Oranssi ry was founded in 1990 and developed during the 1990s from a squatters’ movement into a civic organization. The purpose of the organization is to support young people’s cultural and civic activities and to maintain youth housing. Housing activities are managed by Oranssi Asunnot Oy, which is owned by Oranssi ry. You can learn more about Oranssi’s history through theses and other publications. Oranssi’s story is an excellent example of how young people can influence their own activities and housing opportunities.
In the fall of 2014, Oranssi opened a new cultural center in the Valvomo building in Suvilahti, which has been renovated through volunteer work since 2010. Since its opening, the premises have hosted a wide variety of activities throughout the year. In addition to Oranssi, numerous other associations, informal groups, and individual activists organize events, workshops, and other activities. Oranssi is therefore both an organizer of activities and a facilitator of activities produced by others. If you would like to organize an activity or event at the cultural center, please see the Organize it yourself page for more information.
The activities organized by Oranssi are mainly age-unrestricted, non-commercial, and always substance-free. However, certain activities may be aimed at young people of a specific age when there is a valid reason for this. Thanks to the principles of no age restrictions and no alcohol or drugs, Oranssi’s events are also open to young people under the age of 18.
Oranssi ry’s housing activities are managed by its subsidiary Oranssi Asunnot Oy, a non-profit limited company. The purpose of the limited company is to provide residents with affordable, environmentally friendly, and community-oriented housing. For more information about Oranssi’s housing properties, applying for an apartment, and Oranssi Asunnot in general, please visit the Oranssi Asunnot website.
A history of Oranssi’s nearly 35 years of activity has been published under the title Vallattu – Oranssiliikkeen historiaa (Conquered – The History of the Oranssi Movement). The book was edited by Pilvi Porkola, with additional writing by Vesa Peipinen and Heta Mulari. The history was published by Momentum Kirjat. Oranssi has a small number of books for sale, which can be purchased via this link!
Oranssi began as a youth squatting movement in the early 1990s. From the outset, Oranssi’s goal was to create open spaces for youth-led culture and to provide affordable housing for young people. Finding new uses for old, empty buildings has always been central to Oranssi’s activities. Over the years, Oranssi’s activities have become established and expanded, and it has long worked in close cooperation with the City of Helsinki. This is an exceptional and unique story of how anarchist civil disobedience can develop into long-term organizational activity.
The publisher supplies the book to some libraries and bookstores, but the print run is limited.