Elias Simojoki, Date of Birth, Place of Birth, Date of Death
TweetElias Simojoki
Finnish priest and politician
Date of Birth: 
Place of Birth: Rautio, Oulu Province, Finland
About Elias Simojoki
- Lauri Elias Simojoki (28 January 1899 – 25 January 1940) was a Finnish clergyman who became a leading figure in the country's far right movement. The son of a clergyman, Simojoki was born on 28 January 1899 in Rautio.
- As a youth he saw service in the struggle for Finnish independence and then with the Forest Guerrillas in East Karelia.
- A student in theology at the University of Helsinki, he became involved in the formation of Academic Karelia Society, serving as chairman from 1922-3 and secretary from 1923-4.
- He advocated the union of all Finnish people into a Greater Finland whilst in this post.
- Strongly influenced by Russophobia, the student Simojoki addressed a rally on 'Kalevala Day' in 1923 with the slogan "In the name of Finland's lost honour and her coming greatness, death to the Ruskis."Simojoki was ordained as a minister in 1925 and he held the chaplaincy at Kiuruvesi from 1929 until his death.
- He became involved with the Patriotic People's Movement and, in 1933, took command of their youth movement, Sinimustat (The Blue-and-Blacks), which looked for inspiration to similar movements amongst fascist parties in Germany and Italy.
- The movement was banned in 1936 due to its involvement in revolutionary activity in Estonia, although Simojoki continued to serve as a leading member of the Patriotic People's Movement.
- He was a Member of Parliament in 1933-1939.
- He founded a second youth group, Mustapaidat (the Black Shirts), in 1937, although this proved less successful.When the Winter War broke out in 1939 Simojoki enlisted as a chaplain in the Finnish Army.
- He was killed in action on Koirinoja's ice in Impilahti, while putting down a wounded horse in no man's land.
- After the Finnish troops were unable to put down the horse from their positions, Simojoki skied to the horse and euthanized it with a pistol.
- Having done that, he was gunned down by a Soviet machine gun.
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