Äkäslompolon puolesta: Ei Röhkömukanmaan (Tunturipalon) kaavalle

A boom of tourism has taken place over the past years in my mother’s home village, Äkäslompolo. Masses of cottages for tourists have seemed to be popping out of the ground like mushrooms in rain, and various decision makers of the county seem to be encouraging further construction, now planning the construction of thousands of bed places right on the neck of the skiing fell Ylläs, a miniature city, offering all the “excitements” of a city. A city that would destroy the peace of nature, destroy a part of the essence of Äkäslompolo for me, and for many others. Ever since I was born, I have traveled around the world tagging along with my parents jobs. And ever since I was born, I have traveled back home to Finland, to my parents homes, Helsinki and Äkäslompolo, the capital and a small village in Lapland, whenever possible. In the years abroad from my home nation I have always had a longing to go back, and visit both the city life of Helsinki and the tranquility of Äkäslompolo, but each aspect in their respective place.

Äkäslompolo, my mother’s home village, is a place very dear to me. It is a small ski-resort village, in the middle of the woods of north-western Finland, a village with indescribably beautiful surroundings. Encircled by seven fells, forests reaching beyond the horizon, lakes, reindeers, birds, and in winter wrapped in a blanket of snow, the village’s nature is completely astonishing. But most importantly, the tranquility is simply mind-blowing. In the middle of the winter, you can sit there in the darkness, the world lighted only by a shimmering silver moonlight and faint green, yellow and red tones of the aurora borealis, without a single noise in the air. This astounding environment is one of the most valuable aspects of the village, and it’s one of the main reasons why I want to go there again and again.

Yet, It is very painful for me to watch the destruction of what I value in the place. With more and more construction, the peace progressively fades away, with the augmenting noise and light pollution. Some call it “progress”, but to me, this progress that intends to homogenize the entire world, the wonders that it beholds, into a modern western stereotype, stands for everything but progress. If I have learned one thing from living in various locations, that one thing would be that true beauty lies in unique and extraordinary things. It’s far more interesting to see a something that in its essence portrays a history, cultural traditions and identity, than an example of mass produced modern western culture. I can say from my own experience that the uniqueness of all the different locations that I have seen, that creates the wonder and reason to see them, far exceeds any mass tourism and “excitements” similar to those available in any city of the world. The scenario of the current Äkäslompolo exemplifies the obstruction of my ideal and the fate it faces saddens me.