Please enable JS and disable any ad blocker The Finnish Ministry of Defense has decided to establish a NATO command post for land forces in the city of Mikkeli, located 140 km from the Russian border, according to the official website of the ministry. The country’s Minister of Defense, Antti Häkkänen, noted that the Finnish land forces command is already based in Mikkeli, and by combining it with the North Atlantic Alliance base, Finland will achieve "the best possible synergy between the coordination of our national defense and NATO's defense capabilities." Under normal conditions, the base will be responsible for NATO exercises and "other peaceful actions in the area," the Finnish Ministry of Defense specified. In case of a crisis, leaders of the North Atlantic Alliance's land forces will be based at the command center. The command will consist of personnel from both allied and Finnish defense forces. Preparation for the establishment of the NATO headquarters in Mikkeli became known in the spring. The Finnish authorities made this decision "to strengthen preventive deterrence" in light of the ongoing war in Ukraine and Russia's attempts to provoke a migration crisis at the border. The Finnish defense minister stated that he is negotiating with several NATO countries about deploying alliance troops in Mikkeli. According to him, the goal is for these forces to be able to arrive in the republic during "crisis situations," including the "tense atmosphere at the border." According to Yle, in addition to the base in Mikkeli, Finland may open a new NATO headquarters in Rovaniemi or Sodankylä. In April 2023, Finland officially became the 31st member of NATO. Following the republic's accession to the military alliance, the Russian Foreign Ministry warned of increased threats of confrontation with NATO. Russian President Vladimir Putin suggested that Helsinki could face problems as a result of joining the North Atlantic Alliance. © 2024, odessa-journal.com | Created by WIBE city mayor saysSome 40-50 officers are expected to be located at the newly-established Nato base Open image viewerThe Nato HQ will be located in Karkialampi 15:25Nato officers assigned to the Multi Corps Land Component Command (MCLCC) will begin arriving in Mikkeli later this year Mikkeli was named last year as the location for Finland's first-ever Nato headquarters The eastern city also hosts the Finnish Army Command Kinnunen told Yle that between 10 and 15 officers will begin arriving in the city as early as autumn this year although the number of arrivals is expected to climb much higher The city hopes that they will also bring their families with them," Kinnunen said He added that authorities in Mikkeli have begun investigating the feasibility of establishing an international school path for the children of Nato officers their families and other foreign specialists will choose to settle down in the region the city does not currently have plans to create any other new services specifically for the Nato officers and their families an information package on existing services will be compiled during the spring Users with an Yle ID can leave comments on our news stories. You can create your Yle ID via this link. Our guidelines on commenting and moderation are explained here Finland's defence administration proposes Mikkeli the town where the Finnish Army Command is based as the location for NATO's Multi Corps Land Component Command (MCLCC) Minister of Defence Antti Häkkänen stated the matter on Friday morning Finland is closely involved in the detailed military planning process which NATO has launched for establishing the MCLCC Ministry of DefenceEteläinen Makasiinikatu 8PO Box 31FIN-00131 Helsinki registry.plm@gov.fi The registration office This site uses cookies. Some cookies are necessary and some are used for analytics purposes. Read more on Cookie Policy -page. The Finnish authorities have decided to deploy a 4,000-5,000-strong NATO armored brigade near the border with Russia to deter external threats The defense forces and the government have concluded that Finland needs the presence of soldiers from NATO countries on its territory to strengthen preventive deterrence The new brigade is already being formed and will be deployed in Mikkeli which is located near the border with Russia which will be subordinated to the Alliance's headquarters in Norfolk Preparations for the establishment of the headquarters have been underway since last spring Deputy Commander of NATO's Norfolk Joint Operations Headquarters Henry said that NATO wanted to send a direct message to the Russians and do it publicly He emphasized that the Alliance was very clear in its position stating that Russia was a threat to the Euro-Atlantic area The decision has already been made and it is expected that NATO representatives and the Finnish authorities will announce the deployment of the new unit in the coming weeks