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Arvi Hämäläinen
Arvi Hamalainen
Centenarian

Arvi Hämäläinen (16 January 1917 – 17 January 2025) was a Russian-born Finnish centenarian who was the oldest living person in Finland and the oldest living man in the Nordic countries at the time of his death.

Biography[]

Arvi Hämäläinen was born in Metsäpirtti, Karelian Isthmus, then part of the Grand Duchy of Finland (now a part of Russia) on 16 January 1917. He had three sisters and one brother. His father died during a fishing trip when Arvi was 10 years old.

Hämäläinen was conscripted into the Finnish army in 1938. During the Winter War (1939-40), he served as an artillery range measurer. His home was left behind the new Finnish-Russian border. During the next few years, Hämäläinen continued serving in an artillery regiment and held the rank of sergeant. In 1944, after the Continuation War was over, Hämäläinen stayed in the Finnish military and was involved in de-mining near the Gulf of Finland. In 1945, Hämäläinen resigned from his job in the military. He then briefly studied the forest industry.

Hämäläinen was interested in sewing and tailoring. With the help of his sister, Hämäläinen started practicing needlework and dressmaking. He then started designing suits and dresses. In 1947, Hämäläinen married his wife Aune, and they had a daughter in 1951. The young family then moved to Valkeakoski, Finland, where his wife got a job working in the shoe and cloth department. Hämäläinen dedicated one room in their apartment to his profession as a tailor. A few years later, they moved to a new apartment building. Hämäläinen lived there for over 65 years.

Hämäläinen enjoyed his work sewing dresses and suits; customers would sometimes come from far away to get their clothes done by him. He read foreign fashion magazines to get ideas for new designs. According to his own words, Arvi was more like an engineer instead of an artist. He made his last suit at age 85.

Hämäläinen was widowed in 1994, and his only daughter lives in Germany. At age 102, he was very active, starting every day by exercising with his bike. He also did some weightlifting at home, played chess, took walks with a walker, and did his own shopping. Hämäläinen also actively followed the news, voted and occasionally watched local football (soccer) games. He moved to a retirement home some time prior to August 2023, when he was 106 years old.

On 2 March 2024, following the death of 107-year-old Gunnar Stolt, Hämäläinen became the oldest living man in Finland.

On 30 November 2024, following the death of 110-year-old Gunnel Stenbäck, Hämäläinen became the oldest living person in Finland.

On 1 January 2025, following the death of 108-year-old Dumitru Curta of Sweden, Hämäläinen became the oldest living man in the Nordic countries.

Arvi Hämäläinen died on the night of 17 January 2025 in Valkeakoski, Pirkanmaa, Finland, one day after his 108th birthday. He was the last Finnish male subject of Nicholas II and the last Finnish man born in the Russian Empire.

Gallery[]

References[]


Finland's Oldest Living Person Titleholders (VE)

Eva EnstromIsak SmedbergHedvig SateriAnders LindholmMaria HolmbergMaria AhonenLeena LindqvistKajsa FellmanSofie TornuddMaria KoskinenFredrika MannistoErkki HelminenHeikki KamarainenAlexander von StahlOlivia RosvallGreta HelinKajsa Stina ForsstromEva BlomqvistMaria PekuriEmma HeikkilaInes AchrenOlga ToivonenElina PeuralaAleksandra LindroosElisabeth RantamakiLiisa StrellmanAmalia WalleniusIda SaarinenMaria ValimakiAndrei KuznetsoffMathilda HonkaFanny NystromIda Virenius • Klaara Tyyniaho • Amanda Moksi • Maria Rothovius • Daisy Gohle • Sigrid Viik • Hilda Hakkinen • Anna Hagman • Elsa Tilkanen • Aarne Arvonen • Viljo Kekola • Jussi Leskinen • Aino Yrttimaa • Selma Tuominen • Helvi Karki • Helfrid Eriksson • Saara AhonenHelvi HarmaAstrid QvistSirkka NieminenHelvi KissalaGunnel StenbackArvi HamalainenHelena Honkanen


Finland's Oldest Living Man Titleholders (VE)

Kalle PynnonenOtto SetalaKalle SarajarviJustus LokkaJaakko MakinenAndrei KuznetsoffFrans StoltAlbin KarttunenMatti RuuskaTuomas AhoHeikki TeravainenJalmari KivenheimoAleksi LampenLauri KoivistoTaavetti KolariEemil KayhtyEino TaskinenAntti Kamarainen • Efraim Uusi-Kauppila • Vaino Hanhijoki • Aarne Arvonen • Viljo Kekola • Jussi Leskinen • Vilho Maenpaa • Ragnar LindholmToivo Rantala • Harry Holtti • Kalle Rahomaki • Otto Auloste • Erkki KivistoVaino Loisa • Martti Mikkonen • Eino TamminenYrjo PrittinenJuho LipponenGunnar StoltArvi HamalainenEsko Penttinen

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