Säkkijärven polkka

Säkkijärven polkka ("the Säkkijärvi polka"), also called the "Karelian-Finnish Polka," is a well-known folk tune from Finland, very popular with Finnish accordionists. It was especially popularized by Viljo "Vili" Vesterinen (1907–1961). The tune was first recorded in Säkkijärvi (now Kondratyevo in the Leningrad Oblast, Russia), and the lyrics sometimes sung with the tune state that while Säkkijärvi itself might have been lost (ceded to the Soviet Union in 1940), the Finns at least still had the polka.[1]

Military use

During the Continuation War, the Finnish Army discovered that the retreating Soviets had scattered radio-controlled mines throughout the re-captured city of Viipuri. These mines were set off when a three-note chord was played on the frequency the radio was tuned to. The most famous and historical is the recording made on June 17, 1939 with former members of the Dallapé Orchestra. The recording took place in the ballroom of the German school in Helsinki. The recording became not only the savior of Vyborg, but also the most famous performance of all time about the Säkkijärvi polka.

In the Continuation War, the Russians stationed radio mines in Vyborg that were tuned to be triggered at a certain frequency. The mines exploded after resonance if a certain triad was played on the radio frequency; each mine had three sound irons that oscillated at specific frequencies unique to each mine. Immediately after the conquest of Vyborg, the Finns wondered at the strange mine explosions. At first, the pioneers suspected they were time-triggered mines. On August 28, 1941, the pioneers found triggers packed in rubber bags in Antrea from a 600 kg explosive charge installed under the Moonlight Bridge. The pioneers quickly delivered those devices to Headquarters in Mikkeli, which delivered them to the Communications Department. The Communications Department ordered Captain of Engineering (later Professor) Jouko Pohjanpalo to take them to Helsinki as a matter of urgency, and with the help of YLE, they were dismantled and investigated. It was subsequently found that mines had been located throughout the city. The Finns found out the places of the mines from the Soviet soldiers imprisoned in the Soviet Union.

On September 1, the General Staff received one broadcast car from YLE, which was driven to Vyborg.[2] It could transmit the transmission frequency on the mines frequency. The car in question was a REO 2L 4 210 Speedwagon taken from Nuijamaan auto Oy. The car was used by N. Sauros.[3]

Säkkijärvi polkka was chosen as the record from the car's record collection. Thus, in order to thwart the enemy's goal, they started playing the Säkkijärvi polka - and specifically the version recorded by Vesterinen - without any pauses, so that the frequency of the triads used by the enemy were interfered with to the point that the mines were completely unusable. On September 4, it was noticed that Soviet troops were constantly transmitting in triplicate on the same transmission frequency. Thus began the battle with the radio waves. This broadcast was continued for three consecutive days until Aunus received another car from Vyborg.[4] In the meantime, an examination of the dismantled triggers had revealed that Soviet troops had radio mines operating on three different radio frequencies. The great fear was that the internal combustion engines running the transmitters' generators would disintegrate, and therefore the military quickly ordered additional 50-watt transmitters[5] from Helvar, which were delivered as early as September 9, 1941. These then transmitted interference transmissions until February 2, 1942.[6] The military had calculated that the mine batteries were depleted within three months at the latest.

Lyrics

The lyrics to the polkka are seen here in Finnish and English

Säkkijärvi Polkka Lyrics in Finnish

Säkkijärven Polkka Lyrics In English

On kauniina muistona Karjalan maa, mutta vieläkin syömmestä soinnahtaa, kun soittajan sormista kuulla saa, Säkkijärven polkkaa! Se polkka taas menneitä mieleen tuo ja se outoa kaipuuta rintaan luo. Hei, soittaja, haitarin soida suo Säkkijärven polkkaa! Nuoren ja vanhan se tanssiin vie, ei sille polkalle vertaa lie! Sen kanssa on vaikka mierontie Säkkijärven polkkaa! Siinä on liplatus laineitten, siinä on huojunta honkien. Karjala soi - kaikki tietää sen - Säkkijärven polkkaa! Tule, tule tyttö, nyt kanssani tanssiin, kun polkka niin herkästi helkähtää. Hoi! Hepo surkoon ja hammasta purkoon, kun sillä on ihmeesti suurempi pää! Tule, tule, tyttö, nyt kanssani tanssiin kun meillä on riemu ja suvinen sää! Säkkijärvi se meiltä on pois, mutta jäi toki sentään polkka! Kun rakkaimmat rannat on jääneet taa, niin vieraissa kulkija lohdun saa, kun kuuntelee soittoa kaihoisaa: Säkkijärven polkkaa! Se polkka on vain, mutta sellainen, että tielle se johtavi muistojen. On sointuna Karjalan kaunoisen: Säkkijärven polkka! Nuoren ja vanhan se tanssiin vie, ei sille polkalle vertaa lie! Sen kanssa on vaikka mierontie Säkkijärven polkkaa! Siinä on liplatus laineitten, siinä on huojunta honkien. Karjala soi - kaikki tietää sen - Säkkijärven polkkaa! Tule, tule tyttö, nyt kanssani tanssiin, kun polkka niin herkästi helkähtää. Hoi! Hepo surkoon ja hammasta purkoon, kun sillä on ihmeesti suurempi pää! Tule, tule, tyttö, nyt kanssani tanssiin kun meillä on riemu ja suvinen sää! Säkkijärvi se meiltä on pois, mutta jäi toki sentään polkka! Kun rakkaimmat rannat on jääneet taa, niin vieraissa kulkija lohdun saa, kun kuuntelee soittoa kaihoisaa: Säkkijärven polkkaa! Se polkka on vain, mutta sellainen, että tielle se johtavi muistojen. On sointuna Karjalan kaunoisen: Säkkijärven polkka!

