War memorial. by robz

War memorial.

This was situated in a very ordinary, everyday square in Helsinki. It is an extraordinary memorial to the thousands and thousands of Finnish men and women who died in the second world war. All of the Baltic States - Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, and Finland were subjected to the most horrific occupations and forced resettlements, forced conscriptions into the invading armies - brothers ended up fighting each other in opposing armies- , purging of their civilian populations and bombardment by invading forces. This memorial has viewing portholes which allow you to view photos of Finnish soldiers fighting against invading forces in the snow and sleet. The soldier featured on the viewing sphere has been penetrated by large bullet holes from all directions. It is a powerful image - stark against the classical buildings lining the square.
My city of birth yes you are in Finland 🇫🇮 say hello to the country 😂😜
September 14th, 2018  
Yes, as you say, a very powerful image. Finland and the Baltic countries have seen more than their fair share of war troubles. The Finns were fighting the Russians before the German occupation. Amazing history.
September 14th, 2018  
I like the sculpture,shame about the history with the Wars.
September 14th, 2018  
Wonderful tribute
September 14th, 2018  
Really interesting
September 14th, 2018  
Amazing sculpture, thank you for the background information Rob. It was an awful time.
September 14th, 2018  
Very powerful image. Great to have all the history and information, too.
The muted background tones make the sculpture stand out really well
September 15th, 2018  
@ulla Hi Ulrika - yes, we have been in Finland!! We loved it. What a wonderful country of birth for you! :)
September 15th, 2018  
@golftragic Hi Marnie - yes - we have learnt so much history on our travels through these countries. It is incredible what they have gone through - recently and over many centuries. And it is so heart warming to be seeing them grasp their new futures as independent countries. It had also made us realise how very lucky we have been to live where we do. :)
September 15th, 2018  
@skippysue Hi Susan - there are so many very poignant aspects to these countries - it gives a definite perspective to what you try to catch in your photos. Thank you for your comment.
September 15th, 2018  
@suzanne234 Thanks Suzanne - I'm sorry to have not been very active on 365. I'm going right now to see if I've missed one of your selfies!!
September 15th, 2018  
@sarahlth Thanks Sarah - it's nice to hear from you. I'm sorry I haven't been very active on 365. I am trying to keep up with the 52 week project though - I'm just going to go now and have a look at your post for the "eye line' week - this one was a bit tricky! :)
September 15th, 2018  
@rosie00 Hi Lesley - thanks for your interest. We have learnt so much history since we started travelling through these countries. It is so heart rending!
September 15th, 2018  
@4rky Thanks for your comment 4rky. The monument was so stark in its surrounds - it seemed to be diminished when all of the background was in its normal state - so I'm really pleased to hear you say that you thought the muted tones worked well. Thanks again Cheers Rob
September 15th, 2018  
@robz That's the thought I come home to every time we go overseas, no matter how interesting the places we've visited are. Australia is really the Lucky Country.
September 16th, 2018  
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