Santa Claus and Mrs Claus are the best known inhabitants of Rovaniemi.
Everyone knows that Santa Claus lives in Korvatunturi, Finland. But perhaps not everyone realises that his wife also lives there, not to mention elves, reindeer and other animals.
Fifteen years ago, Lappeenranta-born Susanna Schwartz-Matero, 36, moved to Savukoski, one of the most sparsely populated areas in Europe. City-raised Susanna, along with her husband and four children, has come to enjoy living in the midst of pure nature and a friendly and peaceful atmosphere.
Mrs Claus enjoys her work in her comfortable log cabin.
Naturally, the key feature of Savukoski is Korvatunturi since it is the home of Finland’s most famous inhabitant - Santa Claus. Like the great man himself, Mrs Claus has also been a pillar of the community for some time.
Susanna arrived to look after Mrs Claus’s 400 m2 log cabin three years ago. The cabin, dating back far into the municipality’s history, also houses a soft toy workshop that has given birth to numerous toys, most notably Teemu, a teddy bear made for the Association of Friends of the University Children's Hospitals.
In addition to a craft centre and doll exhibition, Santa and Mrs Claus offer programme and culture services to hotel guests, mainly French tourist groups. There is also a camping area within the grounds of the cabin.
The renowned Teemu teddy bears of the Association of Friends of the University Children's Hospitals are manufactured in Mrs Claus’s workshop.
Susanna had previously been a project worker for the municipality and through her work she came to hear of the activities of the Leader Local Action Groups, and of subsidies granted for enterprise development.
Susanna was granted two types of subsidies to launch her business: for developing operations and for direct investments. She used the development subsidies to purchase marketing materials, arranging official photos, and planning the visual appearance and website. These required the help of professionals: “I could never have afforded these services with my own money,” explains Susanna.
The investment subsidies were used to purchase production equipment for the sewing shop, cash registers and payment terminals, as well as fixtures and fittings for the lodging cabins and coffee shop. The factory and cabin keep Susanna busy, but she gets help from the rest of the family. She also employs outside help for the sewing shop when needed.
Text: Pipsa-Salolammi
Photos: Mrs Santa Info & Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry / Agency of Rural Affairs