Aarne Alarik Orjatsalo (13 October 1883 â€" 1 January 1941) was a
Finnish actor, theater manager, writer, revolutionary and soldier. He
fought for the Finnish Red Guards in the 1918 Civil War and in the
1918â€"1919 Allied North Russia Intervention ranked as a British Navy
officer. Orjatsalo later fled to the United States, where he was known
by the alias Alaric Arne.Orjatsalo was born in the municipality of
Simo in Lapland, Finland. At the age of 17 he joined a touring theater
group and later in 1901 started acting in the Finnish Theatre in
Helsinki. Since 1904 Orjatsalo worked in several theaters in Finland,
including Tampere Theatre in 1904â€"1910 and Finnish National Theatre
1913â€"1914. He was known as a charismatic actor with a strong
effective voice. Orjatsalo was famous of his leading roles in such
plays as Othello, Hamlet, and Kullervo.[1]Since the early 1900s,
Orjatsalo was interested in socialism. In 1903 he participated the
famous Forssa Congress of the Social Democratic Party of Finland.[2]
He was also a writer in several Finnish socialist newspapers,
published the novel Viettelijä (The Seductor) in 1907 and worked as a
translator.[1]As the 1918 Finnish Civil War broke out, Orjatsalo was
working as the manager of the Tampere Workers' Theatre. He joined the
Red Guards and served as a platoon leader in the city of Tampere.
Before the Battle of Tampere in April 1918, Orjatsalo managed to flee
to Helsinki and later to Soviet Russia where he met the Finnish
communist leader Otto Wille Kuusinen in Moscow. On his advise,
Orjatsalo joined the Murmansk Legion which was a British Royal Navy
organized military unit during the 1918â€"1919 Allied North Russia
Intervention. It was composed of former Finnish Red Guard members who
had fled to Russia. Murmansk legion was fighting against the Finnish
White Guards and the German troops in White Karelia. The unit was
disbanded in 1919 as the British troops withdraw.[3] Orjatsalo and
some 20 other high-ranked Murmansk Legion officers were forced to
leave to England or North America, as they were condemned by both the
Finnish Government and the Russian Bolsheviks. Orjatsalo had received
a death penalty by the Finnish authorities.[1]
Finnish actor, theater manager, writer, revolutionary and soldier. He
fought for the Finnish Red Guards in the 1918 Civil War and in the
1918â€"1919 Allied North Russia Intervention ranked as a British Navy
officer. Orjatsalo later fled to the United States, where he was known
by the alias Alaric Arne.Orjatsalo was born in the municipality of
Simo in Lapland, Finland. At the age of 17 he joined a touring theater
group and later in 1901 started acting in the Finnish Theatre in
Helsinki. Since 1904 Orjatsalo worked in several theaters in Finland,
including Tampere Theatre in 1904â€"1910 and Finnish National Theatre
1913â€"1914. He was known as a charismatic actor with a strong
effective voice. Orjatsalo was famous of his leading roles in such
plays as Othello, Hamlet, and Kullervo.[1]Since the early 1900s,
Orjatsalo was interested in socialism. In 1903 he participated the
famous Forssa Congress of the Social Democratic Party of Finland.[2]
He was also a writer in several Finnish socialist newspapers,
published the novel Viettelijä (The Seductor) in 1907 and worked as a
translator.[1]As the 1918 Finnish Civil War broke out, Orjatsalo was
working as the manager of the Tampere Workers' Theatre. He joined the
Red Guards and served as a platoon leader in the city of Tampere.
Before the Battle of Tampere in April 1918, Orjatsalo managed to flee
to Helsinki and later to Soviet Russia where he met the Finnish
communist leader Otto Wille Kuusinen in Moscow. On his advise,
Orjatsalo joined the Murmansk Legion which was a British Royal Navy
organized military unit during the 1918â€"1919 Allied North Russia
Intervention. It was composed of former Finnish Red Guard members who
had fled to Russia. Murmansk legion was fighting against the Finnish
White Guards and the German troops in White Karelia. The unit was
disbanded in 1919 as the British troops withdraw.[3] Orjatsalo and
some 20 other high-ranked Murmansk Legion officers were forced to
leave to England or North America, as they were condemned by both the
Finnish Government and the Russian Bolsheviks. Orjatsalo had received
a death penalty by the Finnish authorities.[1]
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