Yesterday, Finnish Defense Minister Antti Häkkänen said that the country was in talks with several NATO countries about deploying their soldiers in Finland Such a possibility exists even in the absence of a real military threat In early August, the chairman of the Swedish parliament's defense committee, Peter Hultqvist, said that Sweden intends to deploy its soldiers in the Finnish province of Lapland, which borders Russia. According to him, such a move would send a strong signal to the Kremlin. which Defence Minister Antti Häkkänen (NCP) says offers the best possible synergy in coordinating between Finland and Nato Open image viewerDefence Minister Antti Häkkänen (NCP) spoke alongside Finnish Army Commander Lieutenant General Pasi Välimäki Image: Emmi Korhonen / LehtikuvaYle News27.9.2024 14:33A Nato Multi Corps Land Component Command (MCLCC) will be established in Mikkeli Finland's Minister of Defence Antti Häkkänen (NCP) announced at a press conference today The new headquarters will be under the authority of Nato's Joint Force Command (JFC) in Norfolk "Establishing the new MCLCC in Finland is an important step towards making the Nato deterrence and defence posture even stronger," Häkkänen said in a press release adding that the location also hosts the Finnish Army Command providing synergy for Finnish and Nato personnel in defence planning we get the best possible synergy between coordinating our national defence and coordinating the Nato defence capabilities." Finland will have a leading role in the new headquarters with the Commander of the Finnish Army serving as the commander of the new headquarters Other countries involved in the new headquarters will be announced later Last week, Yle sources revealed that Mikkeli was expected to be announced while either Rovaniemi or Sodankylä in Finnish Lapland would host a multinational forward land force (FLF). Earlier this month, Sweden and Finland jointly announced that Stockholm would lead a Nato FLF in Finland Häkkänen said on Friday that the location of FLF troops to be stationed in Lapland will be announced later The Finnish Army Command will continue to be responsible for Finland's own national defence as it has before How the MCLCC would operate during crises was not specified by Finnish Army Commander Lieutenant General Pasi Välimäki "It's very important that we plan both our training activities and emergency plans under one roof during peacetime," Välimäki said The creation of the new Nato command in Finland is part of a broader effort to strengthen Nato’s deterrence and defence posture across Europe Häkkänen underlined that Finland’s extensive knowledge of northern conditions made it a natural choice for hosting the command "Nato recognises Finland's expertise and trusts our ability to contribute to the defence of the northern region," he said The move followed political backing from Nato defence ministers in June and endorsement at the Nato summit in July with specific plans to be finalised in 2025 once military preparations progress further The command will initially consist of a few dozen personnel with staff from several Nato member countries Defence Minister Häkkänen said during a press briefing on Friday The Finnish government's budget for next year includes sufficient funding for establishing the Nato headquarters Similar annual amounts will be required going forward Part of the costs will be reimbursed through Nato's common budget Preparations for the construction and organisation of the command are now underway with the details of the plan shifting to military authorities Final decisions on the command will be made at a Nato defence ministers' meeting in 2025 Mandaworks and Hosper Sweden were just awarded this past week with the third prize in the open international architectural competition in Mikkeli Mandaworks and Hosper Sweden were one of five teams selected to continue work in the second stage Mikkeli is a medium-sized municipality with 80,000 inhabitants most of whom live in the urban area Mikkeli Their challenge was to find a model for how Mikkeli can densify around and best utilize the lakefront in an ecologically sensitive & holistically sustainable way More images and architects' description after the break Courtesy of Mandaworks + Hosper SwedenFrom the jury: "The proposal which is rich in ideas and has involved extensive research whose ecological approach is one of the most praiseworthy in the competition Besides broader green issues at area level the work has also put particular effort into in-depth planning at detail level Illustrative images and cross-sections packed with action and events captivatingly display the author’s strong sympathetic approach to the landscape and the local environment.” Architects: Mandaworks + Hosper Sweden Location: Mikkeli FinlandCompetition Organizers: Mikkeli Municipality You'll now receive updates based on what you follow Personalize your stream and start following your favorite authors If you have done all of this and still can't find the email Jukurit Mikkeli were founded in 1970 in the Finnish town of Mikkeli The club spent the first 30 years of their existence mostly in Finland's lower leagues the club won seven second tier championships three of which were in their first three years for the 2016/17 season and have played there ever since.  