World languages: “Finnish language abroad between 1918 and 1944” book and photo exhibition kicks off in St. Petersburg

The International travelling book and photo exhibition “Finnish language abroad between 1918 and 1944. Finnish literature published in the USSR. From holdings of national libraries of Russia and Finland” is kicking off on September 30 2011 in the new building of the National Library of Russia, St. Petersburg within the Week of Northern Countries.

The exhibition puts on show publications in Finnish, which were printed in the Soviet Union from 1918 to 1944 from holdings of the National Library of Russia and photo materials from holdings of the National Library of Finland.

After the revolution of 1917 about 150 thousand Finns lived just in Petrograd and in the surrounding area. For the Finnish-speaking population between two world wars the USSR published lots of books, newspapers and magazines in the Finnish. In mid. 1920s a large Finnish publishing house “Kiria”, which issued various literature of different formats, was set up in Petrograd. However during Stalin’s repressions major share of Finnish-language literature was destroyed, those which survived today represent a bibliographic rarity. During the war years of 1941–1944 in the Eastern Karelia the Finns had a chance to save some of copies and took them as a war trophy archive, which was a good addition to Helsinki University library.

The exhibition has been co-organized by the National Library of Russia, Consulate General of Finland in St. Petersburg with support of the National Library of Finland.