Iin 650th anniversary - villages, bridges and streams

Did you know that the history of our municipality is much older than, for example, that of Oulu (419 years) or even New York City (400 years)? 

Discover the stories of Iilä

The historical brochure was distributed to all homes in Iilä in August 2024.

The history is also available electronically.

•  Download the brochure (pdf) here.

"Without history and knowledge of it, there is no present, let alone the future. Knowledge of the history of one's own region is interesting and educational. It often helps to understand the present and makes it easier to see, plan and build the future. Therefore, we hope that the long, short history of Ii, which was delivered in honor of the anniversary and distributed to all residents, will be actively used by people of all ages." 

Have a good reading.
Marjukka Manninen, Mayor

Ii was a so-called headmistress and originally a large congregation

For a long time, Ii included a large part of the current province of Northern Ostrobothnia and a little beyond: Haukipudas, Kiiminki, Ylikiiminki, Yli-Ii, Pudasjärvi, Ranua, Kuivaniemi and Simo. The past, layered over the centuries, can be sensed in the place names, the Ii dialect and the cultural landscape along the river.

Mayor of Ii Marjukka Manninen According to him, the fact that the municipality of Ii has remained an independent, quite successful and attractive municipality is also a sign that we have known how to live and adapt to the times. 

"It is important that we celebrate our history and at the same time pass on information about it to younger generations. Ii is a medium-sized municipality by Finnish standards, which has every chance of being among the successful municipalities of the future. Our logistical location as a gateway to the north and west, a strong player in the Oulu region and a northern catalyst for Oulu, our age and economic structure, our responsible choices, our good basic services, our active business services, our nature, our rich cultural life and especially our active residents are our trump cards."

Participate in the implementation of the anniversary year

See more information

• Associations, companies and other actors should announce their anniversary events in IiCalendar: ii.fi/ilmoita_tapahtumu
• 650km exercise campaign for Iili residents
• Knitting challenge throughout the anniversary year: Donating wool socks to all babies in Iila
• Writing competition 1.2.- 30.4.2024: Iilan stories, coincidences and stories

The main celebration of the anniversary year was celebrated in connection with Homeland Week on Sunday, June 30, 2024.

• See upcoming celebrations on IiCalendar: ii.fi/calendar

For the anniversary year, the municipality of Ii and the parish of Ii will jointly adopt a celebratory logo.
Ii's long history has also built a strong, distinctive identity and culture for us. This is also strongly reflected in the theme of the anniversary year: Ii's villages, bridges and streams. These characteristics, which summarize Ii's essence, values ​​and uniqueness, have developed and shaped Ii for centuries.

Villages bring a sense of community and security to their residents. In villages, people know each other, solve problems together, and share responsibility. Ii villages are human-sized units where people can genuinely influence matters that affect them and their immediate environment. Ii was awarded the most village-friendly municipality in 2015.

The bridges that arch over the river depict the future and opportunity, but also the local expertise and ability to implement functional and responsible future solutions. The rivers flowing through Ii have provided work, livelihood, energy, and offer natural values ​​and experiences. Flows can also mean the traffic of the highway that runs through Ii and air flows (wind power) as part of the local vitality.

Anniversary logo (without the Ii municipality text) for Ii associations and companies
All associations, villages, businesses and stakeholders in our region have also been invited to participate in the planning and implementation of the anniversary year. We encourage all actors to come up with ideas for challenge campaigns and events for the anniversary year. 

The anniversary logo can be used to market events related to the anniversary.

• download the 650th anniversary logo (png) here