Stop the war!

Kiev is Tampere's twin town since 1954. This sculpture (made by Anneli Sipiläinen in 1981) symbolises twin towns' relationship. It is located in the Kiev Park, in the Kaleva district, city of Tampere. Last Monday people gathered at the Kiev Park to show their support for Ukraine.

A twin town relationship is a form of legal or social agreement between two geographically and politically distinct localities for the purpose of promoting cultural and commercial ties. The modern concept of town twinning has its roots in the Second World War. More specifically, it was inspired by the bombing of Coventry on 14 November 1940, known as the Coventry Blitz. The idea emerged as a way of establishing solidarity links between cities in allied countries that went through similar devastating events. In response to the Battle of Stalingrad, 830 women in Coventry (led by its Mayor Emily Smith) had their names embroidered on a tablecloth along with the words "Little help is better than big sympathy" and sent it, along with money (each donated six pence), to the people of Stalingrad. The tablecloth can now be seen at the Panorama Museum of the Battle of Stalingrad. The twinning between Coventry and Stalingrad was formalised in 1944.


+1,8°C (-12,7°C last night), sunny