ROBERT ALAN SAASTO AWARDED DECORATION OF KNIGHT,
FIRST CLASS, OF THE ORDER OF THE LION OF FINLAND

The Decoration of Knight, First Class, of the Order of the Lion of Finland, is a decoration of honor awarded to a foreign citizen as a matter of public thanks from the President of the Republic for long term work that has served the interests of Finland. The Protocol Services of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs prepares, and the Minister of Foreign Affairs signs the award proposals to the Board of the Orders of the White Rose of Finland and the Order of the Lion of Finland. The final decision on the awarding of the medal is made by the Grand Master of the Order, i.e. the President of the Republic.

At the Independence Day of Finland Celebration on December 6, 2022 at the official residence of the Consul General of Finland to New York, with many Finnish dignitaries and distinguished members of the Finnish American community in attendance, Ambassador Jarmo Sareva, stated as follows:

“Robert Saasto, has been conferred the honor of Knight, First Class, of the Order of the Lion of Finland. For decades, Robert has been actively researching and nurturing Finnish history in New York and across the United States. He is a New York lawyer whose grandparents and mother immigrated to the United States in the 1920s. Saasto himself grew up in the Finnish neighborhood Finntown in the Sunset Park neighborhood of Brooklyn. At its peak, around 20,000 Finns lived in the area.

The actual presentation to Robert Saasto (on the left) was made on December 21, 2022
at the offices of the Consulate General in New York City,
by Ambassador Jarmo Sareva, Consul General of Finland to New York.

Robert Alan Saasto Finnish American Activities (READ HERE)

Thanks to Robert’s long-term and persistent work, the first cooperative apartment buildings in the United States, built by Finnish immigrants in Sunset Park, and starting in 1916, have been listed in the United States & National Register of Historic Places. Since 2019, thanks to Robert’s commendable efforts, commemorative plaques have been hung on the walls of these buildings, reminding everyone of the Finnish history of the area and the achievements of the Finns.

Robert has also lectured frequently on the history of Finns in New York, especially those from Sunset Park, and through the story of his own family. During the last few years, he has presented on the history of Finns, among others, to President Sauli Niinistö, to the Honorary Consuls of Finland in the United States, and to the Parliament Foreign Affairs Committee. He also acted as a guide during the visit to Ellis Island of Mrs. Jenni Haukio, spouse of President Niinistö. It is an honor for me now to present this award.”

Eero Kilpi, the President of Finlandia Foundation, New York Chapter, accepted the award on behalf of Robert Saasto, who was sick with the flu and could not attend. The actual presentation to Robert Saasto was made on December 21, 2022 at the offices of the Consulate General in New York City, by Ambassador Jarmo Sareva, Consul General of Finland to New York.