Day of Finnish Culture marked in Belgrade
In the presence of over 60 people, the Embassy of Finland in Belgrade together with the Serbian Finnish Association-SEURA and publishing company Odiseja marked the Day of Finnish Culture on Sunday, 28 February, 2016 at the UK Parobrod.
The audience enjoyed in a unique programme prepared in synergy of the Finnish cultural devotees, who are working on promotion of Finnish culture and literature in Serbia.
Ambassador of Finland to Serbia, Mr. Pertti Ikonen gave his welcoming speech in Finnish language stressing the importance and significance of Kalevala and invited the participants to a Cocktail after the programme.
Publishing company Odiseja promoted the third novel of Arto Paasilinna issued in Serbian language. “The Year of the Hare” ( Jäniksen vuosi, 1975) by Paasilinna was published last year and translated to Serbian language by late Mr. Čedomir Cvetković, a translator of Finnish literature and founder of SEURA. Arto Paasilinna, one of the most successful novelists of Finland, is best known for this novel, which was translated into forty languages. The novel won three international prizes and it was adapted twice into a feature film. In 1994, it was included in UNESCO’s collection of representative works.Ambassador of Finland to Serbia, Mr. Pertti Ikonen gave his welcoming speech in Finnish language stressing the importance and significance of Kalevala and invited the participants to a Cocktail after the programme.
Ms. Marija Vukosavljević and Ms. Spomenka Krajčević, editors at the Odiseja introduced the audience with the main character of Paasilinna’s most popular novel – Kaarlo Vatanen, a middle-aged journalist, who abruptly decides to leave his job, wife and home for whatever awaits him with his new companion – the hare. The picaresque and comic novel follows the adventure of Vatanen and his hare, while his own dissatisfaction with his former urban lifestyle becomes ever more evident.
Mr. Dimitrije Crnić, a SEURA member, talked about Kalevala, a national epic of Finland and one of the most important works of Finnish literature, compiled by Elias Lönnrot from Finnish and Karelian folklore in the 19th century. Lönnrot published the first version of The Kalevala on February 28, 1835. The anniversary of this event was declared an official day for celebrating Finnish culture. It is one of the most significant works of Finnish literature, which was translated into forty-nine languages. The Kalevala made a significant contribution to the development of the Finnish national identity and these processes in the Finnish society eventually led to the adoption of the Finnish declaration of independence in 1917. Finland will celebrate its 100th anniversary of independence next year. SEURA students of Finnish language read some Kalevala verses in Finnish and in the Serbian translation done by Mr. Ivan Šajković in 1935.
SEURA’s choir enriched the evening dedicated to Finnish culture with some melodies of Kalevala and Finnish folklore songs. The progamme was concluded with Finlandia Hymn, written by Finnish composer Jean Sibelius, which represents one of the most important national songs of Finland.
