Koivisto’s cenotaph unveiled at Hietaniemi Cemetery

The cenotaph for former president Mauno Koivisto at the Hietaniemi Cemetery in Helsinki was unveiled on Sunday amid paying tributes to the late President.

Number of top ranking politicians and family members of Koivisto, led by President Sauli Niinistö were present on the occasion to unveil the cenotaph.

About 70 invited guests including Tellervo Koivisto, widow of Koivisto, their daughter Assi Koivisto-Allonen and her husband Heikki Allonen were present to reveal the cenotaph dedicated to the memory of the late president, reported National broadcaster Yle.

President Sauli Niinistö and the First Lady Jenni Haukio, former Presidents Tarja Halonen and Martti Ahtisaari and their spouses and a number of politicians including Speaker of the parliament Paula Risikko, deputy speaker Mauri Pekkarinen and second deputy speaker Tuula Haatainen took part at the programme.

The unveiling ceremony was begun with Jean Sibelius’ Isänmaalle (To the Fatherland) conducted by Music Major Pasi-Heikki Mikkola.

Speaking at the unveiling, Niinistö said that Koivisto had left an indelible mark on the country’s history, said the Yle report.

"The key routes on President Koivisto’s map – unity, trust, a sense of justice, democracy and our parliamentary system are the directions in which we should continue to travel in the future," said the Yle report quoting the President as saying.

The cenotaph was designed by Perttu Saksa, an artist cum photographer. The cenotaph was unveiled on the late president’s anniversary of birth.

Mauno Henrik Koivisto was the president of the Republic of Finland for 12 years, from 1982 to 1994. He was Finland’s ninth president. Koivisto’s state funeral was held on 25 May 2017.

At the start of January 2018, the Prime Minister’s Office announced a competition for the design of the cenotaph for the late president. A total of 138 proposed designs were received by the closing date. The winner of the competition was announced in April 2018.

The jury described the winning entry ‘Kartta’ by Perttu Saksa, as follows: “This entry consists of pieces held together by gilding. It is a magnificent ensemble. While the proposal can be seen to meld with ceramics, emphasising humility and dignity or fragmented world politics, the design is first and foremost an independent, multi-vocal tribute to unity. Erosion has ground down the stone into separate pieces, while the reconstructed arrangement is not only more humane but also much more than the original perfection. The size and dimensions of the proposal are positioned with style on the grave site, and its dual and natural shape, with plasticity, circumvents excessive simplicity.”