A great 2021/22 season regular season showing earned them a qualification place for the upcoming season of the Champions Hockey League The club will make their CHL debut in 2022/23.  A NATO ground forces headquarters will appear in Northern Europe It is planned to be located in Finland near the border with Russia according to the Finnish Defense Minister Antti Häkkänen The decision to establish the new NATO ground forces headquarters is expected to be made by the defense ministers of the Alliance countries next year According to the Finnish Minister of Defense the headquarters is proposed to be located in the Finnish city of Mikkeli which is about 100 kilometers from the border with Russia He noted that the commander of the Finnish Defense Forces' ground forces will become the commander of the new headquarters Häkkänen believes that the new NATO ground forces headquarters should be established in Mikkeli as the headquarters of the Finnish Defense Forces' ground forces is already located there This will also facilitate effective planning for ground forces operations in the northern regions of the Alliance "Finland's national defense and NATO's defense must be able to cooperate seamlessly in normal and emergency situations," he added The personnel of the NATO ground forces headquarters during peacetime will consist of several dozen people "The message from Finland to Russia is that we are a full member of NATO and NATO plays an extremely important role in Finland's defense.. If there is any attempt to invade our territory we will have the full might of the Alliance at our disposal," the Minister noted In August, Finnish media reported that Finland wants to host a NATO armored brigade near the border with Russia, consisting of 4,000 to 5,000 personnel. According to rumors, the new brigade is already being formed. It is planned to be stationed in the city of Mikkeli, located near the border with Russia. which Yle understands was a decisive factor in the decision Open image viewerThe map shows the possible locations of Finland's future Nato headquarters Open Street MapYle News18.9.2024 17:37A long-awaited decision on the location of Nato headquarters in Finland is imminent Mikkeli is expected to be announced as the HQ for the Northern European land command unit while the multinational forward land force (FLF) will be based in either Rovaniemi or Sodankylä in Finnish Lapland Finnish Defence Minister Antti Häkkänen (NCP) said earlier this week that the decision has not been confirmed as yet but will be announced soon The Army Command (ARCOM) of the Finnish Defence Forces is already located in Mikkeli the Mikkeli HQ will consist of a few dozen officers from other Nato member states alongside Finnish personnel and would operate under the command of the Joint Force Command Norfolk (JFC-NF) — part of the Nato military command structure The FLF base — set to be located in Finnish Lapland — would accommodate Nato troops coming to Finland from other member states Sweden said it is prepared to take leadership responsibility for future Nato peacetime ground forces in Finland, a statement welcomed by both Häkkänen and Prime Minister Petteri Orpo (NCP) The Finnish government has decided to deploy a NATO armored brigade, comprising 4,000-5,000 troops, near its border with Russia to enhance deterrence against external threats. This move was reported by the Finnish publication Iltalehti, citing sources within the Alliance and security services, and relayed by DW "The Finnish Defence Forces and state leadership have concluded that the presence of NATO troops on Finnish territory is necessary for enhanced deterrence," the publication noted The new brigade is currently being formed and will be stationed in Mikkeli A NATO command post will be established to oversee the brigade which will report to NATO’s headquarters in Norfolk The preparations for this command post have been ongoing since last spring Deputy Commander of NATO’s Norfolk Joint Operations Headquarters “We want to send a clear message to the Russians and make it public The Alliance is very clear in its position: Russia poses a threat to the Euro-Atlantic region,” Henry emphasized during his visit which will be equipped with armored vehicles will also include Swedish and Norwegian troops and it is expected that NATO and Finnish authorities will announce the deployment of this new unit in the coming weeks NATO intends to establish a headquarters for ground forces in Finland which will strengthen the