ideas they’ve implemented this year. According to the partygoers, a new layout of the festival area and three headliners have brought more of a festival feel to the event. “We’re developing the event every year. We’ve listened to feedback and responded to it the best we can,” Jämsä says.
Check out the Hurmos photo galleries here and here.
Translation by Anna Tiira. Photo galleries by Miia Torro and Tuuli Heikura.
Julkaistu
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Pete Huttunen
Humanistiopiskelija ja ite tehty kulttuuritoimittaja. Harrastuksena pahennuksen herättäminen kaiken maailman kulttuuririennoissa. Juttuja olen tehnyt metallifestareista oopperaan. Tarinoiden toimivuutta testaan lukemalla niitä ääneen kissalle.
From the perspective of Anastasia Emelyanova, postdoctoral researcher investigating demographic trends in the Arctic, it is important to make sure that the special characteristics of the North will not get lost in national decision-making. As a researcher, she also wishes the results would be reflected more in practice.
Looking at the Earth from the North Pole, it can take a while to recognise different areas. For Anastasia Emelyanova, postdoctoral researcher from the Thule Institute of the University of Oulu specialising in Arctic health and demography, a pole-centric angle is one of the most familiar ones.
Emelyanova, who is from Arkhangelsk, a north-western city in Russia located approximately in parallel with Oulu, finds it natural to interpret the world from an Arctic perspective. Although understanding the value of the Arctic comes naturally for someone born and working in the region, on a worldwide scale it is only seen as “somewhere far in the north.”
A couple of years of research scholarship in Austria gave a new perspective for how northern issues are seen from elsewhere.
“When people asked me about my field of research, ‘arctic’ was most of the time mixed up with ‘art’,” Emelyanova describes a common point of confusion with a laugh.
At the University of Oulu, Arctic themes are familiar at least in advertisement and attitude. In the beginning of 2023, the first Arctic strategy of the university was established aiming to respond to current megatrends while taking welfare of the planet and business targets into account.
What are the unique ways in which these global challenges affect the North?
Differences and Commonalities in the Area
Arctic administrative areas only include one country in its entirety, Iceland, located south of the Arctic Circle. Therefore, as a topic of research, the area is not strictly limited to the circle of latitude commonly thought of as the true mark of the North, but rather it follows the borders of national administrative areas. For example, in Finland, Lapland, Northern Ostrobothnia, and Kainuu regions are often included into Arctic research.
Emelyanova emphasises the heterogeneity of the area and its residents. It is important to research diverse areas as a whole to prevent northern special characteristics from getting lost in national decision-making. Thus, there is no one solution that would fit an area with a population of approximately 10 million people residing the 10 percent of the land area of Earth.
Climate is the most obvious commonality in the area. This is also reflected in Emelyanova’s currently ongoing Nordic research project, where she acts as coordinator and principal investigator from Finland. A current point of interest is the area’s ageing population’s experience of spending time outdoors during the winter.
Solutions are sought for round the world to the demographic megatrend of societal ageing. To advance resident-oriented policy, solutions must be found for each individual region, and it is important to include local people in planning and decision-making.
Population growth and decline in the Arctic area largely follow the global trend of moving towards smaller numbers of children and longer life expectancy. In the areas predominantly populated with indigenous people, the number of children may still deviate from global trends and be larger. As for life expectancy, different parts of the region can still vary by up to 20 years.
Another commonality is transfer of human capital from the northernmost areas to southern, more populated regions or capitals. Something should be done to ensure that expertise gained from working and studying remains also in the North. Innovative, creative, and skilled people certainly add to the attractiveness of cities, but first the trend of attractiveness must be turned around.
Working Together Towards the Better Future
“As a researcher, I find it important to make sure my results aren’t hidden in my computer. For example, we write Policy Briefs for decision makers, and deliver the results both to the scientific community and the local community in question.”
However, this beautiful goal of integrating research into real life rarely happens as well as hoped for. The efforts are not all in vain, but there is still room for improvement in decision makers willingness to include the data in their processes.
Wide-ranging research collaboration is emphasised when dealing with multidimensional challenges. The work of an international research team, which Emelyanova is part of, is one example of the activities of the One Health spearhead in the Arctic Strategy of the University of Oulu. According to the spearhead, the health of people, animals, and the ecosystem go hand in hand.
The One Health research team is also part of the Arctic Five forum in which five northern universities collaborate in research and education. Another community adding to the internationality of Emelyanova’s work is the globally more widespread UArctic cooperative network consisting of 230 actors. Emelyanova is the Vice Lead of its Arctic Health Thematic Network.
She also serves as an example of the opportunities provided by the UArctic network, as she has graduated with master’s and doctoral degrees, which have been created by the universities in the network to strengthen the research competence in the area.
Arctic demography as a field of science sets its own requirements for cooperation between universities. International cooperation provides important points of comparison within the Arctic area as well as outside of it.
