Retired politican Seppo Kääriäinen.
Kotiliesi
Opera singer Jorma Hynninen rehearses for his career's last performance at his home in Leppävirta.
Portrait of the year, Finnish Photojournalism Competition 2022.
Kirkko ja Kaupunki
Sari Rytkönen is her husband Pertti Rytkönen's caregiver. Pertti has Alzheimer's disease. Sari grieves that her marriage has turned into a care relationship.
Portrait of the year honorable mention, Finnish Photojournalism Competition 2024.
Sunnuntaisuomalainen
Priest and author Marja-Sisko Aalto in Puijo, Kuopio. Aalto came to public attention in 2008 while serving as a vicar in Imatra, when she revealed that she was transgender and intended to change her gender from male to female. The decision eventually cost her her job as a vicar. Today, Aalto is retired and lives with her partner Birgitta in Kuopio.
STT/Lehtikuva
Hassan Noori arrived in Finland in 2015 as an underaged asylum seeker from Afganistan. Hassan met, fell in love and engaged Finnish student Iina Ihonen. Hassan started studying to be a chef and got a job. However Hassan got a negative decision on his residence permit and was deported back to Afghanistan in 2019. Iina and Hassan's Finnish friends tried to get him back to Finland for over two years and sent him money. During that time Hassan and Iina got married in Uzbekistan and applied for a new residence permit due to family status. Hassan's return process to Finland was difficult due to strong bureaucracy, covid-19 pandemic and lack of safety in Afghanistan. Hassan got out of Afghanistan in August 2021 when Taliban was taking over the country. He fled to Iran. In October he finally got a new residence permit and returned to Kuopio to be with his wife.
Seura
Hemp man of Keitele Timo Haara. Haara has grown and is growing hamp dispite of his many prison sentences. Haara says he grows hemp for oil, fiber, bioenergy and medicinal use. The judiciary and the police have disagreed, and consider that Haara has grown the plant for drug use. Haara has been in different prisons for almost three years because of this, but always starts growing again when he is released. Haara is filming a documentary about his fight against authorities.
Iltalehti
Textile artist Satu Nisu.
Savon Media
Disability athlete Marjaana Heikkinen
Askel
Hobbyhorse enthusiasts Silja Vehovuori and Nanna Siitonen.
Savon Sanomat
Actor Seppo Pääkkönen, 64, is a new father and a recovering alcoholic.
Anna
Thomas McElwain is of Iroqois descent. Thomas translates the Bible into poetic verse in one of the Iroquois language.
Kotimaa
Anna Koivula has three reborn-babies.
Iltalehti
73 year old Marjatta Hämäläinen observes Saimaa ringed seals.
Seura
Author Leena Lehtolainen wrote a book about javelin thrower Antti Ruuskanen.
Apu
AI in education. Head of education of Savonia University of applied sciences
Esa Viklund.
You Tuber Metsa Man in his room.
Kauppalehti
Former ski jumper and coach Mika Kojonkoski
STT/Lehtikuva
Reetta Kokkonen left Jehovah's Witness religion.
Sunnuntaisuomalainen
Heikki Pettersson, trumpeter of the Petri & Pettersson Brass Orchestra. Heikki on his boat at Kallavasi, Kuopio.
Seura
Ex-gangster Perttu Honkanen helps people, who want out of criminal life.
Iltalehti
Mikko Oravainen grew up in a violent and intoxicant family. Mikko himself has had five violence sentences, the first one in age 15. Mikko has however put his life in order and now studies and works in security business. Mikko is also the single parent of his son Joel. The father and son live together in Suonenjoki.
Apu
Aleksi Rautiainen plants tree saplings this coming summer.
Metsälehti
Leena Niemelä runs a cat rescue center with her husband in Öllöllä, Joensuu.
Apu
Jyri Roivainen is dying of cancer.
Seura
95 year old accordionist Veikko Ahvenainen in Kuopio church. At the start of his career, Ahvenainen wasn't allowed to play in churches. Accordion was deemed inappropriate to play in churches. However after playing in churches in Sweden, he was allowed to play in them in Finland as well.
Kotimaa
Raija Toivonen received a Valkoinen Ruusu Ritarikunta medal on Mother's Day. Raija and her 28 year old son Timo Toivonen, who suffers from spinal muscler atrophy.
Savon Sanomat
Founder of Genelec Oy Ilpo Martikainen.
Iltalehti
Sakari Kaukosaari used to spend his nights under cover of a loading bridge when he was homeless.
Competitive dance pair Saaga Bruun and Lassi Kokkonen.
Sunnuntaisuomalainen
Kari Kankkunen got lost under lake ice during a diving job with his partner and was saved just barely because of an aware hunting dog detected them through snow and ice.
Seura
Seppo Ronkainen has caught numerous wolves for GPS tracking with his homemade "vimpain" (widget).
Sunnuntaisuomalainen
Suomen Kuvalehti - Valio essayist Antti Vartiainen.
Suomen Kuvalehti
Shot putter Eveliina Rouvali.
Savon Sanomat
Carpenter Jukka Laurio writes poems.
Sunnuntaisuomalainen
Ari Nupponen sold his possesions and moved to Thailand. Ari bought a big sailboat in which he lived in and worked as a diver instructor. When the pandemic hit, Ari lost his job and had to move back to Finland. Ari's boat is still on a dock in Phuket.
Sunnuntaisuomalainen
Santeri Pakkanen wrote a book about Ingrian Finns "Se tapahtui meille"(It happened to us) with his daughter Lea Pakkanen. Father and daughter are Ingrian Finns themselves.
Viva
Father Andreas is the head of Valamo monastery alcohol production.
Sunnuntaisuomalainen
Pasi Romo, barbecue man. Pasi shoos his dog Lumi (Snow) of the grill.
Savon Sanomat
Pilot Antti Eskelinen
Sunnuntaisuomalainen
Handyman Jorma Vänskä at his workshop.
Savon Sanomat