• Source: Order of the Lion of Finland

The Order of the Lion of Finland (Finnish: Suomen Leijonan ritarikunta; Swedish: Finlands Lejons orden) is one of three official orders in Finland, along with the Order of the Cross of Liberty and the Order of the White Rose of Finland. The President of Finland is the Grand Master of all three orders. The orders are administered by boards consisting of a chancellor, a vice-chancellor and at least four members. The orders of the White Rose of Finland and the Lion of Finland have a joint board. The President of Finland wears the Star of the Order of the Lion of Finland.




History


The Order of the Lion of Finland was established on September 11, 1942. At that time, Finland was waging the Continuation War. Wartime diplomacy included a heightened need to decorate particularly foreigners from aligned countries, chiefly Germany. The existing Finnish orders – the Order of the Cross of Liberty and the Order of the White Rose of Finland – could not keep up with the decorations and their highest grades were in danger to become inflated due to too many holders. The Order of the Lion of Finland was thus established to allow the continuation of decorating foreigners with high ranks in Finnish orders, although the Order of the Lion of Finland can also be awarded to Finnish nationals. The new order also allowed for more flexible decorations, taking in account the rank and achievements of the recipients.
In January 1998 President Martti Ahtisaari was criticized by some NGOs, politicians and notable cultural figures because he awarded Commander of the Order of the Lion of Finland to Djamaludin Suryohadikusumo, the Forest Minister of Indonesia, and to Sukanto Tanoto, the main owner of the Indonesian RGM Company, a parent company of the April Company. The April Company was criticized by non-governmental organisations for destroying rainforests, and Indonesia itself was criticized heavily for human right violations, especially in East Timor. Ahtisaari's party chairman Erkki Tuomioja said that giving the medals was questionable since he feared the act may tarnish the public image of Finnish human rights policy. Students of the arts had demonstrations in Helsinki against the decision to give medals. Artist Marjatta Hanhijoki and author Leena Krohn returned their Pro Finlandia medals to protest the Indonesian decorations.
Finnish Olympic and Paralympic medalists are awarded Knight or Knight, First Class, with clasps.
Ambassadors accredited to Helsinki leaving their post are given the Grand Cross provided that their country also awards medals reciprocally.




Classes


The classes of the Order of the Lion of Finland are:

Commander Grand Cross of the Order of the Lion of Finland
Commander, First Class, of the Order of the Lion of Finland
Commander of the Order of the Lion of Finland
Pro Finlandia Medal of the Order of the Lion of Finland (awarded to artists and writers)
Knight, First Class, of the Order of the Lion of Finland
Knight of the Order of the Lion of Finland
Cross of Merit of the Order of the Lion of Finland




Recipients






= Grand Cross

=




See also


Orders, decorations, and medals of Finland




References






= Works cited

=
Matikkala, Antti (2017a). Suomen Valkoisen Ruusun ja Suomen Leijonan ritarikunnat (in Finnish). Helsinki: Edita. ISBN 978-951-37-7005-1.
Matikkala, Antti (2017b). Kunnian ruletti: Korkeimmat ulkomaalaisille 1941-1944 annetut suomalaiset kunniamerkit (in Finnish). Helsinki: Suomalaisen Kirjallisuuden Seura. ISBN 978-952-222-847-5.




Further reading


Finnish Orders of Merit: 100 Years (PDF). Helsinki: National Archives of Finland, The Orders of the White Rose of Finland and the Lion of Finland, The Order of the Cross of Liberty. 2018. ISBN 978-952-7323-00-7.
A Guide to the Orders and Decorations of Finland. Helsinki: The Orders of the White Rose of Finland and the Lion of Finland. 2017. ISBN 978-951-37-7191-1.




External links



The Orders of the White Rose of Finland and the Lion of Finland
11.9.1942/747 Decree. On the establishment of the Order of the Lion of Finland. Finlex.
ritarikunnat.fi
The Office of the President of the Republic of Finland (Decorations)

Kata Kunci Pencarian:

• Iris Indira Murti
• Frederik X dari Denmark
• Henri dari Luksemburg
• Bhumibol Adulyadej
• Philippe dari Belgia
• Abdullah II dari Yordania
• Margot Fonteyn
• Mary, Permaisuri Denmark
• Hussein dari Yordania
• Kaarlo Halttunen
• Order of the Lion of Finland
• Order of the White Rose of Finland
• Order of the Cross of Liberty
• Orders, decorations, and medals of Finland
• Order of the Lion
• National Order of the Lion
• Coat of arms of Finland
• Order of merit
• Colin Beyer
• Mohammad Reza Pahlavi