“The university’s Arctic Strategy is assumed to increase visibility of the theme in the lives of all students,” Emelyanova anticipates.
Effects of the War in Research
A few years ago, Emelyanova was still in close cooperation with Russian Arctic researchers. Now many databases have become unavailable, and researchers are kept more in the dark regarding the regional development of Russia. This brings massive challenges to Arctic research.
“Russia makes up roughly 75 percent of the Arctic population and about 50 percent of the land areas. How can we determine the ongoing changes if half of the area is missing from the statistics and research data? It is currently not possible to analyse the area as a whole.”
The lack of information is highlighted in climate change research as well. Many publications in the field have been forced to admit that the lack of data from Russia may render Arctic climate forecasting meaningless.
The many aspects of research have become clear to Emelyanova. Attending conferences and seminars, working with societal matters important to oneself, as well as working with motivated people all add to the appeal of the work. At the same time, regardless of the quality of one’s own work, there is always lingering uncertainty.
“Sometimes I think I should just retire from research and get another, more stable job,” Emelyanova laughs.
Regardless of its challenges, research still feels appealing, and combining it with everyday family life feels rewarding.
Map of the Arctic Administrative Areas. Map: Arto Vitikka, Arctic Centre, University of Lapland. Credit for the border data: Runfola, D. et al. (2020) geoBoundaries: A global database of political administrative boundaries. PLoS ONE 15(4): e0231866. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0231866e.
Lauri Moilanen studies suicidal murders from hundreds of years ago. Desperate people could not kill themselves, so bystanders suffered. The knives and axes were especially heavy in Ostrobothnia.
In the autumn of 1797, soldiers Simo Storm and Henric Qvist invaded the house of Kankaanpää in the village of Launola (now Laakkola). They murdered a ten-year-old girl in the house by hitting her over the head with an axe several times. The men’s aim was to get the death sentence, a so-called suicidal murder.
PhD researcher Lauri Moilanen has been studying such atrocities since 2020 in the History of Science and Ideas Department at the University of Oulu.
According to Moilanen’s definition, ”suicidal murder was a type of crime that became widespread in the 17th and 1700s, in which the perpetrator murdered an innocent bystander with the aim of being sentenced to death.”
How did Moilanen become interested in such a macabre topic? ”I was working for the Puolanka magazine in 2016 and interviewed non-fiction writer Mikko Moilanen. He has been researching death sentences in Finland and tipped me off about an unusual case he had found: the topic had not been researched in Finland and the material was ready, so it would have been foolish not to take it on board. We are still on the same path”, says Moilanen.
Moilanen was interested in studying history already when he was in high school, and during the early stages of his undergraduate studies at university, he was thinking about writing his doctoral thesis. Since graduating with a Master’s degree, Moilanen’s research career at the Faculty of Humanities has been fairly straightforward. ”Many stars aligned when I received funding from the Finnish Cultural Foundation for 2020, and after that I got a job at the University of Oulu Graduate School.”
Moilanen’s research material consists of transcripts of court cases, i.e. dockets. Studying the handwritten and Swedish judgement books required learning old handwriting and the old Swedish language. ”The courses were of little use, as each scribe has a different handwriting. Judgement books follow a certain pattern, so with time and enough reading you learn to recognise the essentials”, Moilanen explains. Moilanen has used an early 19th century dictionary from an antiquarian bookshop and various translation programs to help him in his translation work. The material for the forthcoming doctoral thesis consists of the court records of just under forty trials – well over two thousand pages. ”A single trial is between 20 and 80 pages long, so there is plenty to study”, says Moilanen.
Women as Murderers, Everyday Tools as Tools of the Trade
One of Moilanen’s main research questions is whether the suicidal murders in Finland were related to similar acts in Europe. There are many similarities with the suicidal murders in Germany, Denmark and Stockholm. ”The acts were planned and the victims were mostly young children. In addition, around 60% of the perpetrators were women, which is exceptional in the context of the history of homicide.”
The social class of the perpetrators is also clearly visible: there are many maids and soldiers among the condemned, while priests, nobles and bourgeois are almost absent.
Based on Moilanen’s data, suicidal murders were committed especially in Ostrobothnia. ”The suicidal murders were to become a chapter in the region’s extraordinary criminal history.” Moilanen cites the knife junkies that were active in South Ostrobothnia from the late 17th century to the end of the 19th century and the numerous witch trials in the 17th century as other special features of the region. Moilanen is currently investigating the reason for the concentration of crime in the region. ”The reasons may be related to the religious and social culture of Ostrobothnia and the region’s close commercial and cultural links with the mother country, especially Stockholm, where an alarming number of suicidal murders were committed between the 1680s and 1720s.”
