Olga Lydia Terho (née Virtanen) was a Finnish politician. She represented the Finnish People's Democratic League in parliament 1945–1948.
Olga Virtanen was born on 23 July 1910 in Siikainen, a rural village in south-western Finland. [1] [2] Her parents were Evert Virtanen and Hilma Kaisantytär, and she grew up in a tenant peasant family. [1] [2] She completed four years of elementary school. [1] She began as a seamstress working at age of 15. [1] [2] [3] In 1929 she moved to Lahti. [1] In Lahti she became involved in left-wing politics, joining a leftist sports club and an association to support political prisoners. [1] She befriended Väino Sievänen, who invited her to become a member of the District Committee of the underground Communist Party of Finland (SKP). [1]
Olga Virtanen was a political prisoner 1932–1933, 1936-1940 and 1941–1944. [2] In 1932 she was arrested by the Detective Central Police. [1] She spent months in jail before being given a suspended eight-month sentence in 1933. [1] After leaving jail Virtanen migrated to Leningrad, Soviet Union. [1] In Leningrad she attended a party school. [1]
The party school was closed down in June 1936. [1] Virtanen returned to Finland in October 1936. [1] She was pregnant at the time, the father of her child was killed in a purge. [1] She was again arrested and sentenced to four years in jail for treason in January 1937. [1] She and her baby were held at Hämeenlinna prison. [1] In 1939 Sievänen helped arrange for her child to stay with a foster family in Lahti. [1] Virtanen was released in the fall of 1940, but was restricted from leaving Helsinki and could rarely see her child. [1] In Helsinki she became an activist in the Society for Peace and Friendship between Finland and the Soviet Union. [1] In October 1941 she was again arrested and sentenced to eight years imprisonment for treason. [1]
Virtanen was released from jail after the 1944 armistice. [1] Soon after returning to Helsinki the Communist Party sent her to work as organizer in south-western Finland. [1] She married Martti Rafael Terho in 1945. [2] Olga Terho was elected to parliament in the 1945 Finnish parliamentary election, standing as a SKDL candidate in the Turku North I constituency. [4]
Olga Terho was a member of the Pori municipal council. [2] She died on November 22, 2003. [2]
References
- ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q r s t u v Claire Duchen; Irene Bandhauer-Schöffmann (2000). When the War was Over: Women, War, and Peace in Europe, 1940-1956. Leicester University Press. pp. 120–124. ISBN 978-0-7185-0179-2.
- ^ a b c d e f g Eduskunta. Olga Terho
- ^ Finlands statskalender. Weilin + Göös. 1948. p. 24.
- ^ Finland. Eduskunta (1947). Protokoll i sammandrag. p. 842.
- 1910 births
- 2003 deaths
- People from Siikainen
- People from Turku and Pori Province (Grand Duchy of Finland)
- Communist Party of Finland politicians
- Finnish People's Democratic League politicians
- Political prisoners in Finland
- Finnish prisoners and detainees
- Members of the Parliament of Finland (1945–1948)
- Finnish emigrants to the Soviet Union
Olga Lydia Terho (née Virtanen) was a Finnish politician. She represented the Finnish People's Democratic League in parliament 1945–1948.
Olga Virtanen was born on 23 July 1910 in Siikainen, a rural village in south-western Finland. [1] [2] Her parents were Evert Virtanen and Hilma Kaisantytär, and she grew up in a tenant peasant family. [1] [2] She completed four years of elementary school. [1] She began as a seamstress working at age of 15. [1] [2] [3] In 1929 she moved to Lahti. [1] In Lahti she became involved in left-wing politics, joining a leftist sports club and an association to support political prisoners. [1] She befriended Väino Sievänen, who invited her to become a member of the District Committee of the underground Communist Party of Finland (SKP). [1]
Olga Virtanen was a political prisoner 1932–1933, 1936-1940 and 1941–1944. [2] In 1932 she was arrested by the Detective Central Police. [1] She spent months in jail before being given a suspended eight-month sentence in 1933. [1] After leaving jail Virtanen migrated to Leningrad, Soviet Union. [1] In Leningrad she attended a party school. [1]
The party school was closed down in June 1936. [1] Virtanen returned to Finland in October 1936. [1] She was pregnant at the time, the father of her child was killed in a purge. [1] She was again arrested and sentenced to four years in jail for treason in January 1937. [1] She and her baby were held at Hämeenlinna prison. [1] In 1939 Sievänen helped arrange for her child to stay with a foster family in Lahti. [1] Virtanen was released in the fall of 1940, but was restricted from leaving Helsinki and could rarely see her child. [1] In Helsinki she became an activist in the Society for Peace and Friendship between Finland and the Soviet Union. [1] In October 1941 she was again arrested and sentenced to eight years imprisonment for treason. [1]
Virtanen was released from jail after the 1944 armistice. [1] Soon after returning to Helsinki the Communist Party sent her to work as organizer in south-western Finland. [1] She married Martti Rafael Terho in 1945. [2] Olga Terho was elected to parliament in the 1945 Finnish parliamentary election, standing as a SKDL candidate in the Turku North I constituency. [4]
Olga Terho was a member of the Pori municipal council. [2] She died on November 22, 2003. [2]
References
- ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q r s t u v Claire Duchen; Irene Bandhauer-Schöffmann (2000). When the War was Over: Women, War, and Peace in Europe, 1940-1956. Leicester University Press. pp. 120–124. ISBN 978-0-7185-0179-2.
- ^ a b c d e f g Eduskunta. Olga Terho
- ^ Finlands statskalender. Weilin + Göös. 1948. p. 24.
- ^ Finland. Eduskunta (1947). Protokoll i sammandrag. p. 842.
- 1910 births
- 2003 deaths
- People from Siikainen
- People from Turku and Pori Province (Grand Duchy of Finland)
- Communist Party of Finland politicians
- Finnish People's Democratic League politicians
- Political prisoners in Finland
- Finnish prisoners and detainees
- Members of the Parliament of Finland (1945–1948)
- Finnish emigrants to the Soviet Union