Aleksanteri (Aleksi) Hihnavaara, (November 21, 1882 - January 8, 1938) better known by his nickname Mosku, was a famous Finnish frontiersman and reindeer herder in Sompio region, Northeastern Lapland.
As the World War and impending revolution brought growing instability and restlessness to the region (which was close to the Russian border and the strategically important Murmansk), Hihnavaara became embroiled in a complicated border conflict between the Whites, the Reds, local Finnish reindeer keepers, and the indigenous Skolt Sami.
The reindeer were the most important livestock in the area, so they were a strategic asset and frequent target of raids by various groups of revolutionaries, bandits, deserters, and local people.
The local population, however, was not always supportive of his sometimes ruthless measures, and his nickname was modified to Paha-Mosku (Mosku the Bad).
His success and reputation were also a fertile breeding ground for malicious rumors: it was frequently claimed that he stole reindeer from his neighbours and the Skolt.
[1] After his death, Mosku became a popular character in Finnish Lapland folktales and wilderness genre literature.