command operations of Allied forces announced Norwegian Defense Minister Bjørn Arild Gram as reported by Iltalehti.According to his statement the establishment of a new NATO ground forces command center will allow "to benefit from the membership of all Scandinavian countries" in the Alliance "I assume that we will act under common leadership and will be part of a unified regional defense plan the Scandinavian countries will have joint deterrence and defense," Gram emphasized the headquarters will be located in the city of Mikkeli in southern Finland which is approximately 100 km from the Russian border It is noted that the new command center will be subordinate to the command of the joint forces in Norfolk It is known that Mikkeli will host no fewer than 375 officers from NATO member countries Honor guard at the Headquarters Statue in Mikkeli on Independence Day By subscribing, you agree to our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy The latest home to catch our interest is the “Wave House.” Manufactured by Polar Life Haus, the Finnish home was designed by Seppo Mäntylä. The architect took on the traditional log home that’s native to the country reworking it with a design inspired by boats and airplanes Best Interior and Best Garden and the annual Finnish Housing Fair in Mikkeli Polar Life Haus are a family company with over 100 years history delivering half of the homes it makes around the world — specifically to Germany You can take a look through the gallery above to see what it created with Mäntylä Vicar Mari Parkkinen was elected the next bishop of the Diocese of Mikkeli in the second round of the episcopal elections held on 16 June 2023.The votes were divided as follows: Mari Parkkinen received 524 votes (52.8%) and acting vicar Pekka Särkiö 468 votes (47.2%) A total of about 1,100 people were eligible to vote in the episcopal elections half of whom were pastors and half lay voters. The voter turnout was 89.57%.Born in 1971 she served as a parish pastor in the Mikkeli Cathedral Parish and in other roles until 2021 when she became vicar of the Imatra Parish. The newly elected bishop will take office on 1 September 2023 and be consecrated by Archbishop Tapio Luoma in the Mikkeli Cathedral on 3 September Parkkinen will be the eleventh bishop of the Diocese of Mikkeli Home page » Festivals » Classical Music » Mikkeli Music Festival Originally a chamber music event on its inception in 1992 this festival has grown into an important highlight of the Finnish cultural summer for friends of a full classical symphony orchestra Besides professional orchestras from Finland our regular guests include the Philharmonia Orchestra from London conducted by Santtu-Matias Rouvali and the Finnish national youth symphony orchestra Vivo Finland Festivals brings together the finest festival experiences in Finland Finland Festivals is a non-profit organisation that serves the culture and tourism sector focusing on representing the collective interests of festivals In association with: Open image viewerFile photo of a vegetarian tortilla Picture is not related to the school food poisoning incident in Mikkeli Image: Yle / Mikko KoskiYle News5.9.2023 13:32An investigation into a suspected school food poisoning incident last month that sickened more than 800 pupils and at least a dozen staff members in Mikkeli is continuing according to a press release issued on Tuesday by the Eastern Finland town Regional environmental authorities are continuing to look into the matter in cooperation with the Institute for Health and Welfare (THL) and the Finnish Food Authority, the statement said. The incident occurred on 16 August According to findings of a survey of students and staff a possible culprit could be the vegetarian tortillas that were served for lunch at 18 schools More than 4,000 people responded to the survey and those who said they had eaten the tortillas were three times more likely to suffer symptoms than those who hadn't The most commonly reported symptoms included abdominal pain Respondents often said that their symptoms started quickly and were short-lived with an average duration of less than 12 hours Most of those affected said their symptoms started less than an hour after eating Laboratory tests revealed that the tortillas had a vinegar smell to them and survey respondents said the tortillas tasted like soap the Food Authority has not yet found reasons for the illnesses nor the unusual taste and smell of the tortillas Would you like a roundup of the week's top stories in your inbox every Thursday? Then sign up to receive our weekly email. Open image viewerFile photo of Eastern Savo District Court. Image: Inka Hannonen / YleYle News3.11.2017 18:50A 20-year-old foreign man was ordered to be held on remand by Eastern Savo District Court on Friday, in connection to the killing of another foreign student in the town of Mikkeli on Wednesday. The suspect