The Riihimäki mural took over the family's living room

Sinulle riksulainen is a series of stories in which people from Riihimäki share their thoughts about their hometown.  

The mural immediately catches the eye. The artwork on the wall of the living room and dining room is dominant and eye-catching, even though the color tones are neutral and calm. The impressive four-meter mural features familiar things to Riihimäki residents, such as the Glass Blower statue, the railway and station sign, and Hercule Poirot.

Harriet Mallenius, 40, and Mikael “Miksu” Leinonen, 41, from Riihimäki, commissioned the painting a few years ago. The artist painted important things for the couple on the wall of their spacious and bright living room and dining room.

"I'm a big Hercule Poirot fan, and the painting is like something from the fictional series Hercule Poirot and the Mystery of the Tramp. I posted it on the wall to X, and I tagged actor David Suchet in it. He commented on the mural with admiration. This was one of the star moments of my life," laughs Mallenius.

The wall has often been admired and marveled at when Leinonen has sat in front of it with his laptop in a remote meeting. There is also a black and white map of Riihimäki on the wall at home.

The peaceful pulse of a small town is quickly felt

Mallenius was just speaking to Riihimäki high school students and told them that there is no need to move away from the city for studies or work: Helsinki, Tampere, Hämeenlinna and Lahti are all within an hour's drive. The couple's workplaces are in Pasila, Helsinki, which can be reached by IC train in 42 minutes. Leinonen is the director of sales and profit functions at Oikio and Mallenius is a unit manager at a government agency.

"I commute to work in Pasila 3–4 days a week. The journey is not stressful at all, as I read, work or chat with friends on the train. I go to the station on foot, by city bike or by local bus. Moving from Riihimäki never crossed my mind, even though many of my peers left. However, many have come back after starting a family. It is cheaper to live here than in the Helsinki region, the services are good and I have friends and loved ones here," Mallenius lists.

He adds that you can feel the peaceful pulse of a small town as soon as you step off the train in Riihimäki. Your breathing evens out. Everything is so close that you can get by on foot. The cultural offerings are amazing for a small town.

“Riihimäki Youth Theatre has trained half of the current television faces,” Leinonen laughs.

Good services and leisure opportunities for families with children

There are opportunities for all ages to participate in both cultural and physical activities. The family is currently doing fairy tale gymnastics and soccer school with 3 years old Amanda.

The everyday life and public services for a family with a small child are good. Amanda is cared for by a family daycare provider, and both parents are grateful that there the girl can always be in the arms of Auli Virtanen, who has worked as a daycare provider for a long time.

Amanda especially likes the nearby Hirsimäenpuisto, and the whole family often goes out there. The neighbors have a lot of children, so there are friends nearby.

Leinonen is in his second four-year term in municipal politics and is grateful that decision-making is flexible in a small town. You can criticize many officeholders, regardless of their title, and they will respond.

"We, the municipal decision-makers, are always on the same page when it comes to developing our city, even though sometimes we may have different opinions about the means. Thanks to this, we have been able to make big decisions, such as the new HAMK campus at the railway station."

HAMK, or Häme University of Applied Sciences, will move its operations to a new campus at the beginning of 2028.

Mallenius states that he has a strong Riihimäki identity.

“I have a playful goal at work too, that I always have to include a conversation about Riihimäki. Riihimäki has character!”

My own workshop for hobbies

Leinonen's favorite place in Riihimäki is the central sports park, as he has played football his whole life. Another favorite place is his own garage, where he tinkers with everything from furniture to old cars.

“I have a 1960s Land Rover SUV, and I’m also building an old Toyota SUV. I also have a couple of old mopeds, and they were immortalized in the living room mural.”

Text: Reija Ypyä