Kalevankangas Cemetery
Kalevankangas Cemetery is a historic cemetery close to central Tampere, known for its old trees, monuments and graves of notable local figures. The extensive grounds also include war graves, memorial groves and two chapels.
Hautausmaankatu 5, 33100 Tampere
About the cemetery
Kalevankangas Cemetery was established in 1880 and covers approximately 17 hectares. The area was originally a sparse pine forest, but by the 1890s lime trees, birches, rowans, bird cherries and spruces had been planted there.
Today, Kalevankangas is both a historically significant cemetery and a valuable urban nature site with a diverse range of trees and other plants. Weekly guided cemetery tours are organised during the summer.
Many notable people associated with Tampere are buried at the cemetery.
Chapels and buildings
The cemetery’s original funeral chapel was designed by the architectural firm Palmqvist & Sjöström and consecrated in 1914. The Small Chapel was completed in 1984 and designed by the architectural firm Antero Sirviö.
The cemetery’s main gate was designed by architect Bertel Strömmer and built in 1937.
Memorial groves
Kalevankangas Cemetery has several memorial groves. These include a memorial grove for Finnish war veterans and their spouses, as well as Hietakehto, a memorial grove for children who died before birth.
Scattering ashes
The area for scattering ashes is located in the northern urn section of Kalevankangas Cemetery, near the junction of Hautausmaankatu and Kalevantie. It consists of a cairn-like stone structure and has step-free access.
Two upright stones are provided for name plaques, which relatives may choose to have installed. Ashes can be scattered there only when the ground is not frozen, in practice from around mid-May until the end of October.
A time for scattering ashes must be booked through burial services, tel. 03 219 0702, Mon–Fri 9 am–3 pm. The scattering takes place with guidance from a cemetery employee.
War graves
The war graves section contains the graves of 756 people who fell in the Winter War, Continuation War and Lapland War. A further 149 people who remained buried beyond Finland’s post-war borders are commemorated with plaques.
The war graves memorial was designed by architect Viljo Revell and sculptor Arvi Tynys. The memorial is surrounded by an extensive war graves section with rows of gravestones.
Monuments and notable graves
- Stone Cross, the war graves memorial, designed by architect Viljo Revell and sculptor Arvi Tynys
- Memorial to the Imatra cinema fire, designed by architect Veikko Kallio, 1928
- Memorial to the White victims of the Finnish Civil War, designed by sculptor Evert Porila, 1921
- Memorial to the Red victims of the Finnish Civil War, designed by Jussi Hietanen, 1941
- Memorial to those who remained buried in Karelia, 1955
- Memorial to the Kuru shipwreck, designed by Kirsti Liimatainen, 1930