The land of Karelia is only a beautiful memory, but music still sounds from the heart, when the musician's fingers let you hear, the Säkkijärvi Polka! That polka brings past times to mind and creates a strange longing in the chest. Hey, musician, let the accordion play the Säkkijärvi Polka! It takes the young and the old to dancing, nothing compares to that polka! With it even living without a roof is Säkkijärvi Polka! It has the rippling of the waves, it has the waver of the pine trees. Karelia sounds - everybody knows it - the Säkkijärvi Polka! Come, come girl, dance with me now, when the polka jingles so delicately. Hoi! Let the horse lament and clench its teeth, when it has a larger head! Come, come, girl, dance with me now when we have joy and a summerly weather! We have lost Säkkijärvi, but we still have the polka left! When the dearest strands have been left behind, a wanderer in foreign places finds solace, when listening to the wistful music: the Säkkijärvi Polka! It is only polka, but the kind, that leads to the path of memories. The sound of the beautiful Karelia is: the Säkkijärvi Polka! It takes the young and the old to dancing, nothing compares to that polka! With it even living without a roof is Säkkijärvi Polka! It has the rippling of the waves, it has the waver of the pine trees. Karelia sounds - everybody knows it - the Säkkijärvi Polka! Come, come girl, dance with me now, when the polka jingles so delicately. Hoi! Let the horse lament and clench its teeth, when it has a larger head! Come, come, girl, dance with me now when we have joy and a summerly weather! We have lost Säkkijärvi, but we still have the polka left! When the dearest strands have been left behind, a wanderer in foreign places finds solace, when listening to the wistful music: the Säkkijärvi Polka! It is only polka, but the kind, that leads to the path of memories. The sound of the beautiful Karelia is: the Säkkijärvi Polka!

Other

• Säkkijärven polkka is also the title of a film directed by Viljo Salminen (1908–1992) in 1955.
• The Leningrad Cowboys play the song in the 1989 movie Leningrad Cowboys Go America. An additional mambo rendition is played during the end credits and included in the soundtrack album.
• Säkkijärven polkka was included as one of the ringtones for the Nokia 2110 (1994), the first mobile phone to feature them.[7]
• An electronic version of the song, titled Hardcore of the North, appears in the music video game In The Groove, commercial multi player machine dance game iDance and iDance2.
• An instrumental piece of the music was featured in the anime movie Girls und Panzer der Film.
• Canadian folk punk band The Dreadnoughts does a version called "The Skrigjaargen Polka" on their 2009 album Victory Square.
• "Delicious Destinations" Sweden episode.

See also

• Ievan polkka

References

1. Tamminen, Toivo (1993). "Tarina siitä, miten polkka tuli Amerikan kautta Suomeen". Hanuri-lehti. 21 (3): 16–19.
2. Eero-Eetu Saarinen: Pioneeriaselajin historia 1918–1968, 300–303
3. Vesterinen, Jukka: ”Säkkijärven polkka”, Ottoautot talvi- ja jatkosodassa: siviiliajoneuvojen pakko-otto rintamakäyttöön, s. 88,90. Helsinki: Alfamer, 2007. ISBN 978-952-472-074-8
4. Pohjanpalo,Jouko: "Säkkijärven polkkaa Viipurissa", Viestimies 2/1952
5. Alkio, S. I.: Professori Jouko Pohjanpalo. Teknillinen aikakauslehti, joulukuu 1966, 56. vsk, nro 12, s. 45–49. Helsinki: Suomen teknillinen seura.
6. Kuisma,Jouko: "Lisätietoja Viipurin radiomiinoista", RADIOT, Radiohistoriallinen kausijulkaisu 4/2008, Suomen radiohistoriallinen seura Ry, ISSN 1796-2188
7. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UYSdiQl8BQY&feature=youtu.be&t=54

External links

• A MIDI of Säkkijärven polkka