Nurmi, Paavo

Paavo Nurmi – a running ambassador for Finland who embodied the nation’s aspirations towards Europe and the West Paavo Nurmi (1897–1973), who won nine gold and three silver medals at Olympics, is one of the world’s most successful distance runners of all time. At the time, Nurmi’s superiority was astonishing. The modern Finland was embodied […]

Sibelius, Jean

Jean Sibelius shaped Finnish culture and made Finland known around the world Still in the 2010s, Jean Sibelius (1865–1957) is a world-renowned composer. Sibelius was inspired by national themes which he gave a modern treatment in his works. Sibelius was orphaned under the age of three, when his father, a physician, died of typhoid in […]