A flashmob rendition of the Ukrainian national anthem brought a shopping centre in the west coast city of Vaasa to a standstill on Sunday afternoon.
The performance by the Vaasa-based symphony orchestra Wasa Sinfonietta included a total of about 60 musicians and was also supported by Vaasa City Orchestra, Korsholm Chamber Orchestra, as well as several other local orchestral groups.
The event was organised by a group of volunteers based in the region, who have also collected donations to be dispatched to Ukraine and helped Ukrainian citizens fleeing the war settle in the area.
Svenska Yle journalist Elisabeth Morney, who was also involved in the arranging of the event, reported (in Swedish) that the performance was intended to welcome Ukrainian people to the city and to Finland.
Since Russia's invasion of Ukraine on 24 February, an estimated 2,000 Ukrainians have arrived in Ostrobothnia — of which Vaasa is the regional capital.
The performance moved some of the audience to tears, and the flashmob was followed by spontaneous shouts of "Slava Ukraini", which roughly translates as "glory to Ukraine".