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J. K. Paasikivi memorial

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Coordinates:60°10′15.262″N24°56′9.035″E/ 60.17090611°N 24.93584306°E/60.17090611; 24.93584306
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TheJ. K. Paasikivi memorial,also calledItä ja Länsi(Finnishfor "East and West" ) is a memorial sculpture forPresident of FinlandJuho Kusti Paasikiviby sculptorHarry Kivijärvi,located inKamppi,Helsinki,Finland.The sculpture is located at the Paasikivenaukio square alongMannerheimintiein front of the so-called Supplier House, north of theLasipalatsibuilding. The sculpture was revealed in 1980.

Description[edit]

The sculpture consists of two black, smooth and convex stone slabs standing upright on a three-step pedestal. The sculpture is 5.5 metres tall and weighs 40 tonnes.[1]The stones are made of blackdioritemined from the Mustakivi Oy quarry inKuokkala,Jyväskylä.[2]

Epitaph[edit]

The middle step of the pedestal bears an inscription with Paasikivi's name and the epitaph "The start of all wisdom is acknowledging the facts" in both Finnish andSwedish.[3]Paasikivi famously used this statement on his second term asPrime Minister of Finlandin a speech he gave on the Finnish Independence Day in 1944, where he described the necessities of post-war politics in Finland. In his speech Paasikivi said the statement had originally been stated by "a certain historian-thinker".[4]The quote is probably originally from the 19th-century British historianThomas Carlyle,but Paasikivi was quoting it via the texts ofJohan Vilhelm Snellman.[5][6]Carlyle's contemporaryThomas Macaulayhas sometimes been cited as the original author of the sentence instead of Carlyle himself.[7]

History[edit]

The original contest for a memorial to J. K. Paasikivi was held in 1970. The first place was split between Harry Kivijärvi's designRinnakkaiselo( "Living together" ) andKain Tapper's designPaasikiven linja( "The Paasikivi doctrine" ).[8]This decision caused controversy, as both designs were seen to be modified versions of earlier works by their creators, contrary to the contest's rules. Tapper's design was said to resemble his earlier workMustalaisen puukko( "The knife of the Romani" ), while Kivijärvi's design was said to resemble several of his earlier works.[9]Kivijärvi had made severalminimalistsculptures based on black stone slabs since the 1960s, of which many feature a portal design created by two stones standing next to each other.[10]In actuality, the similarity was because of Kivijärvi's and Tapper's styles of sculptures instead of copying an individual earlier work. Nevertheless, the contest had to be held again.[9]Kivijärvi won the new contest in 1976 with his changed designItä ja Länsi,which lacked the horizontalarchitravestone from the original design.[9][8]

The city of Helsinki first offered the Hesperia esplanade inTöölöas the location of the memorial, but a better option was to place it at the Arkadianaukio square near the city centre and theParliament House.[9]The memorial was revealed on the 110th anniversary of Paasikivi's birth on 27 November 1980.[8]

The Paasikivi memorial was the first abstract memorial in honour of a Finnish chief of state.[11]A non-realistic memorial caused intense controversy at the time. A popular nickname for the sculpture was "Juho Kusti and Alli", as the two chubby stone slabs were said to resemble Paasikivi himself and his wifeAlli.[1]

Other memorials[edit]

As well as the memorial in Helsinki, a realistic statue of J. K. Paasikivi was built inLahtiin 1961 and busts of Paasikivi inMukkulain the 1960s and inKeravain 1974.[12][13]

Sources[edit]

  • Harry Kivijärvi – ja se mitä taiteeksikin sanotaan,publications of the Wäinö Aaltonen museum issue #53, Turku 2008.ISBN978-952-9565-53-5

References[edit]

  1. ^abItä ja Länsi / J. K. Paasikiven muistomerkkiArchived2016-04-11 at theWayback Machine,Helsinki Art Museum. Accessed on 30 April 2018.
  2. ^Patsaskierros,city of Helsinki. Accessed on 1 May 2018.
  3. ^Rautio, Antero:Pääkaupunkiseudun julkiset muistomerkit ja taideteokset – patsasbongarin opas,p. 182. Karisto, Hämeenlinna 1998.
  4. ^Pääministeri Paasikiven puhe itsenäisyyspäivänä 6.12.1944 (otteita puheesta)Archived2018-05-01 at theWayback Machine,Suomi kylmässä sodassa.Accessed on 30 April 2018.
  5. ^Immonen, Hannu: "Paasikivi ja historia", p. 315. In:J. K. Paasikivi – Valtiomiehen elämäntyö 5: 1948–1956(Tuomo Polvinen), WSOY, Helsinki 2003.
  6. ^Urho Kekkosen J.V. Snellmanin syntymän 185-vuotisjuhlassa 12.5.1981,Doria.fi.Accessed on 30 April 2018.
  7. ^Urho Kekkosen radiopuhe 10.12.1958,Doria.fi.Accessed on 30 April 2018.
  8. ^abcHarni, Heli: "Tuhansien vuosien ajalta", in:Harry Kivijärvi(2008), p. 119, 124, 127.
  9. ^abcdKruskopf, Erik:Veistosten kaupunki – Taidetta Helsingin katukuvassa(translated by Rauno Ekholm), pp. 75–78. Schildts, Helsinki 2000.
  10. ^Kuusamo, Altti: "Keveyden metaforat raskaassa kivessä", in:Harry Kivijärvi(2008), pp. 19-23.
  11. ^Valjakka, Timo:Harry Kivijärvi,Helsingin Sanomat15 April 2010. Accessed on 1 May 2018.
  12. ^Lahti - patsaiden kaupunki,Etelä-Suomen Sanomat20 May 2007 (Internet Archive). Accessed on 1 May 2018.
  13. ^Keravan taiderastit,Keravan taidemuseon ystävät ry 2015. Accessed on 1 May 2018.

60°10′15.262″N24°56′9.035″E/ 60.17090611°N 24.93584306°E/60.17090611; 24.93584306

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