Siilinjärvi, with more than 21,000 inhabitants, goes against the flow in many respects. The population has grown, there are few unemployed and people are enjoying themselves. Kuopio has often offered to merge with municipalities – so far without success.
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Municipal map looks suspicious here.
In the south is Kuopio. Likewise in the East and the West. In the north, there is a small land border with Lapinlahti, but otherwise the central city of the province surrounds us from every direction.
This municipality in the embrace of Kuopio is called Siilinjärvi.
Plenty With 21,000 inhabitants, Siilinjärvi is a freak of the municipal field. While the future of Eastern Finland's municipalities is full of warning signs, Siilinjärvi collects the titles of successful municipality year after year.
Finland second most satisfied residents in 2015. Finland the most small house-friendly municipality in 2017. The second lowest unemployment in Pohjois-Savo, ahead only of the forest machinery company Ponssen winged Vieremä.
In 2022, Siilinjärvi had the largest inter-municipal migration gain of all the municipalities in Eastern Finland in the January–June preliminary data of the Statistics Finland. It was ranked 18th in the statistics of the whole country as well. The top twenty are dominated by the municipalities of Helsinki, Tampere and Turku.
Luck has also favored it. In 2019, the team from Siilinjärve experienced the biggest disaster in the history of Finland Eurojackpot win. The municipality got 50 new millionaires overnight.
The population has grown, people have jobs, and they still seem to be having a good time.
What is the secret of the municipality of Northern Savonia?
Siilinjärvi goes against the current in many matters, says the municipal manager Janne Airaksinen.
“We are building more. Even now, the look of the city center is being renewed and there are six apartment buildings under construction. Plots for detached houses are well available.”
According to Airaksinen, the location “next to” Kuopio also helps: two thousand people from Siilinjärvi work in Kuopio.
The mayor is a bit modest in his speech. Less than ten years ago, Siilinjärvi was almost surrounded by Kuopio, when the neighboring municipalities of Maaninka and Nilsiä were annexed to Kuopio.
Municipal manager Janne Airaksinen (left) talking with Joni Miettinen. Miettinen is working at the construction site of the new municipal hall. The municipality's operations are moving to an office building built by a private operator, where other operators are also coming.
Speeches and negotiations on the merger of Kuopio and the successful Siilinjärvi have taken place. They have followed the same formula time and time again: Kuopio tries to entice Siilinjärvi to join, but Siilinjärvi refuses.
Is Siilinjärvi a leech on Kuopio's back?
“I wouldn't say that at all,” Airaksinen answers with a laugh.
“Yes, on Independence Day, we were able to sit at the same table with the mayor of Kuopio. We have common interests in the development of the entire region.”
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“Municipals are active, jobs are nearby and leisure opportunities are in order.”
in North Savo the marching order of the municipalities was clear for a long time. Kuopio has always been the largest, followed by the municipalities of Siilinjärvi, Iisalmi and Varkaus with around 20,000 inhabitants.
In past years, the traditional industrial towns of Iisalmi and Varkaus pulled a longer line. Since then, the scale has fluctuated.
Siilinjärvi has become the second city in the province, Airaksinen download.
“Municipals are active, jobs are nearby and leisure opportunities are in order.”
Sinikka Kinnunen enjoys Siilinjärvi.
In the villages it becomes clear that the independence of “Hedgehog” is not taken for granted. The people of Siilinjärve have a strong identity and faith in the future.
“We've had good municipal leaders and a few unemployed people”, estimates the soon-to-be 60-year-old resident of Siilinjärvi Sinikka Kinnunen.
“I have nothing bad to say about Siilinjärvi. If only I could stay healthy myself.”
Along the same lines, he also moved from Tampere to Siilinjärvi 12 years ago Elina Korhonen.
“Siilinjärvi is quite small. There aren't too many people here.”
Elina Korhonen (second right) has applied for Sanni Rantonen (left), Tilda Immonen and Aleksi Rissanen's school.
“Hey, are you going to swim?” asks the service manager Enni Piippo relaxation spa at the Fontanella counter.
He and his spouse bought a house in Siilinjärvi in 2020. Before that, the home was in Kuopio during his studies and originally in Kiuruvedi. Apartments in Siilinjärvi are more affordable than in Kuopio.
“Siilinjärvi has a good atmosphere and sense of community. Life is more relaxed than in Kuopio, but Kuopio is still close,” Piippo says as if to repeat the mayor's message.
“I'd rather live here than in Kuopio. It was easy to come to Siilinjärvi as an out-of-towner.”
Enni Piippo moved to Siilinjärvi from Kuopio. In Siilinjärvi, he would improve the youth's leisure opportunities: “They are still quite traditional.”
Kuopio and Siilinjärvi's competition will also continue at Tarinagolf's yard. In the summer, golf balls are hit in the fields, in the winter, the poles are given a ride.
“The slopes are in good condition, Siili covers Puijo 100-0”, states the one who has just finished his ski run Esko Home.
Homeland and his spouse Riitta Kotimaa are really iron skiers. 3,000 kilometers are accumulated a year, they say.
“Nowadays we are lifestyle counselors, some years already retired,” Esko Kotimaa grunts.
The couple is not surprised by the attention to Siilinjärvi's success. They live in Vuorela in Etelä Siilinjärvi, right next to the Kuopio border. They also say that they are satisfied that Siilinjärvi has remained independent, “even though Kuopio has courted”.
“Nearby is a health center, a dental clinic, slopes and a spa Kunnonpaikka. Could it be better? We have liked living here for over 30 years,” says Riitta Kotimaa.
“Furthermore, Siilinjärvi has a large Yara or former Kemira factory. It has been a stable player, and without it we probably wouldn't be here”, adds Esko Kotimaa.
Riitta and Esko Kotimaa (behind) ski up to 3,000 kilometers a year. In their opinion, Siilinjärvi takes better care of the ski slopes than Kuopio.
Location, tranquility, services, construction. The same points come up repeatedly.
“Siilinjärvi is really safe. After all, here we live a little in the lord's purse,” says municipal manager Airaksinen.
Of course, you can leave Siilinjärvi if you want. There is VR's long-distance train station, Viitostie, which runs through the municipality, and the airport, which is named after the neighboring municipality of Kuopio. Karelia's airport is also located at Kuopio airport, i.e. Rissala in Siilinjärvi.
Does the gentleman's purse have any weaknesses? Airaksinen thinks for a long time before answering.
“Municipal economy. In that, we are no different from other municipalities,” he says.
“However, we have made bold investments. Siilinjärve's identity includes doing and not pretending and being proud of our municipality.”
Story edited on 21.12. 10:17 a.m.: Refined the caption about the municipal building site.
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