25 January 1940(1940-01-25) (aged 40) Impilahti, Russian SFSR, Soviet Union
Cause of death
Killed in action
Citizenship
Finland
Political party
Patriotic People's Movement
Education
Honors Degree in Theology at University of Helsinki
Occupation
Priest
Known for
Political activist
Military service
Allegiance
Finland
Branch/service
Infantry
Years of service
1940
Unit
JR 39
Battles/wars
Winter War
Lauri Elias Simojoki (28 January 1899 – 25 January 1940) was a Finnish clergyman who became a leading figure in the country's far right movement.
The son of a clergyman, Simojoki was born on 28 January 1899 in Rautio.[1] As a youth he saw service in the struggle for Finnish independence and then with the Forest Guerrillas in East Karelia.[1] A student in theology at the University of Helsinki, he became involved in the formation of Academic Karelia Society, serving as chairman from 1922-1923 and secretary from 1923-1924.[1] He advocated the union of all Finnish people into a Greater Finland whilst in this post.[1] Strongly influenced by Russophobia, the student Simojoki addressed a rally on 'Kalevala Day' in 1923 with the slogan "In the name of Finland's lost honour and her coming greatness, death to the Ruskis."[2]
Simojoki was ordained as a minister in 1925 and he held the chaplaincy at Kiuruvesi from 1929 until his death.[1] He became involved with the Patriotic People's Movement and, in 1933, took command of their youth movement, Sinimustat (The Blue-and-Blacks), which looked for inspiration to similar movements amongst fascist parties in Germany and Italy.[1] The movement was banned in 1936 due to its involvement in revolutionary activity in Estonia, although Simojoki continued to serve as a leading member of the Patriotic People's Movement.[1] He was a Member of Parliament in 1933-1939. He founded a second youth group, Mustapaidat (the Black Shirts), in 1937, although this proved less successful.[1]
When the Winter War broke out in 1939, Simojoki enlisted as a chaplain in the Finnish Army.[1] He was killed in action on Koirinoja's ice in Impilahti, while putting down a wounded horse in no man's land. After the Finnish troops were unable to put down the horse from their positions, Simojoki skied to the horse and euthanized it with a pistol. Having done that, he was gunned down by a Soviet machine gun.[3]
^ abcdefghiPhilip Rees, Biographical Dictionary of the Extreme Right Since 1890, Simon & Schuster, 1990, p. 359
^Christopher S. Browning, Constructivism, Narrative and Foreign Policy Analysis: A Case Study of Finland, Peter Lang, 2008, p. 129
^Virkkunen, Sakari (1975). Elias Simojoki – legenda jo eläessään. WSOY. p. 218. ISBN 951 0-06258-8.
Lauri EliasSimojoki (28 January 1899 – 25 January 1940) was a Finnish clergyman who became a leading figure in the country's far right movement. The son...
inspiration for the Patriotic People's Movement and a close friend of EliasSimojoki, although he did not join the group and instead became a vocal supporter...
Lutherans (körtti) Vihtori Kosola and Vilho Annala respectively. Pastor EliasSimojoki led the IKL's youth organization the Blue-and-Blacks. the German Christians...
Rome and its origins were purely domestic. The group was founded by EliasSimojoki, Erkki Räikkönen and Reino Vähäkallio. A bullet was sewn in the black...
Himanka) Wäinö Palmqvist (1882 — 1964) Vilho Kivioja (1896 – 1977) EliasSimojoki (1899 – 1940; born in Rautio) Kauko Tuupainen (1940 – ) Antti Haapakoski...
driver[citation needed] Paavo Lonkila, cross country skier[citation needed] EliasSimojoki, leading figure in the fascist movement in the 1930s[citation needed]...
jazz musician who became interested in music at her father's church. EliasSimojoki – Finnish Fascist clergyman. Nina Simone – her mother was a Methodist...
was merged back into Kalajoki in 1973. Leonard Typpö (1868 – 1922) EliasSimojoki (1899 – 1940) "SuomalainenPaikannimikirja_e-kirja_kuvallinen.pdf" (PDF)...
Hämeenpuisto Park in 1921. The model of the figure was the far-right priest EliasSimojoki. The statue is holding a sword pointed towards the Tampere Workers'...
businessman, a member of the Finnish White Guard and a Nazi politician EliasSimojoki (1899–1940), clergyman Basilius Suosaari (born Vasili Tichanoff; 1861–1939)...
Helsinki on 9 October. The eulogy was delivered by EliasSimojoki whilst hundreds of members of Simojoki's Sinimustat youth movement and the Academic Karelia...
named after prominent Finns and patriots (such as Mannerheim, Elias Lönnrot, EliasSimojoki and Paavo Talvela), and also after names featured in the Kalevala...
Salmiala (1933–1945) Kaarlo Salovaara (1936–1939) Yrjö Schildt (1933–1936) EliasSimojoki (1933–1939) Arne Somersalo (1933–1936) Paavo Susitaival (1939–1940)...
the border of Norrland was drawn at the rivers Kaakamojoki or, later, Simojoki. This changed when the eastern half of Sweden (Finland) was lost to Russia...
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