The excitement of the opening of the series of commemorations of the 81st anniversary of the Republic of Indonesia at the Indonesian Embassy in Helsinki

JAKARTA - At least 200 Indonesian people and diaspora enlivened the opening of a series of activities to commemorate the 81st anniversary of the Republic of Indonesia at the Indonesian Embassy in Helsinki, Finland.

This activity was started with the Happy Bicycle which was followed by about 20 cyclists on June 13. Starting and finishing at the Indonesian Embassy in Helsinki, the participants took a route of 10 kilometers around Laajalahti Bay.

Along the way, participants were treated to beautiful natural scenery, ranging from forest areas to the coast.

The Indonesian Ambassador to the Republic of Finland and the Republic of Estonia, Ibnu Wahyutomo, said the anniversary of the Indonesian Independence Day is an important momentum to continue to foster nationalism and strengthen the love of the country among the Indonesian people and diaspora.

"This series of activities is also a means to strengthen mutual understanding, not only between residents in Helsinki and its surroundings, but also with the diaspora from various cities in Finland to Estonia," explained Ambassador Ibnu, launching the statement from the Indonesian Embassy in Helsinki, (19/6).

In parallel, the Indonesian Embassy in Helsinki also held various traditional games divided into children's and adult categories.

For the children's category, the race includes carrying marbles with a spoon, moving marbles using chopsticks, and putting a flag into a bottle.

Meanwhile, the adult category presents the game of gaple, inserting a wire basin into a hole, a biscuit eating competition on the face, and PBB (Line Line Regulation) Ceria which invites laughter and enthusiasm from participants.

The excitement of the event was felt even more with the presence of various culinary specialties from the archipelago that whet the appetite, including grilled rice, various rice packages, rendang, balado beef jerky, meatballs, satay, pempek, to market snacks.

In addition, visitors can also find various Indonesian products, such as food ingredients, batik, and accessories.

Even though it was rained by a few drops of rain, the enthusiasm of the participants did not wane. The community and diaspora are still enthusiastic about participating in the dance with the accompaniment of typical Indonesian songs, such as Poco-Poco, Maumere, Tabola Bale, Pica Pica to Kicau Mania.

The participants who attended were not only from Helsinki and its surroundings, but also from various cities in Finland, such as Tampere, Turku to Kajaani, as well as from Estonia, which further added to the atmosphere of togetherness.

The series of Indonesian Independence Day celebrations held by the Indonesian Embassy in Helsinki also included a Merdeka Bazaar.

Previously, the Indonesian Embassy in Helsinki had also carried out ball pick-up services through the Consulate Shop program in Oulu and Vuolijoki in May 2026.

In the future, badminton, table tennis, and exhibition tennis matches will also be held in June and July.

All of these activities will be closed with a flag ceremony on August 17, 2026.