Construction work begins on the memorial project for the 1918 mass grave at Kalevankangas cemetery

The memorial project has been prepared in collaboration with the City of Tampere, Tampere Art Museum, the Historical Museums of Tampere, the Finnish Labour Museum Werstas, the Tampere Federation of Evangelical Lutheran Parishes, and representatives of various labour organisations. In addition to the City of Tampere, the project has received funding from several trade unions, political organisations, foundations, cooperatives and associations.

The project originated from a municipal initiative first submitted in 2013 and renewed in 2020, calling for the names of those buried in the mass grave at Kalevankangas Cemetery to be made visible at the memorial site. Research conducted by the Museum Centre Vapriikki indentified identified the names of 2500 people believed to have been buried there. Approximately 2,000 people died in the Battles of Tampere in the spring of 1918, and more than 1,200 additional people died at the prison camp established after the city’s capture. Most of the Red prisoners and combatants who died were buried anonymously in the mass grave at Kalevankangas. 

Due to the nature of the historical research, the list of names is not necessarily complete and may contain inaccuracies.The grave also contains civilians, White combatants and a small number of Russians. The research was conducted by Antti Hannunen with support from the City of Tampere, the Finnish Labour Museum Werstas and the Emil Aaltonen Foundation.

The renewal of the memorial site includes new structures displaying the names of those buried in the mass grave, new pathways, electrical and lighting installations, a new memorial plaque, and landscaping and restoration work. The project has been implemented in stages since 2023, with the plans adapted to the available budget while maintaining the intended overall quality and appearance of the site.

The construction contract was awarded to Karhen Rakennus Oy, while Metallityöliike Juholat Oy was selected to manufacture the name structures. In addition, a new memorial plaque designed by visual artist Johanna Lecklin will be installed at the site. The plaque, with a production cost of approximately €30,000, will become part of the City of Tampere’s art collection.

The estimated total cost of the project is approximately €214,000.