Helsinki Thunder

The European Centre of Excellence for Countering Hybrid Threats (Hybrid CoE; Finnish: Euroopan hybridiuhkien torjunnan osaamiskeskus) is a network-based international and independent hub for practitioners and experts based in Helsinki, Finland. The Hybrid CoE focuses on responses to hybrid threats under the auspices of the European Union (EU) and NATO.

Merihaka (Swedish: Havshagen) is a coastal residential area in central Helsinki, Finland consisting of large high-rise concrete housing blocks. It is located by the Baltic Sea next to districts of Hakaniemi, Kallio and Sörnäinen. It is known for its tall, grey buildings. The residents of Merihaka tend to value highly the scenery, central location, tranquil atmosphere and lack of cars. The housing complex was built, partly on reclaimed land, during the 1970s and 1980s, and today it is home to some 2,300 people.A distinctive feature, shared with some other places in Helsinki such as Itä-Pasila, is traffic segregation: the streets for cars and buses together with large car parks are on a level of their own, below that of pedestrian footways and the main entrances to the buildings. This arrangement was to increase the cosiness of the area as well as improve traffic safety. The area has a central location, only about 1 kilometre (0.62 mi) from the core of downtown Helsinki. Some flats with sea views command very high prices. The attractiveness of Merihaka is increased by its small-boat harbour and many residents are members of the local yacht club. Public transportation possibilities are diverse and rapid. Former residents Merihaka include the former prime minister of Finland, Kalevi Sorsa. There is also a very active sports hall in Merihaka.

Sörnäinen (Swedish: Sörnäs; Sörkkä or Sörkka in Helsinki slang) is a neighbourhood in the city of Helsinki, Finland. Sörnäinen is located a little more than one kilometre north from the coastal centre of Helsinki, near the district of Hakaniemi. The east side of Sörnäinen borders the sea. Sörnäinen used to be primarily an industrial district with many shipping companies and warehouses, however, nowadays it is a thriving urban area divided into four districts: Vilhonvuori, Kalasatama, Sompasaari and Hanasaari. It also has two metro stations: Sörnäinen metro station and Kalasatama metro station in the Kalasatama quarter. The headquarters of Senate Properties (Senaatti-kiinteistöt) is located in Sörnäinen. Also the Helsinki Prison located there.

The Theatre Academy (Finnish: Teatterikorkeakoulu, Swedish: Teaterhögskolan) is one of the three academies of the University of the Arts Helsinki and offers education in theatre and dance. It is Finland's largest education provider in its field and, with the exception of acting, the only one in the country. In September 2014, there were 349 students at TeaK: 315 in the bachelor and master programmes, and the remaining 34 were studying for a licentiate or doctoral degree.The current dean of the Theatre Academy is Maarit Ruikka, and the vice-deans are Leena Rouhiainen and Ari Tenhula. The degrees offered by the Theatre Academy are the bachelor, master, licentiate and doctor of arts (theatre/dance) in the fields of Acting in Finnish or Swedish, Directing, Dramaturgy, Dance (dancer and choreographer), Lighting and Sound Design and Theatre and Dance Pedagogy. In addition, the academy is responsible for continuing education in its field. TeaK premieres around 40 productions each academic year. The performances are open to the public.

Hanasaari (Swedish: Hanaholmen) is a neighbourhood in the district of Sörnäinen in Helsinki, Finland, between the neighbourhoods of Vilhonvuori, Kalasatama and Sompasaari near Merihaka. The name comes from an island that was lost under reclaimed land. Hanasaari is primarily a power plant area. The first power plant was built next to Hanasaari in Suvilahti.

Hanasaari Power Plant (also referred as Hanasaari B power plant to distinguish from the dismantled power plant located at the same site) is a coal-fired cogeneration power plant in Sörnäinen, Helsinki, Finland. Its chimney has a height of 150 metres (490 ft).

Sörnäinen metro station (Finnish: Sörnäisten metroasema, Swedish: Sörnäs metrostation) is a station on the Helsinki Metro. It serves the central Helsinki districts of Sörnäinen and Kallio. Sörnäinen is the easternmost station on the system to be located underground. The station was opened on 1 September 1984 and was designed by Jouko Kontio and Seppo Kilpiä. It is located 900 meters from Hakaniemi metro station, and 1.1 kilometers from Kalasatama metro station. The station is situated at a depth of 25 meters below ground level and 3 meters below sea level.

