Athenis Finlandiae 23.-28.8.2010

The cultural legacy of antiquity and the ancient languages are alive in Jyväskylä

Athenis Finlandiae, an event open to all who are interested in the above, is being organised on the Seminaarinmäki Campus of the University of Jyväskylä on the 23rd to the 28th of August, 2010.

The organisers of Athenis Finlandiae have set themselves the target of making the ancient cultures and languages of Greece and Rome accessible and enjoyable for all. The programme is a judicious balance of science, arts and entertainment. Taking part is easy as the fees for all the events are reasonable and you do not require to be expert in any of these topics. Finnish is the main language of the event, but English translations are provided whenever necessary. Latin is included in the programme as a natural element.

This is the third Athenis Finlandiae to be organised in Jyväskylä, the “Athens of Finland” and it has established itself as an annual summer event. Tarja Halonen, President of Finland, has promised to be patron of Athenis Finlandiae in 2010.

“Athenis Finlandiae” translates as “Athens of Finland”. Jyväskylä earned this epithet as early as the 1850s, when our national writer, Elias Lönnrot, in a letter to Wolmar Styrbjorn Schildt, addressed his friend thus: “You, Schildt, there in Jyväskylä, the Athens of Finland and the cradle of arts and sciences …” Schildt had just coined the Finnish terms for the words “science” and “arts”. This jesting reference to Athens actually became reality, since the first Finnish-language schools were established in Jyväskylä – a city which today has a reputation as a centre of education and culture.

Latin was a lingua franca in the Middle Ages and was spoken in an area about the size of the current European Union. Consequently, all EU languages have been influenced by Latin. The language courses of Athenis Finlandiae offer the opportunity to become acquainted with practical Latin as well as ancient Greek – the latter having been added to the programme by popular demand. The lectures deal with the history of the antique world and its legacy right up to the present day. All the lecturers are experts in their appropriate fields.

Ancient Philosophy will be the general theme of Athenis Finlandiae in 2010. In addition, some of the afternoon lectures will deal with medical Latin – one of the fields in which that language plays a vital part to this day. One of the days will be dedicated to Wolmar S. Schildt, whose 200th anniversary will be celebrated in Jyväskylä in 2010. Athenis Finlandiae, as an all-embracing cultural event, also offers musical entertainment. Likewise it is worth mentioning that local confectioners plan to honour the event by producing special cakes called “Athenae” and “Luna Lucens” which will be available in the local cafes.

Before the main event, at the end of May 2010, a flight is being organised to the Greek Archipelago to provide the opportunity for all interested to become acquainted with the culture of Ancient Greece “in situ”.

The event is organised by The Association for the Poromotion of Music, Culture and Arts.

Further information: www.athenisfinlandiae.com

Rauno Hänninen, tel. +358 (0)40 577 8427, rauno.hanninen@mukuta.fi

Taru-Maija Heilala-Rasimov, Event Coordinator, tel. +358 (0)50 434 7754, af@mukuta.fi

Welcome – Bene adveneritis!

Athenis Finlandiae - Another Success

The second Athenis Finlandiae, now an annual cultural event, took place in Jyväskylä on the 22nd – 29th August, 2009. Its wide-ranging programme attracted many visitors, in fact twice as many as last year. The morning language courses of antique Greek and Latin, were sold out. The free public lectures on the culture of Ancient Greece and Rome also attracted enormous interest. The concert given by the renowned pop singer, Kari Tapio, was a deeply emotional experience for his audience.

The lessons and lectures of Athenis Finlandiae drew people of all ages to the Musica building in the University of Jyväskylä. In the evenings people could enjoy the traditional “Song to the Native Land” performed at the Water Tower on the Ridge by the Studio Choir under the direction of Hannu Ikonen. The Latin lyrics of the song, “Elogium Regionis Natalis” were translated from the Finnish by Erkki Palmén Ph.D.

Henna Virkkunen, Minister of Education and official patron of Athenis Finlandiae, emphasised in her welcoming address that we must nurture and maintain basic cultural humanistic values, which assume even greater importance in such times of constant change. Jyväskylä, the “Athens” of Finland has deep cultural roots, which are strengthened by the classical and humanistic traditions cherished by Athenis Finlandiae. The visiting journalists from eight different countries recognised Jyväskylä’s potential to develop this event into an internationally important tourist attraction with unique cultural features.

The notion of “Something for Everyone” will be a continuing theme in future programmes, too. We shall gather again in the spirit of the ancient languages and culture on the 23rd to the 28th of August, 2010. Those who attended Athenis Finlandiae 2009 and any others interested are offered the opportunity to learn Ancient Greek and the culture of Ancient Greece “in situ” on the Island of Skiathos – where the hit film, “Mamma Mia” was shot. There will be a direct charter flight from Jyväskylä on 27th May 2010.

The Athenis Finlandiae web site is being updated this autumn with added information about next summer’s event along with some further material concerning this year’s one. Those who are interested should check out the information on line and can, if they wish, contribute to the planning of the programme for 2010. There will be a form on the website to allow for feedback.

The Association for the Promotion of Music, Culture and the Arts wishes to thank all those who took part in last summer’s event – visitors as well as participants – and extends a warm welcome to everyone to Athenis Finlandiae on August 23rd – 28th, 2010. Welcome. Bene adveneritis!

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Athenis Finlandiae 2008

- Sören Viktorsson, Ruotsi - Sean Crowley, Englanti, BBC World - Marina Zatsepina, Venäjä - Attila Cser, Unkari, Reuters - Tetsuo Yoshimizumi, Japani - Denisa Udroiu, Romania - Arshad Farooq, Englanti - Nestor O.Jardin, President of Cultural Center of the Philippines