Organ discovered at Myyrmäki train station in Vantaa as local journalist investigates keys

An unassuming organ sits at the Myyrmäki train station in Vantaa, unnoticed by passersby. The locked instrument appears somewhat abandoned, with signs of wear and a rough surface. It was recently placed at the station, and a local journalist, Katri Tihilä, has investigated the whereabouts of its keys.

The organ originally belonged to Mikko Sorjolahti, a restaurateur from Vantaa. His establishment, Mike’s Diner, closed last month after almost ten years in operation, following Sorjolahti’s recovery from a brain infarction. He has decided to continue his restaurant business only in Tikkurila.

Sorjolahti shared that the organ had previously been played for cows at Haltiala and was left in storage by the new owners of the diner, who then moved it to the station. He expressed surprise upon receiving a call from Yle about the locked instrument, uncertain whether to keep the organ in Myyrmäki or relocate it to Tikkurila.

Known as a kind of “station manager” for nearly three decades, Sorjolahti organized various community events, sometimes drawing crowds with 200 Harley Davidson motorcycles and cheerleaders. Reflecting on those days, he mused on the joy the piano brought to the station’s atmosphere, noting that over the years, he had delivered around 40 pianos for public enjoyment. While public musical instruments are common in places like London’s metro stations, they are rare in Finland. He remarked that Myyrmäki station may have been the only station in Finland to feature a public piano until the pandemic led to their removal.