The Sörnäinen curve (Finnish: Sörnäisten kurvi, Swedish: Sörnäskurvan), also known as Sörkän kurvi or just Kurvi, is an area in the eastern part of the Helsinki city proper in Finland, at the intersection point of the neighbourhoods of Sörnäinen, Kallio and Alppiharju. The area is located around the point where the street Hämeentie curves to the right going north and the street Helsinginkatu branches off it to the west. The curve area covers the whole area on the intersection of Helsinginkatu and Hämeentie. The curve serves as a hub for many public transport connections, including the Sörnäinen metro station. One of the former landmarks of the curve was the building of the insurance company Kansa and the light tower located on top of it. After the war, Finnish magazines perpetuated the traditionally bad reputation of the area around the curve, Vaasankatu and Linjat. At the time, the restless reputation of the curve mostly resulted from the thousands of children and youth of the residential area taking control of the streets unaware of their own "dangerousness". The homeless shelters and dormitories in the area also contributed to the restlessness. Apu magazine published provocative reports of the Sörkka underworld in the 1950s, but this fell out of use in the 1960s, and only the moonshine smugglers on Vaasankatu attracted media attention. "The restless Helsinki" began to concentrate more around the Helsinki central railway station. The Vaasanpuistikko square near the curve has had a restless reputation up to the 2010s. It has been called Piritori ("Amphetamine Square") in colloquial speech.Slightly to the south, around the Itäinen Viertotie street (now known as Hämeentie), a group of working-class quarters called Suruttomien villat ("The villas of the carefree"), which were mostly dismantled in the early 1930s. On the second day of the Winter War, five explosion bombs hit the Vaasanpuistikko square, causing great fragment and window damage to the nearby houses. In 1937, a large building called Perämiehen talo after the restaurant located in it was built on the corner of Hämeentie and Helsinginkatu. Elanto bought the house in the 1950s, sold off the apartments as shares and renamed the house as Hämeentähti. Later the house was called the Kurvi house.

Helsinki Upper Secondary School of Visual Arts (Finnish: Helsingin kuvataidelukio) was established in 1925 and is located in Kallio in Helsinki, Finland. The school specializes in visual arts education and is maintained by the City of Helsinki. In 2021, the school had approximately 620 students. The school has had various names throughout its history: Helsinki Second Finnish Lyceum from 1925 to 1949, Helsinki Second Lyceum from 1950 to 1977, Torkkelinkatu Lyceum from 1977 to 1979, Torkkelin Lyceum from 1979 to 1991, and since 1991, it has been known as the Helsinki Upper Secondary School of Visual Arts. The school is commonly referred to as "Torkkeli" or "Tossu", and its students are known as "Torkkelilaiset" or "Tossut". The school has been a UNESCO school since 1990 and is part of the ASP network of schools. Helsinki Upper Secondary School of Visual Arts was the first high school in Finland to be declared a non-discrimination zone.

Vaasanpuistikko (Swedish: Vasaskvären, unofficial name Vaasanaukio), meaning "Vaasa park", is an area in Helsinki, Finland, surrounded by the streets of Helsinginkatu, Vaasanpolku and Pengerpolku around the western entrance to the Sörnäinen metro station, near the so-called Sörnäinen curve. Even though Vaasanpuistikko is located in the neighbourhood of Alppiharju, it is commonly thought of as a part of Kallio. Vaasanpuistikko is connected with Vaasankatu. Around Vaasanpuistikko are located the Sörnäinen metro station, a pawn shop, a self-defense school, a gym, a driving school and an S-market shop. There are numerous bars, pizzerias and other restaurants located nearby. Helsinki city council member Kimmo Helistö made a proposal in 2007 to rename the square as "Arto Mellerin aukio" after the poet Arto Melleri, but the proposal was not supported.Vaasanpuistikko is sometimes humorously referred to with the nicknames "Piritori" ("Amphetamine square") and "Ikuisen vapun aukio" ("Square of the eternal Walpurgis Night").

Hämeentie (Swedish: Tavastvägen) is the second longest street in Helsinki, Finland, and among its major thoroughfares. Hämeentie is a multi-lane street beginning at the Hakaniemi square in Siltasaari, and ending near Vanhankaupunginkoski on Koskelantie. Old streets were made into main roads in the 1850s, and the eastern one was named Itäinen Viertotie (Swedish: Östra Chaussén) from 1909 to 1928. It was one of Helsinki's main entryways, the other being Läntinen Viertotie (Swedish: Västra Chaussén), from 1942 named Mannerheimintie. True to its name, Hämeentie originally formed the starting part of a main road leading from Helsinki to Hämeenlinna, travelling through the districts of Viikki, Malmi (nowadays Kirkonkyläntie) and Hyrylä. There is fairly little personal car traffic on Hämeentie, because most of it has been directed to the Sörnäisten rantatie street running nearby. Hämeentie is an important route for public transport. Almost all local buses in the Helsinki Metropolitan Area towards Lahdenväylä and Tuusulanväylä run along it. Hämeentie also has tram traffic from Hakaniemi to Arabia, where the Helsinki tram line 6 turns from Arabiankatu to the right towards its endpoint, in front of the University of Art and Design on Kaj Franckin aukio. Near the start of Hämeentie, the tram lines 1(A) (Käpylä) and 3B/T (Alppila) turn to the left to Siltasaarenkatu (Linjat).

Wäiski is a restaurant ship located in Merihaka, Helsinki, Finland.