is being held in remand on grounds of suspected murder and the suspect has admitted to having committed a life-threatening crime during interrogation, according to police. Both the suspect and the deceased attended the South-Eastern Finland University of Applied Sciences (Xamk) at its campus in Mikkeli, the institution confirmed on Thursday. Xamk issued a statement that the victim was Vietnamese, but the school's director Heikki Saastamoinen said he did not know the nationality of the suspect. Police said that the victim and suspect did not know each other for long and apparently were not having a dispute before the fatal incident took place on Wednesday. However, police said the cause of the death was not related to their nationalities or similar aspects. The course of Wednesday evening's events, according to police, began in an apartment on Raviradantie road and ended in the flat block's outer corridor, where the victim was discovered. Open image viewerThe South Savo District Court building Image: Inka Hannonen / YleYle News15.5.2019 13:15The defendant in the case was convicted and sentenced in the South Savo District Court on Tuesday on charges of the aggravated sexual abuse of a minor over an eight-year period the child victim was between the ages of 5-13 the abuse involved touching the child's intimate areas and acts classed under law as sexual intercourse the defendant was ordered to pay the victim damages totaling 14,000 euros The court ordered that the transcripts of the trial proceedings remain sealed until 2079 Aggravated RapeTougher punishments for sexual abuse to take effect next weekPublished 20192019Sources: Yle Jukurit won the Suomi-sarja championship in the first season and were immediately promoted to Mestis, Finland's second tier. Their triumph continued as Jukurit took three championships in Mestis in their first three seasons in the league. All in all, Jukurit won the Mestis championship seven times between 2001 and 2016 – proving the organisation understands what it takes to win games year in, year out. Jukurit eventually made it to Liiga after the Espoo Blues went bankrupt during the 2015/16 season.  As mentioned in the beginning, Finnish ice hockey legend Olli Jokinen was brought in as Head Coach. Armed with only some junior hockey coaching experience in North America, Jokinen’s hire was openly mocked by the Finnish media as well as hockey enthusiasts. Jokinen, for his part, presented a calm and determined attitude towards his critics from the beginning. For, in reality, the former NHLer had a plan on how to manage the players in the team. He treated his team with respect and behaved in a kind of brotherly manner. He was invested in his players on both a professional and personal level and openly shared his personality, his strengths and his weaknesses – this was something that hadn’t been seen in Finnish hockey on this scale. This good atmosphere and supportive environment certainly contributed to Jukurit’s success and what they were able to accomplish. Even though Jukurit lost their quarter-finals series against KooKoo, another team that surprised everybody, the Mikkeli-based club were able to carve out a name for themselves amongst an elite group of Liiga organisations. With Jokinen staying on as Head Coach, it could be said that the team have what it takes to go on another medal hunt next season. This time, though, it won’t come as such a surprise. Jukurit haven't been seen on the international stage yet, so those who go against them during their CHL debut should be prepared. After all, if anyone knows what it’s like to be a part of the upper echelons of hockey, it’s their Head Coach. It had been scheduled for shutdown at the end of June but then the closure had been postponed until the end of the year Open image viewerThe former retirement home now houses more than 200 asylum seekers Image: Pekka Havukainen/YleYle News26.9.2017 17:21•Updated 26.9.2017 17:22A reception centre for asylum seekers in Mikkeli that was slated to be closed down has been given a new lease on life The Suonsaari reception centre will now remain open indefinitely The South-East Finland District of the Finnish Red Cross The Finnish Migration Service (Migri) informed the Red Cross of its decision a day earlier now at full capacity with more than 200 people Some have been transferred there from facilities that have been closed elsewhere It is now the only reception centre in the South Savo region The number of asylum reception centres in Finland has dropped by more than half since mid-2016 unless there is a significant change in the number of asylum seekers The device was found to be free of explosives but comes just one week after a WW2 grenade was discovered at a local swimming spot Open image viewerImage: Petri Vironen / Yle6.7.2016 10:30•Updated 6.7.2016 13:05Explosives experts  were called to a construction site in Mikkeli on Tuesday following the