Church bells to ring out across Finland on 13 March to commemorate end of Winter War

On 13 March 2020, exactly 80 years will have passed since the end of the Winter War. On the anniversary of the end of the war, a national memorial service will be held at the Helsinki Cathedral at 10 –10.30. The event is open to the public and will be attended by the state leadership.

Bells will ring out in all of Finland’s Lutheran, Orthodox and Catholic churches at 10.55–11.00 on the commemoration day. The ringing of the bells will commemorate the exact moment when the war ended. The peace treaty between Finland and the Soviet Union entered into force on 13 March 1940 at 11.00. On the steps of Helsinki Cathedral 105 candles will be lit – one for each day of the Winter War, which began on 30 November 1939.

Members of the public can arrive at the Cathedral at 9.00–9.30

The memorial service at the Helsinki Cathedral is open to the public. It will begin at 10.00. Members of the public are requested to arrive at the Cathedral at 9.00–9.30. You may enter the church through the doors at Senate Square or on the same side as the Bank of Finland. Visitors are requested to leave heavy items at home and be prepared for a security check.

Taking photos and videos of the event is prohibited. The memorial service will be broadcast live by the Finnish Broadcasting Company YLE. You can also watch a live stream of the event on the Government YouTube channel, and it can be viewed as a recording later. The Government Communications Department will take photographs at the event. You can view and download the photos after the event on the Government Flickr account.

In Senate Square, in front of the Cathedral, coffee will be served between 9.00 and 12.00, and there will also be music, short speeches and discussions.

The commemoration event has been organised by the Prime Minister's Office in conjunction with war veteran organisations.

Inquiries: Tiina-Kaisa Laakso-Liukkonen, Production Manager, tel. +358 29 516 0220, tiina-kaisa.laakso-liukkonen(at)vnk.fi; Päivi Paasikoski, Deputy Director of Government Communications, tel. +358 40 547 6279, paivi.paasikoski(at)vnk.fi; Prime Minister's Office