Ceremony honors Sulo Viljakainen at Punkaharju Church in Savonlinna, Finland

A rare ceremony was held on Wednesday at the Punkaharju Church in Savonlinna, Finland, to honor Sulo Viljakainen, a soldier who was killed at the age of 31 during World War II. Viljakainen was buried decades ago in the Vuoriniemi cemetery without a body, having died on June 10, 1944, a day marked by a significant Soviet offensive that broke Finnish lines on the Karelian Isthmus. He was among many Finnish soldiers trapped in Valkeasaari under heavy fire from the enemy. Parts of Viljakainen’s remains, including a left shoulder blade, a right femur, and an identity tag, were discovered 70 years later and were kept at the Finnish Institute for Health and Welfare for a decade until a familial connection was found to the unmarried and childless soldier.

Petteri Leskinen from Joensuu received a letter detailing a DNA link to Viljakainen through his late mother and decided to organize a respectful memorial service. “It is wonderful that such events can be arranged. It makes life nice in Finland, knowing that our ancestors managed these matters and paid a high price,” Leskinen said prior to the ceremony.

About a dozen guests attended the event, which included conscripts who participated in the solemn procession and carried the coffin, adding dignity to the occasion. The Association for the Preservation of War Veterans’ Memory also attended the funeral. Its executive director, Ilpo Kärkkäinen, stated that around ten fallen soldiers’ remains are discovered each year. An estimated 13,000 Finnish soldiers from World War II are believed to be buried in what is now Russia, yet only about 1,600 have been found and approximately 440 identified. Although searches continue, collaboration between Finland and Russia has diminished due to the current global situation.