The Sibelius Monument and FinnAir: Not All Finns Were and Are Happy

Jean Sibelius. Photo by Daniel Nyblin (c.1898-1900)

The Finnish composer Jean Sibelius is a national hero in Finland. Born in 1865, he is widely regarded as a towering figure in classical music. His powerful works, many inspired by nature, continue to captivate modern-day audiences.

Johan Julius Christian Sibelius was born in Hämeenlinna, the oldest city in inland Finland. As a boy, he was known as Janne, a colloquial version of Johan. During his student years, inspired by the business card of his deceased seafaring uncle, the composer adopted his musical name ‘Jean’. So, Sibelius came to be known by a French first name and a very Finnish surname.

Even back then, it appears the Finnish government was supportive of the arts. It was, and still is, often difficult for artists, writers and composers to make a good living, especially early on in their careers. In Sibelius’ case the Finnish government stepped in to help allay his money worries – they gave the composer an annual salary from 1898.

Sibelius was patriotic. He celebrated Finnish culture and was strongly against Russian rule in Finland. He supported Karelianism, a cultural movement celebrating the Karelia region in East Finland. While the core of his oeuvre is his set of seven symphonies, amongst his patriotic works are his Karelia Suite (1893), musical settings of folk tales from the Kalevala (the epic poem I alluded to in an earlier blog post) and later his tone poem Finlandia (1899) – a nationalistic call to Russia to keep its hands off Finland. His music is often credited with having helped Finland develop a stronger national identity when the country was struggling from several attempts at Russification in the late 19th century.

By the age of 71, a full twenty years before his death, it appears that Sibelius had earned enough money to stop composing altogether. In his retirement the composer loved to entertain friends and enjoyed drinking and smoking cigars. Not unlike Winston Churchill, Sibelius is rarely pictured without one. According to my research, his favourite cigars were Finnish, made with Balcan tobacco. His retirement is commonly referred to as the "Silence of Järvenpää" (the location of his home). Although this 'silence' has often perplexed scholars, in reality, Sibelius was clear: he felt he had written enough by then.

Photo of Jean Sibelius in 1923

Obviously, the Finns are very proud of Sibelius and use many opportunities and ways to recognise and commemorate him. Until 2002, when the Euro was adopted, the Finnish 100 Mark bill displayed Sibelius’s image. More recently in 2015, in celebration of the 150th anniversary of his birth, Finnish postage stamps with Sibelius on them came into circulation. In fact, the Finnish hold Sibelius in such high regard that, since 2011, Finland has celebrated a 'Flag Flying Day' on 8th December, the composer’s birthday, also known as the ‘Day of Finnish Music.’

Following his death in 1957, the Sibelius Society in Finland organised a competition to create a monument for him. The publicity surrounding the competition was enormous. A major fundraising campaign was undertaken all over the country to finance the monument. The competition was held in two rounds, after one early winner was abandoned, and Eila Hiltunen's design, Passio Musicae was pronounced the winner of the second round.

However, the Sibelius Monument sparked controversy upon its unveiling in 1967. There was a lively debate about the merits and flaws of abstract art. The monument's abstract form, consisting of 600 hollow steel tubes, was seen as a departure from traditional representational memorial statues. The shape of the monument, resembling organ pipes, was criticised by the public as being unrelated to Sibelius's music, which is not heavily influenced by organ music. Critics questioned whether the abstract design truly honoured the composer. To appease the critics, the sculptor added a bust of Jean Sibelius as a separate element that sits beside the main sculpture.

I personally really like the monument. Its multi-dimensional structure allows you to go underneath and almost inside it and the echoes and sounds created in its pipes are unique. When you are looking at it from a distance it almost appears that the shape of the monument in the park melts into the background forest and the rough rock surface surrounding it.

Kathryn at the Sibelius Monument in Helsinki, April 2025

The row over the sculpture reminds me of our own Irish furore around the Anna Livia monument, that wispy ragged female lying in her bathtub-like container in O'Connell Street in the 1990s. It was rapidly re-named the Floozie in the Jacuzzi by Dubliners. Dublin City Council removed it in 2001 and replaced it with the Spire, or the Nail in the Pale, a monument which tour guides have been known to say is 'a bit pointless.' I wonder what moniker the Dubs would have come up with for the monument in Helsinki that consists of 600 steel tubes. I would love to read some of your suggestions in the Comments section below.

Industrial Action at FinnAir

The Finns may be the happiest in the world, but the survey was obviously not answered by the staff at FinnAir who are currently far from happy. Our daughter and her husband were scheduled to have had a stopover in Helsinki yesterday on their way back to Ireland from their 'Japoneymoon,' but due to industrial action on Friday last and again today, unfortunately they were re-routed through Doha.

At the heart of the dispute, apparently, is a row over Finnair’s decision to outsource baggage handling and in-flight catering services to third-party contractors, a move the Finnish Aviation Union says threatens hundreds of jobs and undermines labour protections. Union representatives argue that the airline is prioritising cost-cutting over quality and safety, while Finnair insists that the outsourcing plan is necessary for the company’s long-term viability.

“We are not striking for higher wages, we are striking to preserve the integrity of our work and to ensure basic protections remain in place,” said Juha Laakkonen, head of the Finnish Aviation Union. “Finnair has not negotiated in good faith.”

Travel experts have warned that the disruption could extend beyond Finnair if Monday’s follow-up strike goes ahead. As I can now attest, Helsinki Airport is a major transit point for flights between Europe and Asia, and continued strikes could place additional pressure on airlines already operating with tight schedules.

“There’s a real risk of a bottleneck developing, especially with summer holiday travel ramping up,” said aviation analyst Richard Cole. “Other airlines may need to adjust schedules or reroute passengers to avoid Helsinki, which could lead to knock-on delays elsewhere.”

With further strike action looming, the dispute could be shaping up to be one of the most disruptive episodes in recent European aviation history — and one that may test the patience of passengers. Let's hope that the two sides get back to the negotiating table quickly and hammer out an agreement that makes everyone happy again —especially those of us who travel relatively frequently in and out of Helsinki Airport.