We defend Finland together – national parade on the Independence Day of Finland in Kouvola this year
The Finnish Defence Forces will celebrate the 108th Independence Day of Finland by way of a national parade on 6 December in Kouvola. The theme of the parade is We defend Finland together. The review of troops will take place at Kouvola Finnish baseball stadium, and the pass in review on Salpausselänkatu. The Finnish Defence Forces’ and other agencies’ equipment and activity will be available for familiarisation at Sumulaakso. The events are free of charge.
In Kouvola, the Independence Day festivities will start by a flag-raising ceremony at Kouvola City Hall. The wreath-laying ceremony will be at Lääninpuisto, and the Lutheran Service at Keskuskirkko Lutheran Church. From morning to afternoon, the Finnish Defence Forces’ and other agencies’ equipment and activity will be available for familiarisation at Sumulaakso.
The review of troops will start at the Finnish baseball stadium at 12. It is advisable to be on site well on time for the event, as the Utti Jaeger Regiment’s NH90 transport helicopter will fly over the stadium at 11:15, and the parade troops will start aligning to position at the review filed from 11:30 onwards.
The review of troops will be reviewed and the pass in review received by Military Representative of Finland to EU and NATO, Lieutenant General Kim Jäämeri. For the pass in review, on the pass in review podium site by Kymen Lukko on Salpausselänkatu, he will be accompanied by Mayor of Kouvola Ms Marita Toikka, and Chair of Kouvola City Mr Ville Kaunisto.
The parade’s guests of honour will be veterans and lottas of our wars.
The parade forces will be commanded by Chief of Operations, Army, Brigadier General Sami-Antti Takamaa. The field devotional will be held in the review of troops by Senior Military Chaplain of the Karelia Brigade Jarkko Lievonen. The parade arrangements are the responsibility of the Karelia Brigade and the music of the Dragoon Band. The parade will be moderated to the public by 1LT Peppiina Vihanta from the Karelia Brigade.
The parade will be participated by troops from the Army, Navy, Air Force, National Defence University, and the Finnish Border Guard, as well as from organisations of veterans and national defence, altogether up to c. 1,300 personnel in total.
The pass in review that is to start at 13:15 will include alongside dismounted troops c. 65 vehicles of the Finnish Defence Forces and other agencies.
The fly-pasts of the pass in review will be the responsibility of Army helicopters, and Air Force F/A-18 Hornet multirole fighters and Hawk jet trainers. The fly-pasts will cause aircraft noise over the area of Kouvola.
The parade troops will start the pass in review at the start point on Salpausselänkatu close to the crossing of Koulukatu. The pass in review will advance on Salpausselänkatu in the direction of the city centre.
Programme for the day
At 08:00 Flag-raising ceremony at Kouvola City Hall
At 09:15 Wreath-laying ceremony at Lääninpuisto
At 10:00 Lutheran Service at Keskuskirkko Lutheran Church
At 11:15 Flypast of an NH90 transport helicopter over Kouvola Finnish baseball stadium
From 11:30 onwards, parade troops’ alignment to position for the review of troops at Kouvola Finnish baseball stadium
At 12:00 Review of troops at Kouvola Finnish baseball stadium
At 13:15 Pass in review on Salpausselänkatu
At 09–16 Equipment display at Sumulaakso
Parade to affect overall traffic in Kouvola
The national parade on the Independence Day will affect traffic control and parking arrangements in Kouvola. From 5.12. onwards, parade preparations will start at the parade venues, and parade troops and equipment will arrive in Kouvola.
Parade preparations and equipment transfers will cause discontinuity in road use, and parking restrictions will apply along specific streets during 5.-6.12. More detailed information on traffic arrangements will be available from week 48 onwards.
On the Independence Day, the public is asked to arrive at event sites well in advance by foot.
The parade area is a no-flight zone, and drone operating remains strictly forbidden for sustained event safety with the exception of statutory authority functions.
Follow the parade
The events are free of charge, and we warmly welcome the public to follow the events of the Independence Day.
The parade may also be followed online on the channels of the Finnish Defence Forces:
puolustusvoimat.fi/en/the-finnish-independence-day
facebook.com/puolustus
x.com/puolustusvoimat
instagram.com/puolustusvoimat.fi
#puolustusvoimat #itsenäisyyspäivä #paraati
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