Skier Statue

Commercial councillor and shoe manufacturer J. Mononen donated this sculpture of a skier by Viktor Jansson to the city of Lahti to mark the 1938 World Championship Games, which were hosted by the city. With the work, he sought to reinforce the reputation of Lahti as a skiing city.

The statue depicts a man in a classic skiing attire gliding downhill. He is bent forward, with arms and ski poles pointing outwards. The sense of speed is conveyed by the slope of the piece, the lines of the skier, with the ski poles and hill pulling dynamically in opposite directions. At the commissioner’s request, the artist has paid particular attention to the skier’s boots, known in Finnish colloquially as “monos” from the manufacturer’s name.

Sculptor Viktor Jansson was the father of Tove Jansson, famous for her Moomin characters.

Artwork on the map

Next to the Lahti Sports Centre, at the corner of Salpausselänkatu street and Satamaradanpolku street. – Salpausselänkatu 7, Lahti.
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