Koivisto’s memorial to be placed in Pikkuparlamentin park

The City of Helsinki will carry out foundation, lighting and park modifications in Pikkuparlamentin puisto park in order to install and place a memorial for late President Mauno Koivisto in the park.

The work will begin this month and be completed in November, said the City of Helsinki in a press release on Friday.

Pikkuparlamentin puisto park is located in the Helsinki city centre, on the south side of the Parliament House and on the east side of the Finnish Parliament Annex, which is called the “Little Parliament” building.

The memorial will be placed in a circular, paved square on the central walkway of the park. The sculpture Menneet Ritarit/Gone Heroes near the memorial will be relocated to the northeast corner of the park, closer to the Parliament House.

The Mauno Koivisto memorial will be illuminated with four pillar lights and fourteen ground luminaires to be recessed in the paved square. The existing park luminaires will be replaced with LED luminaires.

The park’s existing rock dust walkways will not be changed, with the exception of minor alterations to the park’s side walkway.

The park’s vegetation will remain almost unchanged. One cherry tree will be moved to the other side of the central walkway of the park, and some shrubs and perennial plantings on the edge of the park will be replaced.

Sculptor Kirsi Kaulanen’s entry Välittäjä/The Mediator won the open memorial design competition organised by the Prime Minister’s Office in 2021.

A total of 111 proposals were received for the design competition for the memorial to Koivisto.

Six metre tall and fifteen metre long, two-piece stainless steel work will be located on either side of the central walkway of the park, allowing park-goers to pass through it.

The memorial is to be unveiled on 25 November on birth centenary of Koivisto.

The Prime Minister’s Office is donating President Koivisto’s memorial to the City of Helsinki.

The monuments of the Presidents of the Republic of Finland are located in the capital. They have all been donated to the city, which is responsible for their maintenance.