Raising the Flag on the Three-Country Cairn

During the latter, Finland cooperated with Nazi Germany, who deployed the 200,000-strong 20th Mountain Army led by Generaloberst Lothar Rendulic to Finnish Lapland.

The detachment was assembled from 1st Company, Battle Group Loimu, Infantry Regiment 1, and departed on its mission at 1:00 pm the same day from southern Kilpisjärvi.

The smaller group would approach the Norwegian border along the road while the bulk of the patrol would continue with Captain Valkonen towards the three-country cairn farther off.

Pioneer Antti Poikola attached a small flag of Finland to the cairn and the patrol reported back by radio that no Germans had been sighted on Finnish soil.

Major Santavuori and the Feldwebel saluted, shook hands and bid each other "as good a future as fate has to offer" before parting ways.

[7] On 27 April, commander of Infantry Regiment 1, Colonel Väinö Oinonen, arrived at the cairn to inspect the situation with a detachment of soldiers including photography specialists, a larger flag, and a better flagpole.

The war flag of Finland was ceremoniously raised on the cairn and Colonel Oinonen took the titular photo—with the 894 m (2,933 ft)-high Golddabakti fell of Norway in the background.

Finnish soldiers raise the war flag at the three-country cairn between Norway, Sweden, and Finland on 27 April 1945, the end of World War II in Finland
The small Finnish flag raised first on the cairn on 26 April 1945
Väinö Oinonen , who took the photograph, pictured before 1957