Troija

Odysseus’s footprints

In Finland, the efforts of Kisko-Seura and all those involved in the work led to an unprecedented host of cultural events, such as art exhibitions, plays, concerts, poetry recitals and even a trade fair. These shaped the way Kisko and Toija were seen by the people not only in the greater Salo region but all the way to the Helsinki metropolitan area. Especially the art exhibitions attracted public from Helsinki since many of the exhibitions merited attention from the only national newspaper, the Helsngin Sanomat.

Grain storage house in Toija

The most significant single result of the enthusiasm caused by Vinci’s theory in Toija was the renovation of Toija grain storage house. It had been built in the mid-1800 but had not found another real purpose after the local grain storages went our of date.

At first the building was emptied and tidied up to be used for cultural events, but in 1996 the idea of a more extensive renovation started emerging when public funding became available. In 1997 an EU-financed renovation began and was concluded in the following year. The work included a heating system and an entire new floor when the grain silos were dismantled. Since toilet facilities could not be created inside the building, a separate cabin was built for this purpose.

Today, the grain storage offers a venue for a variety of events from art exhibitions to concerts, weddings and church services. It continues to attract visitors not only for its shows but also because the building itself with its massive granite walls inspires artists and laymen alike.

Drama

The nearly annual plays acted by amateur actors has become an appreciated part of Kisko’s summers and attracts audiences from neighboring municipalities. The first such play was written in 1994 expressly for the Troy theme. It was a comedy written by Markku Toivonen and directed by Ari Wirta, both well known in the theater scene of the area. The comedy presented a random array of characters from both Odyssey as well as Kalevala, the Finnish national epic.

In 1995 Arto Nieminen wrote and directed another play set in the past of Kisko. It was set in the 1500s and told the tragic story of a maiden who suffered a terrible punishment for not marrying the man her father had chosen for her. It drew an audience of more than one thousand, which is a formidable achievement in the Finnish countryside. Since the play was set in Haapaniemi castle, it inspired people to want to clean up the site of Haapaniemi castle ruins. Once the weeds and excess vegetation was cleared off, the place was worthy of visitors’ attention.

In the following years several plays were produced. Some were written by local writers, others were chosen from already existing literature. Often the directors were professional but the actors were amateurs of all ages.

Although summer theater shows are common all over Finland, the plays produced in Kisko had one distinct advantage over the others: the venue was indoors, a fact that gives a certain amount of security in the variable weather conditions of Finland.

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