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The Kalevala as a Soviet-Finnish Epic

The Kalevala has again become a heated topic in Finland: The European Commission awarded the Kalevala, representing “Karelian and Finnish cultural heritage,” the European Heritage Label in April 2024. However, some Finnish Karelians are claiming the Kalevala as the Karelian national epic and criticizing Elias Lönnrot and Finnish national culture, t...

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