HS Helsinki The meticulous details of Kallio Church got Veli-Pekka Bäckman in his arms – Now she presents her special work of stepping into the church with a tape measure

Pirkanmaa Living in Sastamala Brother-Pekka Bäckman has made cardboard scale models of Helsinki’s churches.

He has scale models of the churches in Huopalahti, Kallio, Kannelmäki, Käpylä, Munkkiniemi, Munkkivuori and Pitäjämäki, as well as the old and new churches in Oulunkylä.

Bäckman took its first steps in the career of a cardboard designer as early as the 1970s.

“Behind the cereal package was a cardboard building set from which it was possible to build a wild west saloon, for example. I put together a saloon, and that was the beginning of my hobby, ”Bäckman says in a telephone interview.

The cardboard figures found in the cereal packages were later followed when Bäckman made a cardboard model of Turku Castle. Gradually, the hobby became a job when Bäckman no longer made cardboard designs just for his own pleasure.

“In 2006, I was visiting the Akseli Gallen-Kallela Museum in Tarvaspää, my former workplace. There I put forward the idea of ​​a small-scale cardboard model, the model of which would be Tarvaspää. The scale model was realized and ended up in a museum shop. ”

In 2016 Bäckman made a cardboard model of his home church, St. Olaf’s Church in Sastamala. That is where the construction of churches began.

The pastors of the parishes of Finström and Lemland in Åland had heard that a cardboard model had been completed from St. Olaf’s Church and had also ordered cardboard scale models for their own parishes.

Next the making of cardboard churches expanded to mainland Finland. Bäckman received a scholarship from the St. Henry’s Foundation and used it to build cardboard scale models of eight churches in the Turku Archdiocese.

Last year in Helsinki, Bäckman designed the first scale model of a cardboard church from Pitäjänmäki Church.

“My daughter moved to Helsinki, and Pitäjänmäki became her new home church. He told the pastor about the cardboard churches he had been involved in making. The pastor then decided to order a cardboard scale model from Pitäjämäki Church, ”says Bäckman.

After the completion of the Pitäjämäki cardboard church, other pastors in Helsinki also got excited to order cardboard scale models from their churches. In addition to Pitäjänmäki, Bäckman has now made cardboard scale models of the churches in Huopalahti, Kallio, Kannelmäki, Käpylä, Munkkiniemi, Munkkivuori and Oulunkylä in Helsinki.

Few Helsinki’s churches posed more of a challenge to the cardboard builder.

“Kallio Church is an iconic site with a lot of fine detail. The rock church was complicated to do, it gave a great example of work. The challenge from Huopalahti Church was its height differences. The church building is on a steep slope, and the belfry is on a different level from the church building. ”

There was also enough to think about in the cardboard modeling of the church in Kannelmäki.

“The sloping surfaces of the roof of Kannelmäki Church look both convex horizontally and concave vertically at the same time. That’s why I had to think about how the church could be described as a cardboard model. ”

Bäckman’s own favorite is Pitäjänmäki Church.

“What is attractive about Pitäjänmäki Church is that it has a parish center in connection with the church. In addition, the church is cozy in the middle of the settlement, surrounded by apartment buildings. ”

Cardboard church construction usually begins with Bäckman visiting the site to see what the church looks like.

“It’s always an experience to visit the site on site, taking measurements of dead corners, windows and heights of eaves. In addition, I take photographs to support the building drawings and as a color model. ”

It usually takes three to four days to make a cardboard church. The completion schedule depends on what other projects Bäckman is running.

“I first draw with a pencil all the necessary parts without precise composition. Then I put together a model. ”

On the basis of the first model, he draws up the actual model to be assembled.

“Once the bugs are fixed, I draw the sheet clean with a marker and paint it with watercolors. From the sheet print, I assemble a four-color model, describe it and design the whole with assembly instructions. The size of the final printed product is usually A4 or folded A3, ”says Bäckman.

Congregations have usually ordered 300 copies of the cardboard churches.

“Congregations have wanted to distribute cardboard churches to homes. Cardboard churches may also have adorned the coffee tables. Cardboard churches have also been assembled in the craft circles of the penitentiary schools, ”says Bäckman.

He has no colleagues as a maker of cardboard churches in Finland.

“Assistant Professor at the Department of Architectural History and Restoration, Aalto University Panu Savolainen has made cardboard models of Turku Cathedral and the churches of Kemiö and Ravattula. I am not aware that many others have modeled its cardboard churches in Finland more systematically. The Petäjävesi log church was made into a cardboard model in the 1950s, but I don’t know the author. “

Bäckman makes cardboard churches alongside his other work. The history and spectrum of the man’s work is breathtaking. He is a stonemason by training and makes tombstones.

In addition to this, Bäckman has much more:

“I have composed musical theater songs and a lot of vocal music. I also teach piano and work as a choir director. In addition, I have a Latin teacher education and I teach Latin. ”

“I have also worked as a hat maker and seamstress. In Denmark, I was once the cantor of the Finnish congregation and a full-time clown. ”

The last ones for four years Bäckman has had its own lemonade factory.

In 2018, he started again with his grandfather, the pharmacist of Tyrvää Otfried A. Bäckmanin (1860–1938). Pharmacy Bäckman’s lemonades are sold in cafés and shops in the Pirkanmaa region.

“I want to produce experiences for others to make their lives rich. I feel like I’m reaching my goal. ”