Hietaniemi cemetery

Hietaniemi cemetery

Hietaniemi cemetery
Details
Year established ?
Country Finland.
Location Töölö, Helsinki
Type Public
Size ?
Number of graves ?

The Hietaniemi cemetery (in Swedish language Sandudds begravningsplats) is located in the Töölö district of Helsinki, the capital of Finland. It is the location for Finnish state funeral services.

The cemetery includes a large military cemetery section for soldiers from the capital fallen in the wars against the Soviet Union and Nazi Germany: in the Winter War (1939–1940), the Continuation War (1941–1944) and the Lapland War (1944–1945). In the centre of the military cemetery are the tombs of the unknown soldier and Marshal C.G.E. Mannerheim. Other notable sections of the cemetery are the cemetery of the Finnish Guard, the Artist's Hill and the Statesman's Grove.

Hietaniemi means "sand spit" and is a headland located centrally in Helsinki.

Contents

Description

The cemetery is partly located at a promontory, and partly directly adjacent to the Hietaniemi Beach. Nightly parties, flirting, petting, and more, are recurrent concerns in letters to the editor alarmed by alleged dishonourable conduct at the gravestones. Because of its obvious association with death, the cemetery sometimes also attracts fans of goth or heavy metal culture.

The cemetery is a popular tourist attraction, especially amongst Finns visiting the graves of relatives fallen in wars or the graves of the many famous Finns buried there.

Four other cemeteries are also located at the greater cemetery distrcit of Hietaniemi, they are: the Helsinki Jewish cemetery, the Helsinki Islamic cemetery, the Helsinki Orthodox cemetery and the cemetery of the St. Nicholas Orthodox Parish.

Notable interments

Presidents of Finland

Artists

Other

Famous foreigners