Arvi Hämäläinen, the oldest living man and the oldest person in Finland, passed away in Valkeakoski on 17 January, one day after his 108th birthday. His passing was first reported by Ilta-Sanomat.
Hämäläinen was born in Zaporozhskoye (Finnish: Metsäpirtti), a settlement in Leningrad Oblast, now part of present-day Russia, on 16 January 1917.
He left his birthplace at the age of 21 to begin military service, where he served as an artillery rangefinder along the Burnaya River during the Winter War (1939–1940). During the war, his family was forced to evacuate and leave their home. After the armistice, he remained in the army, rising to the rank of sergeant. His training in artillery fire control was interrupted when the Continuation War broke out in the summer of 1941. During the trench warfare phase, he returned to the familiar surroundings of his birthplace on the shores of Lake Ladoga.
After his military career, he pursued a profession as a dressmaker, a path inspired by childhood memories of watching his mother and sister sew clothes. In 1954, Hämäläinen moved to Valkeakoski with his wife and their only child, a daughter. He was widowed in 1994. He spent his final years in a nursing home in his hometown of Valkeakoski.
Following the passing of 107-year-old Gunnar Stolt (25 November 1916 – 2 March 2024) of Espoo, he became the oldest living man in Finland, at the age of 107 years, 46 days.
Following the passing of 110-year-old Gunnel Stenbäck (21 September 1914 – 30 November 2024) of Helsinki, he became the oldest living person in Finland, at the age of 107 years, 319 days.
The featured image is sourced from Apu.
We extend our heartfelt condolences to the family and loved ones of Arvi Hämäläinen during this difficult time.
