Game day

Emma's team had a home game in Kaukajärvi Sports Hall against PeKa from Kotka. Pyrintö - PeKa 83-68

One hundred years ago today, the Finnish Civil War began. After Finland gained its independence in 1917, members of the Red Guard saw their chance to pursue a more egalitarian society under the flag of socialism. On 27 January 1918, they took action, marching into the southern city of Tampere to oust municipal leaders and replace them with their own administration.

Thought by many to be the capital of the Finnish labour movement, the highly industrialized city of Tampere became the Red Guard's most important base in Finland's interior, although the resistance was still run from Helsinki.

"A few days later, Whites in Tampere received news that the Reds had also taken control of other cities and towns. This is when the municipal leaders and business owners realized that the Reds intended to make the city a base, and started to leave the city in droves," Suodenjoki says.

Once the Whites decided to rise up in defence of the city, Tampere became the landscape of the worst fighting in the war, with thousands of casualties. The Battle of Tampere, which took place on 15 March to 6 April, is still considered one of the bloodiest conflicts to have taken place on Nordic soil.


+0,5°C, cloudy, snowfall in the morning