Jukka Rislakki

Jukka Rislakki (1945 in Kuusankoski, Finland) is an awarded[1] Finnish journalist, non-fiction writer, and political cartoonist who has published a number of books, mostly on recent history of Finland, the Baltic states, and books on intelligence activities.

Rislakki spent his childhood and youth in Jämsänkoski, completed a BA in political science at the University of Helsinki and worked as a journalist at the Helsingin Sanomat. Rislakki has worked as a foreign desk writer of Helsingin Sanomat and as Sunday issue reporter, most recently as the correspondent in the Baltic states.

Since the beginning af 2002 Rislakki lives in the Latvian coastal resort town Jūrmala, where he works as a freelance journalist, non-fiction writer, and cartoonist. Rislakki is married to the former Latvian ambassador to Finland and Estonia, Anna Žīgure.[2]

Bibliography

Rislakki has written several books in his native Finnish language; some of them have been translated into English, Latvian, Ukrainian, Lithuanian, Estonian, and Russian. Three books are available in an English translation:[3] No Home For Us Here (2002), which he co-authored with Eila Lahti-Argutina, and The Case for Latvia (2008), the latter was also translated into Latvian and Russian; his book of cartoons A Handbook for Penguins and Yappers (2009) has also English texts. His new books in Finnish are about atom bomb, Cold War and Finland, and about Vorkuta prison camp uprising in 1953. The Vorkuta book was translated into Ukrainian, Latvian, Lithuanian, and Estonian. Rislakki won the 3rd prize in the Virginia Military Institute Cold War essay competition 2011 with his article "Without Mercy" – U.S. Strategic Intelligence and Finland in the Cold War. He received an acknowledgement award at the Lviv book fair (Ukraine) in 2015. Presently he writes spy novels and a book about Soviet agent Opperput. His memoirs were published in Finland in 2018.

Awards and acknowledgements

Jukka Rislakki was awarded as Knight of the Order of the White Rose by the Finnish president Tarja Halonen on 16 March 2010 for his "work as a journalist and publicist", an award that was presented to Rislakki at the Embassy of Finland in Riga by ambassador to Latvia Maria Serenius.[1]

Rislakki was awarded the Latvian Cross of Recognition for "selfless promotion of the Latvian image abroad and national patriotic education of youth".[4] The Case for Latvia is the only book by Jukka Rislakki about Latvia, that has been translated to English.[3] Jukka Rislakki received the Cross of Recognition in Riga on 4 May 2009, the day of restoration of independence of the Republic of Latvia.[5]

References
  1. "Juka Rislaki saņem Somijas apbalvojumu" (in Latvian). Embassy of Finland in Riga. 23 March 2010. Retrieved 28 August 2011. Somijas prezidente Tarja Halonena piešķīrusi ordeni Jukam Rislaki par nopelniem žurnālista un publicista darbā
  2. Tekla Šaitere (19 May 2009). "Rakstniece Anna Žīgure C vitamīnu uzņem ar bērzu lapiņām un ik dienu karājas pie stieņa". Diena. Retrieved 28 August 2011. Annas Žīgures dzīvesbiedrs, somu žurnālists un rakstnieks Juka Rislaki
  3. "Results for "Jukka Rislakki"". Worldcat. Retrieved 28 August 2011.
  4. "Latvijas valsts apbalvojumus saņem Pori pilsētas mērs Aino Maija Lūkonena un somu žurnālists Juka Rislaki" (in Latvian). Embassy of the Republic of Latvia in Helsinki. 6 May 2009. Retrieved 5 September 2011. Ordeņu kapituls iecēlis par Atzinības krusta virsnieku somu žurnālistu un rakstnieku Juku Rislaki (Jukka Rislakki). Viņam tika piešķirts IV šķiras Atzinības krusts par nesavtīgu Latvijas tēla popularizēšanu ārvalstīs un jauniešu nacionāli patriotisko audzināšanu. Atzinības krustu Juka Rislaki saņēma Latvijas Neatkarības deklarācijas pasludināšanas dienā Rīgā
  5. "Ar Atzinības krustu apbalvoto personu reģistrs" (doc) (in Latvian). Chancery of the Latvian President. Retrieved 5 September 2011.
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