Urho Kekkonen - Tributes

Tributes

  • The Urho Kekkonen National Park, Finland's second largest national park, is named after Kekkonen.
  • The Urho Kekkonen museum was opened in Tamminiemi in 1987.
  • In Helsinki, the former Kampinkatu (Kamppi Street) was renamed Urho Kekkosen katu (Urho Kekkonen Street) in 1980.
  • Such was his impact on the Finnish political scene that Kekkonen's face appeared on the 500 Markka banknote during his term as President. The series of Finnish Markka banknotes used at this time was the second-to-last design series in the entire history of the currency. Very few Finns have ever got their face on a Markka note during their lifetime, and Kekkonen the last to do so. This banknote was declared Finland's most beautiful note according to voting organised by the commemorative coins and medal marketer Suomen Moneta on 1 April 2011.
  • To date, President Kekkonen is the only Finnish person to have a collector coin issued in his honour during his lifetime.
    • 25 Years of presidency of U. K. Kekkonen. The silver collector coin that pays homage to Urho Kekkonen, the longest-serving Finnish president, was issued in 1981, when he had served 25 years as the president. The coin also commemorated President Kekkonen's 80th birthday the previous year. Designed by sculptor Nina Terno, the symbolic reverse side of the coin depicts a ploughman with a pair of horses pulling a harrow. In 2010, Mint of Finland is re-releasing coins minted in 1981 from its vaults.
    • President U. K. Kekkonen 75th Birthday. The silver coin was issued on Kekkonen's birthday on 3 September 1975 to commemorate the president's 75th birthday. Designed by sculptor Heikki Häiväoja, the reverse side depicts four tall pine trees that symbolise the first four terms of President Kekkonen.
  • Itella (formerly Suomen Posti in Finnish) has issued four President Kekkonen commemorative postage stamps.
    • Name: 60th birthday of President Urho Kekkonen, issued: 03.09.1960, designed by Olavi Vepsäläinen
    • Name: 70th birthday of President Kekkonen, issued: 03.09.1970, designed by Eeva Oivo
    • Name: 80th birthday of President Kekkonen, issued: 03.09.1980, designed by Eeva Oivo
    • Name: President Kekkonen's mourning stamp, issued: 30.09.1986, designed by Eeva Oivo

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    “The fame of heroes owes little to the extent of their conquests and all to the success of the tributes paid to them.”
    —Jean Genet (1910–1986)