Toini Feodorintytär Kälviäinen (Tatjana Feodorintytär Tšernijeva) (born Repola, Russia, 1897 – died Oulu, Finland, 2004) was a teacher who worked at Maikkula School for Karelian refugees. Toini was born in Tuulivaara village in 1897 (birthyear according to the Julian calendar 1898) and lived there with her parents and eight siblings until 1921. Toini studied to become a teacher in Repola and worked there in a local school in Omelia village. She fled to Finland with other Northern Karelian refugees in 1921 and changed her name from Tatjana Tšernijeva to Toini Tuomela. In Finland Toini worked as a teacher of Kyminlinna Refugee School in Kotka and Maikkula Refugee School in Oulu. Toini met her husband Matti Kälviäinen, leader of the school, at Maikkula School. They married in 1940. When the Winter War broke, Toini volunteered in Lotta Svärd, a Finnish voluntary auxiliary paramilitary organization for women. After the war Toini continued teaching in Kärsämäki, retired and moved to Oulu in 1960. During her teaching years Toini was also a choirmaster and enjoyed singing. The highlight of her singing career was a performance in Helsinki to Sylvi Kekkonen, the wife of Finnish President Urho Kekkonen.Toini lived to 106 years old and was the oldest person in Oulu when she passed. There is a memorial stone for Maikkula School in front of the former school building in Oulu.
Picture source: Karjalan Sivistysseura, Sampo-tietokanta.
Biography available on Geni-website.
Address: Intiöntie 6, 90100 Oulu, Finland.