Kouvola to host Nat´l Parade on Independence Day this year

The National Parade on the 108^th Independence Day of Finland will be held in Kouvola this year on December 6, said Finnish Defense Forces in a press release on Monday.

The theme of the parade this year is “We defend Finland together”.

The Independence Day festivities will start by a flag-hoisting ceremony at Kouvola City Hall.

The wreath-laying ceremony will be at Lääninpuisto, and the Lutheran Service at Keskuskirkko Lutheran Church.

From morning to afternoon, the Finnish Defence Forces’ and other agencies’ equipment and activity will be available for familiarisation at Sumulaakso.

The review of troops will start at the Finnish baseball stadium at 12:00 noon. It is advisable to be on site well on time for the event, as the Utti Jaeger Regiment’s NH90 transport helicopter will fly over the stadium at 11:15, and the parade troops will start aligning to position at the review filed from 11:30 onwards.

The review of troops will be reviewed and the pass in review received by Military Representative of Finland to EU and NATO, Lieutenant General Kim Jäämeri.

For the pass in review, on the pass in review podium site by Kymen Lukko on Salpausselänkatu, he will be accompanied by Mayor of Kouvola Marita Toikka, and Chair of Kouvola City Ville Kaunisto.

The parade’s guests of honour will be veterans and lottas of our wars.

The parade forces will be commanded by Chief of Operations, Army, Brigadier General Sami-Antti Takamaa. The field devotional will be held in the review of troops by Senior Military Chaplain of the Karelia Brigade Jarkko Lievonen.

The parade arrangements are the responsibility of the Karelia Brigade and the music of the Dragoon Band. The parade will be moderated to the public by 1LT Peppiina Vihanta from the Karelia Brigade.

The parade will be participated by troops from the Army, Navy, Air Force, National Defence University, and the Finnish Border Guard, as well as from organisations of veterans and national defence, altogether up to about 1,300 personnel in total.

The pass in review that is to start at 13:15 will include alongside dismounted troops about 65 vehicles of the Finnish Defence Forces and other agencies.

The fly-pasts of the pass in review will be the responsibility of Army helicopters, and Air Force F/A-18 Hornet multirole fighters and Hawk jet trainers. The fly-pasts will cause aircraft noise over the area of Kouvola.

The parade troops will start the pass in review at the start point on Salpausselänkatu close to the crossing of Koulukatu. The pass in review will advance on Salpausselänkatu in the direction of the city centre.

The national parade on the Independence Day will affect traffic control and parking arrangements in Kouvola.