apparent discovery of an unexploded wartime bomb Workers carrying out excavation work on Highway 5 struck a metal device with a digger on Tuesday at midday Experts confirmed that it was a flying bomb from World War 2 Police sealed off the area and called in an army bomb-disposal team to try and make the bomb safe On closer inspection experts discovered the find was just a shell Discoveries of wartime munitions are fairly common in Mikkeli which served as a headquarters during the war and was subjected to heavy bombing Just one week ago a diver came across a wartime hand grenade submerged in shallow water near to a local swimming area [Submissions should be received by 1 October] The Finnish city of Mikkeli has opened a two-stage international ideas competition for its Satamalahti area Entries should increase the city’s density and extend its centre to the shore of nearby Lake Saimaa Jointly organised by the Finnish Association of Architects the competition will receive submissions in both English and Finnish Teams selected for the second stage will complete models of their proposals at the city’s expense The winner will take a share of a £177,327 prize fund A detailed brief is available to download in English Liverpool One Masterplan by BDP Liverpool, 2008   Questions to be submitted by 3 AugustCompetition stage one ends 1 OctoberThe contest’s second stage ends 31 January 2013 Hutchison Ports is recruiting a design team for its new £9 million… An open international contest is being held for a major €27.5 million… An international design and build contest is being held for 25 new… The UK Research and Innovation Science and Technology Facilities Council (UKRI-STFC) has… two of which will make their way to the Mikkeli city centre for display Open image viewerHKL chief Lehmuskoski giving a 95-year-old tram to Mikko Mykkänen and Taina Riikonen.Yle News4.12.2018 12:00•Updated 4.12.2018 12:02Helsinki City Transport (HKL) handed over five antique trams to new owners on Monday after a competition to see where the decommissioned vehicles would be best suited The HKL competition prompted 94 applications from across the country to receive the trams free of charge Three of the trams will remain in Helsinki while two will be transported to the city of Mikkeli in Eastern Finland The recipients must pay for the relocation themselves HKL intends for the rest of the streetcars to help promote innovative urban culture through respect for the old machines Open image viewerThis tram will grace the yard of the Kustaankartano service home in Helsinki.HKL CEO Ville Lehmuskoski handed over the trams to the recipients in a small ceremony on Monday. The new owners are tram appreciation society Stadin RatikatOpens an external website which organises museum tram rides in Helsinki; the Kustaankartano care home for the elderly; academic collective Allegra Lab and the Helsinki Distilling Company jointly; and finally the city of Mikkeli "We liked Mikkeli's suggestion the most," said Lehmuskoski will be placed on display in the Mikkelipuisto park A small segment of tram tracks is included City technical director Jouni Riihelä says he is overjoyed that Mikkeli will now become a "tram city" "We'll be using these venerable trams for positive marketing for our city "We already have a grid system and lots of urban culture – all we needed for a trifecta were these tram cars." Wooden tram car number 91 from 1923 will find its way to the Teurastamo cultural centreOpens an external website It will be used for experimental art and science exhibitions and performances as well as a potential nighttime karaoke experience Car number 320 went to the Kustaankartano care home where the elderly inhabitants can soon take a walk down memory lane thanks to the new piece of history "Two of our customers used to work as tram conductors back in the day," said service centre chief Tarja Sanio "I hope they will be well enough to visit this tram soon." and will be professionally restored so that Stadin Ratikat can use it on museum tours Mannerheim used for years in the 1940s has only been open to the public on one day a year Now guests can dine in the very spot where Mannerheim himself used to – if they've got the money A Mannerheim-themed meal - for up to four guests - costs some 1,000 euros Open image viewerFor one thosuand euros you can have dinner in this venerable old train car Image: Tarja Nyyssönen / Yle17.6.2017 12:35Members of the public will now have increased access to the train car in which Carl Gustav Mannerheim – the larger-than-life war leader and Finnish president – used to dine The saloon car has previously only been accessible one day a year Now the historic compartment in Mikkeli is opening up with guided tours and a restaurant service included in its new lease of life It was on Mannerheim's birthday in 1942 that Nazi leader Adolf Hitler famously visited the Finnish premier in his own