Maija

Ikonen

My doctoral dissertation examines the experiences of Finnish canteen workers (also called as “soldier home sisters”) during the Winter War, the Continuation War, and the Lapland War, as well as during the Interim Peace period between 1939 and 1945. The study explores the practical work and everyday life of the canteen workers on the battlefield, near the front, and on the home front, as well as the top-down structures and frameworks created for organizing canteen activities in practice. The dissertation also considers the role of the canteen workers and their own understanding of their wartime activities. In addition to archival materials, the study draws extensively on sources produced by the canteen workers themselves, such as memoirs, diaries, and letters.

My doctoral research is funded by the Finnish Cultural Foundation.