Kaupunki Kaverit walk in Aurinkolahti and Rastila

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People choose their favorite places in Helsinki and volunteer to create walk-like excursions for House of Helsinki team: volunteers and staff. It’s a wonderful way to share different districts through your own perspective — especially when the place holds personal meaning. Maybe you were born there, lived there for a while, or simply love it.

You find your own way to share the feeling — to reveal hidden corners that only locals know. This place is special to you; your roots are here. But by organising this walk, you allow others to feel that same connection — to feel at home.

This is what Kaupunki Kaverit is all about.

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October 4, 2025, our Kaupunki Kaverit group gathered in Aurinkolahti, one of Helsinki’s seaside districts. The walk was organised by our volunteer Irina Guseva, who wanted to show the area from her own perspective — as a local who knows every turn of the coastal path. Participant’s comment:

“It was super windy and cold, but the atmosphere was warm and friendly! Thank you for a wonderful day!”

We began the day with a monthly volunteer meeting at Café Kampela. For many, this was a much-needed pause from the intense work of helping vulnerable people through our REFUFIN project. Sharing a walk and laughter together helped everyone to reflect, reset, and feel connected again.

After the coffee, the group set off along the shore toward Rastila. Along the route we saw a wonderful mix of modern apartment buildings, old wooden villas, and open seaside views — lovely Helsinki vibe. As we walked, people talked in small groups, switching languages naturally between Finnish, English, and sometimes Russian or Ukrainian. Conversations moved easily from architecture to daily life, from migration experiences to favorite corners of the city.

There were twelve volunteers on this walk — just the right number for everyone to feel included and heard. Among the group were those who born in Finland and people who had arrived in here more recently. This balance is exactly what Kaupunki Kaverit is about: two-way integration. It’s not about one side teaching the other, but about creating a space where everyone can share, learn, and discover together.

Walking side by side through the same streets allows people to see the city and each other in new ways. That’s where understanding grows: not through lectures or lessons, but through shared moments, quiet laughter, and the realisation that everyone’s story belongs to the same city.

Comment from Irina - Kaupunki kaverit walk organiser

Organising this volunteer walk in Vuosaari was a real joy. I’ve lived here for fifteen years, and I love this area for its rare blend of nature, architecture, everyday infrastructure, and the people who give it heart. It was deeply meaningful to share my love and my perspective on these places—and on our historic buildings—with fellow volunteers supporting refugees from Ukraine. Thank you for walking with me and seeing Vuosaari through my eyes. Welcome to Vuosaari.

 

-REFUFIN volunteer Irina Guseva irinaenergy.com 

IG: irinaenergyon