train car Image: Tarja Nyyssönen / YleThe car has been kept at the Mikkeli train station since 1992 and each year the historical car receives more than a thousand visitors with requests coming in for visits on days other than the anniversary says Mikkeli museum director Matti Karttunen "Using this historical artefact in this way brings in revenue for the museum's operations and allows our audiences to see more," he says a group of up to four people may order a Mannerheim feast to be eaten in the man's own travelling quarters For actor Timo Närhisalo to join in and play the historical figure "About ten groups will likely come in for the dinner package this year I can't say how many tours we'll be operating," Karttunen says The private restaurant will be operated by the Suur-Savo Cooperative Society Its menu is based on Mannerheim's own appetites specifically on what the commander preferred to eat during the war at Mikkeli's military headquarters and we want to bring this aspect out with class," says tourism chief Kai Nurmi from the cooperative "The menu will include his favourite dishes but no pike – he didn't like pike one bit." Image: Tarja Nyyssönen / YleThe Mikkeli museums will conduct the tours The car will remain a museum piece and its use is strictly monitored This is so that this historic structure remains unharmed," Karttunen says but by the next morning no one had been apprehended Open image viewerMany curious onlookers gathered at Mikkeli's Tupparala primary school on Wednesday night Image: Esa Huuhko / YleYle News20.6.2019 13:30•Updated 22.6.2019 15:11Officials in Mikkeli suspect that Wednesday's devastating fire at the Tuppurala primary school was a case of arson and rescue services received a call about it at 7:23 pm Fifteen rescue services units and several volunteer fire fighter units came to the scene The eastern Finland police department's chief investigator said the fire was likely arson but no one has been apprehended yet "Police suspect the fire was deliberately set When such a valuable piece of property is destroyed it is investigated as aggravated vandalism," Häkkinen said adding that the investigation has already begun Open image viewerImage: Esa Huuhko / YleNo one was reported injured in the incident as school is out of session for the summer but many locals gathered to witness the fiery spectacle At one point rescue officials were needed to prevent members of the public from getting too close to the burning building The task of extinguishing the blaze was particularly arduous for some fire fighters as they had been battling a forest fire in the municipality of Pieksämäki The local fire department's Ville Tuovinen said Wednesday evening that the school gym was destroyed in the blaze but that the classrooms had been saved Yle journalist Susanna Pekkarinen was at the scene and reported that flames reached several metres in the air and that the roof collapsed at around 9 pm The primary school serves about 180 pupils and is located nearby Saimaa Lake about two kilometres east of the centre of Mikkeli up to €100 in OuluConsumers are increasingly opting for smaller Open image viewerImage: Henrietta Hassinen / YleYle News19.12.2019 19:30With Christmas in Finland less than a week away Yle found that a Christmas tree could set consumers back a hefty 100 euros or as little as 10 euros Many homemakers are on the prowl for a lush Christmas tree that can weather seasonal festivities so Yle went out to visit tree merchants at market squares and garden stores and to compare prices around the country The resulting price comparison is based on an indoor tree of about two metres the cheapest trees were on sale in Mikkeli in southeast Finland By contrast the most expensive trees in the unofficial study could be found in Oulu Pori’s Liisantori hosts a traditional Christmas tree market every year Tapani Kopio from Kauvatsa in Kokemäki said he has been selling the seasonal centrepiece for 40 years He said that consumers increasingly appear to be looking for more compact firs Larger trees could also fit in homes in the past," he observed The trees are left to grow until they are harvested during a growing phase "A tree that is about two metres tall would have been growing for about 10 years before it is harvested for sale Larger trees about three metres tall can be up to 20 years old," he noted Open image viewerChristmas trees bundled up and ready for sale Image: Olli Koski/YleLeo Suutari was one of the shoppers on the hunt for a Christmas tree in Kuopio on Tuesday He said that there are specific criteria for a good living room centrepiece I have never bought an imported tree," he declared He added that Christmas trees have been part of the Suture family celebrations for more than 60 years – there would be no Christmas without it "The smell of a fir is what makes Christmas." You can add items to the reading list by pressing in content lists or on