Siilinjärvi municipality turns 100 years old!
Siilinjärvi municipality will celebrate its 100th anniversary in 2025 with the theme “The heart says so“. The centenary year is dedicated to acts of the heart, both large and small, that strengthen our sense of community and highlight the vitality and cohesion of Siilinjärvi. Siilinjärvi Municipality invites all residents, associations and partners to participate in the celebrations.
The first meeting of the Siilinjärvi Municipality Council was held on 2 January 1925 in Seurala, now known as Manttu. One hundred years is a short time in the long history of the geographical area of Siilinjärvi, whose human settlement dates back to the Stone Age. However, a hundred years is a long way in municipal life, during which time the small town has grown into an active, vibrant and diverse municipality with a population that justifies the title of the second largest municipality in North Savo.
The heart says it – the description point
The Heart Says It photo point has been touring around Siilinjärvi throughout the year and many great photos have been taken under the heart to commemorate the occasion. The heart will be touring the rest of the year as follows:
3.-19.11. INNOCUM business centre area
19.-24.11. Siilinjärvi market
24.11. Gulf of Suinin
6.12. Siilinlahti school.
Change of Power Day highlighted the cooperation between Siilinjärvi and Kuopio
On 8 October 2025, history was made when Siilinjärvi Mayor Janne Airaksinen and Kuopio Mayor Soile Lahti swapped places for a day.
The Change of Power Day was a joint, warm-hearted event between the municipality of Siilinjärvi, celebrating its 100th anniversary, and the city of Kuopio, celebrating its 250th anniversary.
During the day, the leaders were able to learn about the daily life of the neighbouring municipality, current projects and, above all, what unites us: cooperation and a warm neighbourhood. The event was called #power exchange day and aimed to celebrate the long-standing cooperation and natural partnership between Siilinjärvi and Kuopio.
Siilinjärvi and Kuopio cooperate extensively in areas such as education, transport and business.
A military oath and insurance event of the Karelian Air Force was held in Siilinjärvi in August
The military oath and insurance ceremony of the arrival batch 2/25 of the Karelian Air Force was held in Siilinjärvi, Mantu and the centre on Saturday 9.8.2025. 150 conscripts who started their service in July attended the ceremony.
The day’s festivities began with a wreath-laying ceremony at 9.00 am at the Heroes’ Cemetery. The military oath ceremony took place at the Mantu baseball stadium at 10.45 a.m. The ceremony was accompanied by a flypast on Kasuri Street and included a flyover by Fighter Squadron 31 with the F/A-18 Hornet multirole fighter.
The exhibition of weapons and equipment of the Karelian Air Force was held in the parking area of the city centre from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. The event was also attended by the Military Home and other organisations. In addition, Siilinjärvi Municipality organised an open National Defence Festival at the square at 13.30, with performances by the Air Force Band and Sanna Rosberg & JKK Quartet. The speech at the Defence Day was given by Jyrki Katainen, Siilinjärvi’s Director of Public Relations.
The day was open to the public.
Our Siilinjärvi! – products of the children’s drawing campaign
At the beginning of the centenary year, pupils from primary schools and early childhood education in Siilinjärvi were invited to draw pictures of their home town. The topic was loosely defined. The pictures were used to ask people to think about what they could do in Siilinjärvi, what places were important to them or who important people lived here. The technique was free and the picture could also be taken as a group work. The result was almost 300 great drawings, ranging in age from 3 to 13 years.
The drawings were on display in the Arts exhibition space of the Siilinjärvi Main Library from 15-28 April.As not all the works could be displayed in Arts, we will publish them in an online exhibition during the anniversary year. The pictures will change every two weeks (updated 6.8.25). So click on the gallery below and enjoy Siilinjärvi through the eyes of children!
No media items found.
Siilinjärvi Festival Week was celebrated 22.-27.4.
To celebrate the 100th anniversary of Siilinjärvi, a Spring Celebration Week was organised to experience literature and culture in various forms. Almost 1300 people attended the various events and activities!
Recordings were released during the celebration week:
– “What did we lose when we lost Karelia?” Lecture by M. Porval, 4 parts.
– M. M. Porvalka, M. Pálvinka’s M.V. M. Porvalka, M. Pálvinka’s M.V.
You can watch the above recordings and much more on YouTube from Cultural Services.
Opening event at the market on 3.1.2025 opened the centenary year
No media items found.
The jubilee year got off to a great start with the opening event on 3.1.2025 at Siilinjärvi Market. The event started with a solemn ceremony to the tune of Finlandia performed by Sakari Kuosmasen. There were also speeches and music from Siilinjärvi. A large disco ball set the mood in the square. During the opening ceremony, potato soup was served to the first 500 people.
Building community with associations
Small acts of the heart have enriched our daily lives during the centenary year, but the year 2025 has also brought bigger events to Siilinjärvi, such as the oath-taking ceremony of the Karelian Air Force on 9 August 2025.
The Year will also pay special attention to local associations, whose role in building community is invaluable. With the help of the centenary year, we will support events and activities that bring us all together to celebrate 100 years of Siilinjärvi. You can read about the recipients of the Centenary Grants here.
The centenary year will also see the implementation of participatory budgeting in the municipality, which will enable citizens to directly influence the development of the municipality. Proposals for the brainstorming phase can be found here. As a result of a vote by the citizens, the summer children’s swimming schools in Vuorela and the open-air movie night in Mantu have already been implemented.
In addition, the municipality will pay special tribute to children born during the centenary year and to the 100th birthday of the municipality. In the picture below, “Matti”, born to the Laakkonen family on 3.1.2025, is one of the first babies born in Siilinjärvi during the centenary year!
Let’s make this a year of celebration together!
We encourage all citizens to create new events, activities and content to celebrate Siilinjärvi. If you have a great idea for a programme for the centenary year, please let us know: kulttuuri@siilinjarvi.fi.
You are free to use the historical material produced for the Siilinjärvi Municipality centenary year for brainstorming and searching for information. The logo of the jubilee year can be used freely in connection with the jubilee year. Its broad visibility will help to promote our common message. Please remember to add your event to the free events calendar of the municipality of Siilinjärvi.
Please use the social media hashtag #Siilinjärvi100 and tag @siilinjarvi in your posts. If you take photos at your event, you can also submit them for publication on the municipality’s various channels in publications related to the anniversary. Photos can be sent to viestinta@siilinjarvi.fi. Please include information about the event and the photographer.