HELSINKI – Tens of thousands of Finns have lined the roads in central Helsinki to honor former President Mauno Koivisto as his coffin was borne from the Helsinki Cathedral to the city’s main cemetery.
Koivisto, a World War II veteran who served two six-year terms as Finland’s president between 1982 and 1994, was buried with full military honors on Thursday.
He died in Helsinki on May 12 at age 93 after suffering from Alzheimer’s disease.
Police estimated that more than 30,000 people watched the funeral procession. About 500 invited guests and members of the diplomatic corps attended the state funeral service.