History
Are you interested in the history of the Soldiers’ Home Association? On this page, you can read historical information and view images decade by decade. Each decade also has its own sub page with more detailed information.
Welcome to explore the history of Soldiers’ Home Association!
1920s
In the early 1920s, Katri Bergholm, chair of the Helsinki Soldiers’ Home Association, began to prepare for the establishing of a national association. She negotiated the establishment of a new alliance and national soldiers’ home days with the War Ministry and the Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces, General Karl Wilkama.
1930s
The 1930s were marked by a period of depression. The difficult period manifested itself in the board of the Soldiers’ Home Association in the lengthening of protocols and complication of matters. It was of great importance that the association had the right to use the procurement organisation of the Finnish Defence Forces.
1940s
The entire 1940s were marked by war and its aftermath. During the battles of the Winter War, the Sisters of the soldiers’ homes served at the risk of their own lives, often at the limit of their strength. As a result of the Winter War, 50 soldiers’ homes were lost either in a lost area or in bombing, most heavily on the coast of Lake Ladoga and the eastern Gulf of Finland.
1950s
After the war, the Soldiers’ Home Association and the Finnish Defence Forces held negotiations, the end result of which was a decision by the Defence Command: only associations belonging to the Finnish Soldiers’ Home Association were allowed to maintain soldiers’ homes or canteens in areas controlled by the Finnish Defence Forces.
1960s
Throughout the 1960s, the Soldiers’ Home Association was chaired by Annikki Elokas from Helsinki. The decade was a period of strong growth, because of the so-called “Cold War”. Baby boomers were doing their military service. It was said that the soldiers home work was sailing forward “in a brisk tailwind for the benefit of young men – conscripts – doing their military service”.
1970s
The 1970s were marked by a period of intense social upheaval that had already begun at the end of the previous decade. After the war and the reconstruction period, the nation had prospered, and foreign contacts increased. The boundaries between the Defence Forces and the surrounding society were lowered, and this was reflected on work in soldiers’ homes. The range of leisure activities was diversified.
1980s
In the 1980s, the Soldiers’ Home Association clearly communicated its position to its members, which was updated in the associations’s rules: “The purpose of the Association is to assist the Finnish Defence Forces by maintaining soldiers’ homes in peacetime and wartime in order to promote the mental growth of soldiers and increase their comfort in their free time.”
1990s
At the beginning of the 1990s, a new era arrived. The Soviet Union fell apart, the Cold War era ended, Finland became a member of the European Union. As a result of the organizational changes in the Defence Forces, soldiers’ home work also faced new challenges as garrisons were disbanded.
2000s
The 2000s began with preparations for major changes in the Soldiers’ Home Association. Many local soldiers’ home associations prepared for the closure of their homes due to the closure of garrisons. The Act on Voluntary National Defence Training was being drafted, and it also gave faith in the future to the Soldiers’ Home Association.
2010s
In the early 2010s, the work in the soldiers home organization took a significant turn when the closure of garrisons caused the closure of five soldier’ homes. For the first time in the organization’s history, the majority of local soldiers’ home associations operated without their own soldiers’ home and conscripts. The Soldiers’ Home Association supported the local associations that were forced to close the doors of their homes and lay off their staff. Support was also offered to redundant workers.
2020s
The 2020s began with the Covid-19 pandemic – something that revolutionised the whole world and, with it, the activities of the entire organization. Most events were cancelled and a new way of working online as well as remote meetings was introduced.
The new decade has also been a time of turmoil in other ways, as the security situation has changed in one fell swoop following Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.
Finland becoming a full memeber in Nato in 2023 will also have an impact on the Solders’ Home Association in becoming more and more international.