Lyhdynkantajat

The square-jawed figures have muscular chests, but the bottom parts of their bodies consist of columns decorated in a way typical to Saarinen.

Saarinen's first sketches of the sculptures feature bears, which had also been used at the old Vyborg railway station as well as the main stairway of the National Museum of Finland.

[4][2] Emil Wikström, the designer of the Lyhdynkantajat sculptures, was one of the most important sculptors during the Golden Age of Finnish Art.

[4][6] Lyhdynkantajat have entered public knowledge under the name Kivimiehet ("The stone men") via an advertisement campaign by the VR Group.

In the advertisements, the sculptures have got legs[3] and have travelled to several cities across Finland, have spent a winter vacation in Lapland and discussed a cleaner environment at the statue conference in Verona, Italy.

[citation needed] The stone men campaign paid well off: the sympathetic characters caused VR's public image to rise and interest in train travel to increase.

The lamps in the lanterns borne by the sculptures were also renewed and replaced by LED lights to achieve better conservation of energy and better functionality.