History
The icebreaker Sampo served in active icebreaking duty from 1961-1987, before its reassignment to its current task in the Port of Ajos in Kemi. Its good quarter of a century of service saw some colorful moments not totally lacking with drama. The decades of the Sampo, all in all, are an important part of the Finnish winter maritime shipping history.
Finland is the only country in the world, where all the ports freeze during the winter. During the coldest periods of normal winters the temperature can drop even below - 30°C. In Finland, the coldest ever measured temperature, -51, 5°C, was recorded in Kittilä’s Pokka in January 1999. Because of its geographical location, Finland’s import and export industries rely very much on maritime transportation, so keeping the winter ports open and operational is essential for international competitiveness.
The Sampo icebreaker was constructed in 1960 at the Wärtsilä shipyard in Helsinki. The vessel was named after its predecessor, constructed in 1898, which served the Finnish government for over half a century. The new Sampo was an essential part in rebuilding the Finnish icebreaking fleet. This rebuilding period took place during the decades after the Second World War.
After a deal made October 14.1987, for one million Finnish Marks, the icebreaker Sampo found a new home in Kemi. The Sampo’s new task in tourism was not totally new to the ship, as during the years it had been used for various occasions. For example, in August 1963, the Sampo served the Ministry of Interior during the Interpol conference, and in 1969 the ship served as one of the hosts for the visitation of the President Senghor of Senegal.
The Sampo Icebreaker as a tourist attraction is a story of its own. The late City Manager of Kemi, Juhani Leino, was a man rich with ideas, and it was his idea to purchase the retired icebreaker from the Finnish government to the city of Kemi. Leino’s idea raised some eyebrows and also some fierce resistance, in those times, but since 1988 the Sampo has been one of the main tourist attractions in Kemi. Eventually, Leino’s initial idea bore another, now famous and ever more important tourist attraction in Kemi, namely, the SnowCastle.
The icebreaker’s season begins a little before Christmas, and lasts for about four months. Every year about 7 500 – 12 000 tourists take a cruise on the Sampo, and over the years people from more than 50 countries have visited the Sampo.
