A sauna has popped up outside Orchestra Hall in Minneapolis.
Its steam will signal the start of a yearlong celebration of the 100-year anniversary of Finland's independence. Like its mascot, a sauna on wheels, "Finland 100" events will travel across the country, with two large festivals in Washington, D.C. But the U.S. celebration starts and ends in Minnesota, land of the Finns.
The state boasts the biggest percentage of people with Finnish ancestry in the country. "That's why we felt it would be very important to start there," said Kirsti Kauppi, ambassador of Finland to the United States. "Of course, it's really nice to come there in January.
"It will make us feel at home."
The arts are at the center of the celebration, thanks to the Nordic country's rich musical traditions and one famous Finn: Osmo Vänskä, music director of the Minnesota Orchestra, is the honorary chairman of Minnesota Finland 100. Friday and Saturday, the orchestra will play two pieces by Finnish composers close to Vänskä's heart: Kalevi Aho and Jean Sibelius. At the start of the 20th century, Sibelius' international renown strengthened the distinct cultural identity that helped push the country to declare its independence in 1917, Vänskä said.
"If a small population would like to get its independence, the question is, could we do it?" said Vänskä. "Are we good enough to hold our independence if we can get it? I think that Sibelius [set] a great example."
At Orchestra Hall, Ambassador Kauppi will meet with Minnesotans on Saturday, when the sauna will start steaming. The weekend's events also include a Saturday lecture at the Minneapolis Institute of Arts about the impact of Martin Luther, the subject of its massive exhibition, on Nordic Europe. That night, the Film Society of Minneapolis St. Paul hosts a documentary about Finnish architect Eero Saarinen.
Cultural and artistic identity — through music, art and architecture — were key to Finland's independence, said Marianne Wargelin, honorary consul of Finland in the Twin Cities. For more than 800 years, the area that's now Finland was part of Sweden. (Today, Finland counts both Swedish and Finnish as official languages.) In 1809, the area fell into Russian hands. Sibelius, whose face once adorned Finland's currency, was among a host of artists creating work during a time when dissent against Russia was forbidden.