Visions of Finland [antikvár]

Finland is a part of the history of Europe. Looked at from the heart of our continent, Finland is peripheral. But our history is bound up with the tumultous events that have shaken Europe. Without the Napoleonic wars at the beginning of the nineteenth century, Finland's history would without doubt have taken a very different course. Thus an understanding of Finland's position and present-day politics is impossible in isolation from the historical development of our continent.Finland has a contribution to make to Europe's future, too, in politics, economics and culture. The country's position between east and west has given us a natural starting point for grasping Europe's diversity and understanding that the continent stretches all the way from the Atlantic to the Urals. Like the rest of Europe, Finland is a meeting point for north and south as well as east and west. This is the foundation of Finland's individual culture.Introduced by the words of the torchbearer of the national romantic movement, the poet Eino Leino, Visions of Finland is a cross section of the history, society and, in particular, the artistic achievements of our country.Visions of Finland is intended for people who already know our country as well as those who are making their first contact with Finland through this book. We hope that it will convey to them a picture of Finland and the Finns, who want to build a more acceptable world while preserving their own identity, at the same time valuing and developing international relations.The vitality of Finnish culture stems from a tradition that stretches far back in time and is constantly preserved and developed through schools and colleges and through grants for the arts. Thousands of people, from home and abroad, attend our many national and international cultural events every year. In forty years Finland has been transformed from a primarily agrarian country to a post-industrial society with a high standard of living, whose highly developed specialised products have found markets the world over.International contacts have brought Finland, the first host of the CSCE conference, many friends who love our country's untouched nature and the special features of its culture. The intention of this book is to describe the most genuine aspects of FinlandKalevi SorsaMinister for Foreign Affairs