The presentation of the book "A History of Finland" took place (photos)

The presentation of the book "A History of Finland" was generally about learning from Finland's successful experience. According to Davit Sargsyan, the translator of the book, the careful attitude towards one's own country, and building a state silently and patiently is very impressive. "We went through the same upheavals, but the Finns succeeded, we failed, they achieved what we lost and they did what we could only desire”.

According to Gnel Nalbandian, the editor of the Armenian edition of the book, this book is also important for the Armenian reader in the sense that it is a sample of unfettered, free historiography. "The book is very important especially for Armenia, because the Armenian society is currently discussing the issue of history textbooks. Calling it "History of Armenia", "History of Armenians" or "History of the Republic of Armenia" seems to be just a matter of wording, but under each wording, there is a political and propaganda base. And it can significantly affect our students in schools, students in universities. Different generations will suffer from the unnecessary politicization of history textbooks. That is why we must be very careful when reading the text, and I would like to emphasize that we must learn not only how to create a history, but also how to write it."

According to the United Nations, Finland is the happiest country in the world, and Finland has held that title for years. Kirsti Narinen, Ambassador of Finland to Armenia, emphasized, that it is important to understand what the elements of happiness are for a happy state. "Finns are shocked every time they are told that they live in the happiest country of the world. It is important for every country to conceptualize happiness, what are the things that would make you happy, what are the elements that would make Armenia happy?"

According to Artak Apitonyan, former ambassador of Armenia to Finland, and the CEO of the FUTURE ARMENIAN Development Foundation, the example of Finland is instructive for Armenia in three ways. "First is the Finnish experience in navigating in deep waters in troubled times. The second is the Finnish experience of the defense system based on the total defense principle. The third one is the Finnish experience in participatory democracy, collective decision-making."

Professor Henrik Meinander, the author of the book, expressed deep admiration for Armenian history and culture. He emphasized that the primary imperative of any nation is the preservation of its existence. "These past three days have been incredibly interesting to discuss your country and your history, your future. During these three days, I understood how old culture you have, and what fantastic different historical layers you have. As a historian, I envy you. Finland’s history is much shorter”.

The book "A History of Finland" is available in bookstores and on newmag.am.

Professor Henrik Meinander's most famous work was published in Armenian in cooperation with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Finland and the "Finni" brand.