Moilanen cites the weapons used in the Finnish suicide murders as one of the special features of the killings: knives have been used everywhere, but in Finland axes were often used in the killings. The choice of murder weapon, he says, reflects a feature of rural society: ”We have needed more axes in everyday life than in the big cities, Stockholm, Hamburg and Copenhagen. In the Finnish cases, the axe was used to kill adults while the knife was used to kill children. This suggests that the perpetrators wanted to be sure of a successful murder.”
The methods of committing suicidal murders may have been described in great detail in the court records of the trials. Towards the end of the 17th century, the inquest became more professionalised, and doctors were increasingly consulted in trials, whereas previously laymen and at most laymen’s witnesses had been used. The investigation of the cause of death of the victim was included in every judgment. ”In my thesis, I do not repeat in great detail these exceptionally brutal acts, but then again, I do not hide them either.”
Historical research often borrows perspectives from other disciplines. Moilanen’s dissertation combines perspectives from historical criminology, sociology and cultural history. ”The study of suicidal murder – like the study of the history of crime in general – intersects with many branches of research. I study these crimes as a criminal phenomenon from a criminological perspective, but also as a social phenomenon through social history and sociology. From a cultural-historical point of view, I am particularly interested in the connection between crime and religion. The study of the state of mind of the accused, on the other hand, can be traced back to the early history of forensic psychiatry.”
Moilanen is among the few even internationally. ”I am the first in our country to have studied these crimes in depth. There are only a handful of researchers in the world who have studied the subject, so I’m in good company.”
There are both pros and cons to the narrowness of the research field. ”I pretty much know all the other researchers in the field and we work together. Of course, this can be a real headache if you make a gross misinterpretation.”
PhD researcher Lauri Moilanen has been studying suicidal murders since 2020. Photo: Kalle Parviainen.
Moilanen says that historical research is always about interpretation. ”The most important thing is to try to understand what kind of world these people have lived in. Even the people of the past acted rationally in their own environment, even if it may sound funny to us. They acted according to their own cultural code.”
Connections to the Present
The soldiers Storm and Qvist mentioned at the beginning of the article had previously assaulted a corporal in their company. Not wanting to face the punishment that would follow, they decided to commit a much worse crime that would certainly and quickly get them the death penalty. According to court records, the men finally got what they wanted: both ended their earthly journeys with execution.
In the 1700s, the execution of a death row inmate was, according to Moilanen, a popular event. ”The whole village was invited, from baby to grandfather. Executions were even ecstatic events, especially in Sweden in the 1700s: hymns were sung, sermons were preached and some people might be in a state of ecstasy. The executed criminal was even compared in holiness to Jesus, who atoned for the sins of mankind on the cross. This may have attracted some people who were tired of their lives and self-destructive to seek attention to end their lives.”
Moilanen sees similarities between suicidal murders and modern-day acts, and mentions police-assisted suicide. ”Suicide by cop is a type of crime where the aim is to behave aggressively towards the police, with the aim of getting the police to shoot.” In addition, mass shootings, for example, may seek media attention. Some suicidal murders can also be interpreted as extended suicides, where the perpetrator wanted to extend his self-destructiveness to someone else, such as his own child.
Suicidal murder as a type of crime has been explained in many ways, for example by religious reasons. ”Some people were extremely desperate, but not prepared to kill themselves for either religious or human reasons. Killing oneself can be difficult for many reasons, so it was easier if someone else did it,” Moilanen says. Ultimately, the death penalty allows suicidal murder to exist. ”In societies where death sentences are enforced, it is possible to commit suicide by beheading.”
Moilanen reveals that suicidal murders practically stopped in Finland by 1825 at the latest, when the death penalty was abolished and death row inmates were sent to Siberia. In Europe, too, the phenomenon faded as the 19th century progressed. ”In contrast, in the United States, for example, in states that allow the death penalty, acts of suicidal murder have occurred to this day.”
“I could think of something else”
The suicidal murders have been Moilanen’s research topic since his bachelor thesis. ”Now I’m starting to feel like I could be thinking about something else”, he says. ”For eight years I’ve been thinking about these things every day.” Breaking away from difficult topics was a challenge in the early stages of writing his dissertation. He cites the pandemic and working from home, which meant he had to work, play, and sleep in the same room.
For Moilanen, art is a counterbalance to his doctoral work. He’s a songwriter, singer and guitarist in a black metal band called Leskentuska, which plays several gigs a year. ”Music is a good way to deal with these issues.”
The dissertation monograph is due to be completed in spring 2025, but Moilanen does not want to plan too far ahead. ”My thoughts are on the dissertation and there is no thought of a later stage. Writing is close to my heart, but it doesn’t have to be academic. I want to finish the dissertation topic and then see what comes up.” •
In addition to the interview, the article ”Murder for fear of God. A warning to priests.” The role of religious beliefs in the suicide murders of the Suicides in North Ostrobothnia at the turn of the 1700s and 1800s by Lauri Moilanen has been used as a source.
Julkaistu
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Kalle Parviainen
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