Example of public hidden in plain sight symbolism from Helsinki, Finland: Urho Kekkonen Memorial, also known as Spring/UKK Monument.
Helsinki City Artmuseum introduction:
"Urho Kaleva Kekkonen (1900-86), UKK, was elected President of the Republic of Finland in 1956, and held the office continuously until his resignation in 1981. President Kekkonen died in 1986. The monument was unveiled on the centenary of President Kekkonen’s birth on September 3, 2000 by the present Finnish President, Tarja Halonen.
A competition was organized in 1997 for a monument commemorating Kekkonen. The first prize was awarded to sculptor Pekka Jylhä’s entry, and he was commissioned to create the work. In Jylhä’s words, his Spring is based: "on the emotions one goes through when standing on top of a high hill, on a sea shore or at a spring in the forest. One feels the presence of a higher being, of a force that makes you feel safe and whole."
The monument is located in the Hakasalmi Park next to Finlandia Hall. It consists of a drop-shaped spring, glistening water and four bronze hands. The President’s name and the years of his birth and death (1900 and 1986) have been written on the rock in the monument's background. The spring is a stainless steel pool and it is illuminated from below. It has a surface area of over 60 m2 and its maximum depth is roughly 1 metre. To prevent the water from freezing in winter, it is circulated constantly and heated. There are four bronze hands set on top of 8-metre-high posts just behind the pool. Jylhä explains that Kekkonen was a man who used his hands to express himself and help him think matters through. He always wrote by hand, including his legendary letters "From My Mill". "
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| Urho Kekkonen Memorial |
President Kekkonen was famous of his many letters to many people starting with the words "Dear Brother". Even though this is a well known masonic greeting, the official history of president Kekkonen says nothing about his connections to the masonic brotherhoods. It is very typical in Finland, that politicians are "closet masons", and the history books never mention anything about that.
Here is Kekkonen with the masonic hand sign Hidden hand:
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| Urho Kekkonen |
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| Kekkonen's letter to the CEO of a large Finnish company Valmet, with the opening words "Hyvä Veli" ("Dear Brother") |
If there is a monument for a famous Freemason, there is very high probability for esoteric symbolism. In this case, the first thing to catch one's eye are the hands on top of the 8-meter-high posts.
Number 8 is the number of the sun. The hands on top of the posts refer to the Cult of Aton of "the Elite". In ancient Egypt the sun god Aton was depicted as a solar disc with sun rays. These sun rays had blessing hands.
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| Akhenaton and his family under the "blessing hands of Aton" |
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| The blessing hands of the monument |
Another level for the symbolism refers to tarot. The monument is a cryptic representation of the tarot card Two of Cups.
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| Two of Cups |
The monument:
- The monument has a drop-shaped pool and is named as Spring.
- The name Kekkonen is etymologically connected to the word kukko, which means rooster, the symbol of Hermes.
- There are hands on top of the posts - a solar motif from ancient Egypt.
- There are two pairs of hands (not just four left or right hands).
- The palms of the hands are facing ground.
- As part of the monument, the artist planted a rose bush next to the stone with the writing URHO KEKKONEN.
Two of Cups:
- In tarot the cups represent the element Water.
- At the center of the card there is caduceus, also known as the staff of Hermes.
- There is a head of a lion - a solar symbol from ancient Egypt.
- There are two persons.
- The palms of the hands are facing ground.
- The man has roses in his hair.
More examples of tarot statues on page Esoteric statues.
