Eino Tainio facts for kids

Eino Alfred Tainio (born September 8, 1905 – died July 23, 1970) was a Finnish politician and a printer. He was a member of the Parliament of Finland, which is Finland's main law-making body.

Tainio belonged to the Communist Party of Finland (SKP) and the Finnish People's Democratic League (SKDL). He represented the Lapland area in Parliament from April 1945 to March 1970. Before he was elected, he spent over twelve years in prison because of his political beliefs.

Early Life and Work

Eino Tainio was born on September 8, 1905, in Kemi, a town in northern Finland. At that time, Finland was part of the Russian Empire.

He went to a regular school and also to a special school for artisans. Eino worked as a printer for several newspapers. These included Pohjolan Sanomat from 1919 to 1921. He also worked for Yhtyneet Painot OY and a printing house in Oulu.

After serving in the military, he became an editor and office manager for a newspaper called Pohjan Voima. This was in Kemi and Rovaniemi from 1926 to 1929. Later, Pohjan Voima was shut down because of new laws against communism in 1930.

Eino Tainio was also active in sports. He worked with gymnastics and sports clubs in Kemi. From 1928 to 1929, he was the secretary for the Lapland branch of the Finnish Workers' Sports Federation.

Political Journey and Imprisonment

Eino Tainio joined the Finnish Social Democratic Youth Union in 1923. He became the treasurer for one of its local branches. In 1926, he joined the Communist Party of Finland (SKP). At that time, this party was not allowed by the government.

His political activities led to problems with the secret police. In 1926, while in the military, he was arrested. He was accused of serious activities against the military but was later released. In 1928, he was arrested again near the border. This time, he was accused of trying to cross into the Soviet Union. He was released after being questioned.

In 1929, the secret police arrested Tainio at his home. He was found guilty of preparing to act against the government. He was sentenced to three years in prison. He also lost his rights as a citizen for six years. He was held in Tammisaari concentration camp. He was set free in August 1932.

After his release, the secret police watched him closely. It was very hard for him to find a job. In 1933, he was arrested again for attending a secret meeting. In 1934, he was again found guilty of preparing to act against the government. This time, he was sentenced to five years in prison. He was held in Tammisaari and Riihimäki Prison. He was finally released on October 31, 1938.

When the Winter War began in 1939, Tainio spoke out against the Soviet attack on Finland. However, he was still among many left-wing people who were put in prison without any charges. This happened in December 1939.

After being released in May 1940, he worked for a group promoting peace between Finland and the Soviet Union. He was arrested and imprisoned again in September 1940. When the Continuation War started in 1941, Tainio and other imprisoned leftists were forced into a special military unit. They were sent to the front lines. Those who refused to fight were sent to labor camps.

In 1944, after the war, the Communist Party was made legal again. All political prisoners were set free. Eino Tainio was released on September 24, 1944. He had spent more than twelve years in prison because of his political views.

Return to Public Life

After his release, Eino Tainio became an important member of the Communist Party of Finland (SKP). He was also a leader in the Finnish People's Democratic League (SKDL). In 1945, he became the secretary of the SKDL's Lapland branch.

He was elected to the Parliament of Finland in the 1945 election. He was re-elected many times after that. He served in Parliament until the 1970 election, when he was not re-elected. He was also a deputy chairman for the SKDL group in Parliament.

Tainio was involved in the 1949 Kemi strike in July and August 1949. This strike ended sadly when two workers were killed by the police.

Later, in 1968, the Communist Party of Finland criticized the Soviet Union's military actions in Czechoslovakia. Tainio was part of a group of communists who supported the Soviet Union's actions.

Eino Tainio passed away on July 23, 1970, in Petrozavodsk, which was then in the Soviet Union. A statue of him was put up in 1981 in Kemi, Finland.

See also

• List of Finnish MPs imprisoned for political reasons