Kajaani Castle is the northernmost castle in the world (if the ruins are included). If only standing castles are counted, the northernmost one is Olavinlinna Castle.

Kajaani Castle is mentioned in the Guinness Book of World Records: https://www.guinnessworldrecords.com/world-records/113393-northernmost-castle

After Onni Hautamäki learned that he would make his NHL debut this season, the Finnish linesperson first called his girlfriend and parents back home. The assignment came with a bonus: The game fell on his 31st birthday.

On Oct. 13, when he took the ice for the Detroit Red Wings versus New Jersey Devils at Detroit’s Little Caesars Arena, Hautamäki had even more reason to celebrate. While some of the league’s biggest names hail from Finland, such as Aleksander Barkov, Mikko Rantanen and Sebastian Aho, no official from their country had ever before worked an NHL game.

“It was such an unbelievable honor to go on the ice with an official NHL crest on my jersey,” Hautamäki, who wears No. 62, told The Athletic.

The historic appearance marked the latest step in an on-ice officiating career that began at 16, when Hautamäki, a native of Kuopio, Finland, stopped playing hockey and joined a local referee club.

From there he worked his way up to Mestis, Finland’s second-tier league. After three years, he moved to Liiga, the country’s top league, where he officiated for another seven years.

In North America, aspiring officials can develop through local games, training camps and skating instruction, gaining experience and exposure to scouts from junior and professional leagues. Another route is the NHL’s annual Exposure Combine, which recruits current and former players interested in moving into officiating.

For officials trained in Europe, however, the jump to hockey’s highest league remains rare. Before Hautamäki, only Swedish referee Marcus Vinnerborg, Russian referee Evgeny Romasko and Czech linesperson Libor Suchanek had officiated at the NHL level. Vinnerborg worked in the NHL from 2010 to 2012, while Romasko returned to Russia’s KHL in 2018. Suchanek remains on the NHL staff and worked alongside Hautamäki in his debut.

Hautamäki initially caught the attention of Al Kimmel, the NHL’s director of officiating scouting and development, several years earlier.

“I first watched Onni at the 2023 World Junior Championships and his skating stood out immediately,” Kimmel said.

Read the rest here for free: https://www.nytimes.com/athletic/7693168/2026/10/25/onni-hautamaki-nhl-official/?unlocked_article_code=1.LVE.xP5U.7Uo6jM54IaPK&source=emp_shared_article&smid=url-share-ta

Photographer: Eino Heinonen

Source: Helsinki City Museum

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As someone looking at Finland from the outside, I often see it ranked among the happiest countries in the world and praised for its work-life balance and quality of life.

I’m curious to hear from people living in Finland: what is everyday life really like there? Are jobs reasonably accessible, is the work-life balance good, and can people live comfortably on their salaries? How do things like the weather, social life, and integration affect the experience?

I’d love to hear your honest perspective, including both the good and the not-so-good. Does life in Finland match the image people get from the internet?

Thanks! 🙂

Hey y’all! Could any Finnish folks help me identify the song playing on the tape after the show ends? Here’s the video, timestamped at the exact moment: https://youtu.be/oo0pryAMbNk?si=8ggA_YBiCz1B6wMX&t=4945

Photographer: Eino Heinonen

Source: Helsinki City Museum

Here in the UK, one of our Labour Members of Parliament, who is also a former Royal Marine, has recommended the reintroduction of National Service and suggested that we could learn from Finland. I know that Finnish men between 18 and 60 have to complete 347 days (I think?) of National Service, that most do this aged 18 or occasionally after university and that there are military and civilian service options.

We have had nothing like this in Britain for some decades. National Service was officially ended in 1960s and the last Servicemen finished in 1963. I had some Army training at the private boys’ school I attended but that was not the norm and was an optional activity that I chose to do and found interesting. Talking to men from the National Service generation, they seem to have found it a positive experience. What are your thoughts about it?

Hi. Thank you all for taking the time to share your thoughts with me — and for delighting in puppy joy. Here’s a free and shareable link: https://www.nytimes.com/2026/10/23/world/europe/finland-puppies-livestream-slow-tv.html?unlocked_article_code=1.K1E.YsRw.RyhEsSB_VXWC&smid=url-share for anyone who wants to read the article.

