Aleksanteri Aava, born Aleksanteri (Santeri) Kuparinen, (18 April 1883 – 11 March 1956) was a Finnish poet and

smallholder A smallholding or smallholder is a small farm operating under a small-scale agriculture model. Definitions vary widely for what constitutes a smallholder or small-scale farm, including factors such as size, food production technique or technology ...

. Aava was born in Sakkola in the

Grand Duchy of Finland The Grand Duchy of Finland ( fi, Suomen suuriruhtinaskunta; sv, Storfurstendömet Finland; russian: Великое княжество Финляндское, , all of which literally translate as Grand Principality of Finland) was the predecessor ...

. His parents were Matti Juhonpoika Kuparinen, a farmer and a tanner, and Emilia Martintytär Karvanen (or Karvonen). He attended elementary school and graduated on 1901 in

folk high school Folk high schools (also ''Adult Education Center'', Danish: ''Folkehøjskole;'' Dutch: ''Volkshogeschool;'' Finnish: ''kansanopisto'' and ''työväenopisto'' or ''kansalaisopisto;'' German: ''Volkshochschule'' and (a few) ''Heimvolkshochschule;'' ...

of Uusikirkko. Aava then worked as a smallholder in Sakkola until 1939 and was also a member of the Sakkola Town Council. Aava had been married to Helena Riikonen since 1911 and they had seven children: Kauko, Arvo, Aune Emilia, Kerttu, Jouko, Toivo Santeri and Vuokko Sisko. After the

Winter War The Winter War,, sv, Vinterkriget, rus, Зи́мняя война́, r=Zimnyaya voyna. The names Soviet–Finnish War 1939–1940 (russian: link=no, Сове́тско-финская война́ 1939–1940) and Soviet–Finland War 1 ...

, Aava's family evacuated to the village of Mikkolanniemi, Saari,

South Karelia South Karelia ( fi, Etelä-Karjala; sv, Södra Karelen) is a Regions of Finland, region of Finland. It borders the regions of Kymenlaakso, Southern Savonia, South Savo and North Karelia, as well as Russia (Republic of Karelia and Leningrad Obla ...

, where Aava then spent his last years of life; his eldest sons, Kauko and Arvo, died in the

Continuation War The Continuation War, also known as the Second Soviet-Finnish War, was a conflict fought by Finland and Nazi Germany against the Soviet Union from 1941 to 1944, as part of World War II.; sv, fortsättningskriget; german: Fortsetzungskrieg. A ...

between 1941 and 1944. Aleksanteri Aava received the State Prize for his poem collection, ''Musta lintu'' (literally translated "black bird"), published in 1917. The

bust Bust commonly refers to: * A woman's breasts * Bust (sculpture), of head and shoulders * An arrest Bust may also refer to: Places * Bust, Bas-Rhin, a city in France *Lashkargah, Afghanistan, known as Bust historically Media * ''Bust'' (magazin ...

of Aava by Otto Pursiainen was erected in 1961 in

Lempäälä Lempäälä (; Swedish also ) is a municipality in the Pirkanmaa region of Finland with inhabitants (). Lempäälä is located south of the city of Tampere. The municipality covers an area of of which is water. The population density is . Th ...

Sources

Runoilija Aleksanteri Aava (1883–1956)
(in Finnish)

References

External links

1883 births 1956 deaths People from Priozersky District People from South Karelia Finnish male poets Finnish farmers {{Finland-writer-stub