In next photos I show to You some hobbies of ordinary people. During long winter people go to some of common academies once a week. Length of day is during winter only 6 hours. In the evenings every body is not staring television, but they are doing their hobbies. What are those things teached in these common academies. Everything You can imagine and still things that You cannot imagine. Some examples: Painting, language courses, astronomy, tiffany paintings, making watches, icon painting, handicrafts, needlework, knitting, patchworks, dance courses, bead necklaces, pottery making. List could be longer, but these are some examples. Later on these "masterpeaces" are shown in exposition during one weekend to others, who are not interested themselves to do anything during long winter.
First photo shows You Tiffany arts.
This patchwork is made from 8000 pieces.
Beautiful icon paintings.
Eastern egg - real masterpiece.
Oriental plate.
Porcelain castle. End of exposition objects of ordinary people.
Bell tower of Ruokolahti (Nearby Imatra). In Finland in country side, there are some peculiar bell towers. For example look at this bell tower in Ruokolahti. Take a better look at bell tower. From which material it is made? You say that from wood. That is right, but how it was protected from hard winter and rainy autumns. In Finland it has been proved during past centuries, that tar is the most best protection for wood. Tar is made from tree and thereby it is product of nature. Factories which make paints have developed modern products, but best yet is tar.
Snow removing in Artjarvi cemetery. It is snowing in Finland from 60 cm to 120 cm. If You think this carefully then snow removing must be problem during winter in cemeteries because visitors must easily use sidewalks also during winter.
Remembering those dead persons, who lies in churchyards far away from your home, by setting light to a memory candle. Beautiful Finnish habit at Christmas. Photo from Christmas Eve.
Lightning the candle.
Here it is with other candles.
Some articles sold in Helsinki market place. There is some odd shoes as You can see. From which raw material they are made? Answer is from birch bark. In 1800 century and in the beginning of 1900 century people was very poor in country side and they could not afford to themselves shoes. Solution was to make shoes from birch bark. So simple. From birch bark people made also engagement rings. It is sayed that engagement lasted only one summer, if somebody gave engagement ring that was made from birch bark. Easy to believe in that.
Here is a good example what can be made from wood. These are lamps with lampshade that I found at some market somewhere in Finland.
World's biggest wooden church in Kerimaki (30 kilometres from Savonlinna). It's capacity is 5000 persons of which
3300 can be seated. Church is from the year 1844-1847 as the bell tower also. Church is 45 meters long, 42 meters
wide and 27 meters high. The height of the dome is 37 meters. Length of pews is altogether 1670 metres. Church is
in use only during summer.
World's biggest wooden church in Kerimaki - inside view.
The altarpiece is from year 1890. It's motto is the words of Jesus: "Come to me all who labour and are heavy
laden, and I will give you rest".
Bell tower of the world's biggest wooden church in Kerimaki. It is 42 metres height. You can visit bell tower and
from there is a magnificent view to surroundings.