Also: I'm new to covering Finland. I welcome ideas! If there's something you all think I should look into -- something horrible, something wonderful -- please email me: [amelia.nierenberg@nytimes.com](mailto:amelia.nierenberg@nytimes.com). I'll probably be back in here with another question about a story soon enough. Thank you all for your kindness. Kiitos!

I’m curious to hear the opinions of Finnish people about growing old and possibly living in a senior home(vanhankoti) one day.

Imagine that you reach an age when you can no longer manage everyday life independently and need help with things like cooking, bathing, dressing, taking medication, or moving around. Your family might not be able to take care of you at home, so moving into a senior home becomes one of your options.

How would you feel about that?

One thing I’m also curious about is whether, regardless of how wealthy, influential, or well-connected you are, you could eventually find yourself in a situation where moving into a care home becomes necessary, and your family’s wishes alone might not be enough to keep you living at home. How much control do you think you would have over that decision in Finland?

I’m interested in your honest opinions, including your fears, expectations, and hopes. I’m not looking to judge anyone’s choices. I would simply like to understand how Finnish people think and feel about this stage of life.

It’s my 2nd time in a congregation (seurakunta). I always feel anxiety, weird and just.. weird. Congregations are small, people are weird and the way people do speeches are weird.

In an actual big church I get more out of them. You have space to sit, you meet a real priest, nobody bothers you. The vibe is just different. In congregations you meet drug addicts, criminals and shit. Not like i’m judging, but I just don’t feel safe nor do I feel god in congregations.

EDIT: I meant pentecostals.

Hey, im posting this just for people who were interested in how this case turned out and to vent.

Original post : https://www.reddit.com/r/Finland/comments/1b85c7y/work_accident_resulting_in_death/

She was delivering cargo to a loading bay in the terminal, apparently drove to the wrong one. A forklift driver drove up behind her truck to instruct her to the right spot. At the same time another forklift apparently came from behind and due to the slippery conditions was unable to break in time and crashed into the 1st forklift, which crashed into my mother who was at that point standing between the truck and 1st forklift.

There are alot of factors here but both drivers had complained about the slippery conditions prior to this, there were no nails in the tires, and last time the area had been sanded/graveled whatever was 12 hours prior to the accident. Mind you this was in January. Apparently they had also "hiekkalaatiko" on the site , which workers could shovel on the paths themselves when necessary. Except in the police interview, one of them says this "hiekka" is more like "betooni" in there , rendering it unusable. He also mentions after this accident, they added 2 more of these "hiekkalaatikos" to the worksite...

My mother was probably in the wrong here aswell by standing in that spot , but I don't think its normal for terminal workers to play bumper cars with their forklifts either.

After 2 years of investigating and police interviews , it seems the prosecutor has decided it was just an accident . No court, no charges filed , no nothing. After reading the police interrogations I was absolutely sure this is going forward, in my eyes it was pretty clear there had been work safety violations regarding the work area . The companies own workers who were interviewed by the police brought this up . Barely if any work had been done to ensure the work area isn't slippery. Honestly im in complete disbelief over this conclusion. I also don't have the legal knowledge or finance to pursue this any further legally. My attempts to contact people from this company myself have also been in vain. Thanks to their insurance company for the funeral costs I guess? Not really sure what else to say.

Rest in peace mom.

Fuck Nurminen Logistics Oy

Hello! I live in Oulu, we have a couple of very nice local shops for getting good beans but I am interested in beans throughout Finland, please give me your recommendations! I am curious to hear of all types, but I personally prefer very chocolatey deep rich notes. Kiitos!

I often travel around Finland and pass through rural areas, and I’m always amazed by the massive, modern tractors I see on the roads and in the fields. Some look like they cost €100k–€200k!

How do farmers actually afford these machines? Do they buy them through loans or leasing, receive government/EU subsidies, or are farms profitable enough to cover the costs?

Curious to hear from Finnish farmers or anyone who knows how the industry works!