The eighth "100 deeds" recognition was awarded to the unknown person who has been clothing the Martti statue on Oulu City Hall grounds.
Over the years, the bronze statue by Sanna Koivisto depicting a little boy, known as Martti, which is part of the statue The Course of Time, has been clothed in hand-knitted garments to protect him from the elements. In the winter, Martti has been wrapped up in a number of garments, including a cape, muffler, woolly hat and socks.
The identity of the person providing the clothes has remained a mystery. Even though the statue is situated right behind Oulu City Hall, the mystery person has not been seen by any of the staff: "We have no idea of whether one or more persons are involved."
Martti´s clothes appear in the winter; come spring, they disappear.
It seems likely that the person providing the clothes also removes them; according to Risto Ojala, the gardener responsible for the upkeep of the area, the gardeners working there have not touched the clothes, as they cause no problems.
It was the staff at City Communications who came up with the idea of recognising the person who has been providing clothes for Martti. "We talked about how the statue had always been treated well and how people had really taken it to their hearts.
Someone suggested that the person clothing Martti deserved to be among those who are recognised for deeds aimed to improve Oulu", says Sirkka Keränen, Director of Communications.
The Course of Time consists of 32 miniature bronze statues depicting the history and development of life and business in Oulu. According to Keränen, Martti, the last statue in the procession, is the clear favourite.