the content page This list shows the content that you have not finished reading The list shows the last five content you have started reading Using the reading list requires you to accept cookies in the Preferences category The reading list stores the content you have manually added to the list as well as content that you have started reading but have not finished a manufacturer of solar thermal solutions based in Mikkeli whose innovative technology is already making waves across the world The goal is to promote the production of cost-effective renewable energy integrated into buildings and district heating systems The systems are equally applicable to the domestic Finnish and export markets the amount of local energy produced near the end consumers will also be increased Sitra has invested in Savo-Solar Oy Sitra is backing the introduction of renewable sources of energy to Finland The opportunity to involve solar heat as part of district heat production is especially interesting Solar energy also supports emission-free and inexpensive decentralised energy production.   The business of Savosolar essentially supports Sitra’s goals by promoting all three aspects of sustainable development:   Economical: Savosolar introduces a more cost-effective method of solar thermal production to the market The company’s collector is technically advanced and has a competitive price.   people can themselves produce renewable heating energy in their homes.   Ecological: Solar energy is a renewable source of energy and its production has a very small impact on the environment “The growth of Savosolar supports the goals of Sitra’s Energy Programme in terms of increasing the use of renewable energy integrated in communities and buildings in Finland award-winning technology has good potential to find success in the rapidly growing international market,” says Jukka Noponen Director at Sitra.  “Solar-based district heating could also boost Finnish district heating know-how and its export.”   Savosolar has already received recognition in the international market. In June 2011, the company’s products received the Intersolar Award the most distinguished award in the market This recognition from Central Europe indicated the enthusiasm for something genuinely new being introduced into the solar power field after such a long time Savosolar’s achievement has been to introduce the world’s most effective full-aluminium absorber and flat plate collector to the market.   The Finnish innovation is based on an experienced international team and top-class technology. In addition to the key people, the company’s shareholders include Cleantech Invest Oy (CTI), a venture capital investment company that focuses on cleantech companies, and the Clean Future Fund I (CFF 1) managed by Cleantech Invest Oy Although it is hoped that the market will warm up more to the sun in Finland too the main market of Savosolar’s products is global.   “We are extremely pleased that Sitra has come onboard Sitra’s competence and its extensive networks in the venture capital investment field will be valuable to us in the growth path we seek,” says Jari Varjotie Savo-Solar Oy is based in Mikkeli Finland; it develops and manufactures innovative effective solar energy collectors and absorbers for OEM partners throughout the world Central Europe has been Savosolar’s main market area at the initial stage The mission of Savosolar is to help resolve the climate change challenge by using solar energy and to improve living conditions by creating a clean and secure environment Savosolar is growing rapidly and its goal is to become the leading solar thermal technology company in a few years through its award-winning flat plate collector and its new products currently under development Cleantech Invest Oy has acted as an advisor to financial institutions and companies investing in cleantech and has provided support for the development and commercialisation of companies in the sector since 2005 Cleantech Invest started as an enterprise accelerator of Finnish cleantech companies and as an early-stage venture capital investor as part of the VIGO programme Cleantech Invest has a unique position in being able to accelerate the development of early-stage Finnish cleantech companies by combining private investment from the CFF 1 Fund with public innovation funding Sitra’s Energy Programme contributes to improving the energy efficiency of the built environment and the energy awareness of Finns in addition to creating new business opportunities from the transition that the energy sector is undergoing The programme will seek innovative operating models and technologies to attain improved energy efficiency and invest in companies in the sector to accelerate their growth and internationalisation Human activity contributes to climate change Curbing global warming requires a drastic reduction in emissions – right now How to get to Sitra?