Anonymous
6/24/2025, 1:59:06 PM No.212067738
>Hancock named 2026 Finno-Ugric Capital of Culture
>HANCOCK, Mich. (WLUC) - This year, the summer solstice held a special meaning in Hancock, as it was officially named the 2026 Finno-Ugric Capital of Culture.
>The designation was announced during the inaugural Juhannus Summer Solstice Celebration on June 21.
>This marks the first time ever that a city in the United States is designated as the Capital of Culture.
>The Finno-Ugric Capitals of Culture movement serves to raise awareness of the Finno-Ugric peoples and languages. This includes people from Finland, Estonia, Hungary, Russia and other areas that predominantly speak the Uralic languages. The movement also serves to boost development in the Finno-Ugric world.
>Hancock was invited by Fenno-Ugria and its partners to apply to be the Finno-Ugric Capital of Culture. Jim Kurtti, the Honorary Consul of Finland in the Upper Peninsula, says he wanted the title for the city.
>“I think it should be [the capital],” Kurtti said. “We really should be because we’ve really exhibited that even after generation and generation, we’ve maintained this identity. We’ve worked hard at keeping it authentic.”
>Kurtti also serves as the chair of Copper Country Finns & Friends. Kurtti describes Hancock as the pesäpaikka, or nesting place, of Finnish American culture.
>Part of the authenticity Kurtti mentioned is found in keeping tradition alive from generation to generation.
>Hancock Rotary Club President Melissa Maki says Hancock is just like home for Finnish people.
>“Everybody knows that Hancock is the cultural hub for Finnish Americans in the United States,” Maki said. “Even the street signs here are in a different language. I tell my friends in Finland, ‘You should come visit; it’d be just like being at home,’ but the Finnish pride, particularly in the city of Hancock, is so strong and so important for so many people.”
>HANCOCK, Mich. (WLUC) - This year, the summer solstice held a special meaning in Hancock, as it was officially named the 2026 Finno-Ugric Capital of Culture.
>The designation was announced during the inaugural Juhannus Summer Solstice Celebration on June 21.
>This marks the first time ever that a city in the United States is designated as the Capital of Culture.
>The Finno-Ugric Capitals of Culture movement serves to raise awareness of the Finno-Ugric peoples and languages. This includes people from Finland, Estonia, Hungary, Russia and other areas that predominantly speak the Uralic languages. The movement also serves to boost development in the Finno-Ugric world.
>Hancock was invited by Fenno-Ugria and its partners to apply to be the Finno-Ugric Capital of Culture. Jim Kurtti, the Honorary Consul of Finland in the Upper Peninsula, says he wanted the title for the city.
>“I think it should be [the capital],” Kurtti said. “We really should be because we’ve really exhibited that even after generation and generation, we’ve maintained this identity. We’ve worked hard at keeping it authentic.”
>Kurtti also serves as the chair of Copper Country Finns & Friends. Kurtti describes Hancock as the pesäpaikka, or nesting place, of Finnish American culture.
>Part of the authenticity Kurtti mentioned is found in keeping tradition alive from generation to generation.
>Hancock Rotary Club President Melissa Maki says Hancock is just like home for Finnish people.
>“Everybody knows that Hancock is the cultural hub for Finnish Americans in the United States,” Maki said. “Even the street signs here are in a different language. I tell my friends in Finland, ‘You should come visit; it’d be just like being at home,’ but the Finnish pride, particularly in the city of Hancock, is so strong and so important for so many people.”
Replies:
