Shepherd of Leonard Cohen FRIENDS - Jarkko & Eija Arjatsalo and Son Rauli, Photos: Ilia Muraviov and Roman Gavrilin

September 4, 2012

Jarkko & Eija Arjatsalo

"With heartfelt gratitude from Roman Gavrilin & Ilia Muravlov"

This expressive photo and elegant thank you on the Helsinki concert thread of the Leonard Cohen Forum speaks volumes.  It represents how many of us feel.

As FRIENDS, we have the opportunity and privilege today of enjoying concerts and meet-ups with old and new friends on the 2012 Leonard Cohen Old Ideas World Tour thanks to the vision, steadfastness and hard work of Jarkko, Eija and Rauli.

There is a wonderful photo on the LC Forum of the Arjatsao family at the Sept 2 Helsinki concert taken by Lorca Cohen. Rauli is sitting next to Jarkko You can view it  here

Ilia Muraviov (Minsk, Belarus) and FRIEND Roman Gavrilin (St Petersburg, Russia) traveled to Helsinki for their first Leonard Cohen concert ever. Ilia posted some wonderful photos of their whole concert experience, including a FRIENDS meet-up and side trip. Thank you Ilia and Roman.

"New friends:) Jarko, Ilia, Roman, Alexandra Kondrateva, Maarten Massa" 

Meet-up night before the concert

Side trip day of the concert to see Leonard Cohen's Artworks in Porvoo 

That's Ilia following the footsteps to the Leonard Cohen exhibit.

Roman and Ilia at Sonera Stadium, September 2, 2012

"With Leonard Cohen"

Ilia's caption mad me smile.  So sublime.

"Post concert meetup in Helsinki.  It's closing time - but too early to leave :-)"

(l-r) Ciaran Dorr, Szilvia Szanto, Henry Tengelsen, Marie Nolan, Jarkko Arjatsalo  
(Photo: Henry Tengelsen)

My caption is: Jarkko and FRIENDS

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• Roman Gavrilin is also known by:  Hermitage Prisoner, Goldin, Abstractor of the Quintessence, and  Currentcohen
• Ilia Muraviov is one of the webmasters of the Leonard Cohen site for Russian speakers here and Ilia on the Leonard Cohen Forum
• EDIT: This was Ilia's second LC concert, having attended the Moscow concert in 2010

Eija & Jarkko Arjatsalo "Ice" Stewards of the Leonard Cohen Forum & Leonard Cohen Files

December 31, 2011

I have been enjoying Eija Arjatsalo's beautiful photography ever since I joined the Leonard Cohen Forum in 2009.  I have particularly been struck by Eija's photographs of her Ice Creations.

They are live artworks, so breathtaking.

It was only recently that I realized that the posting of photographs of Eija's Ice works are a Forum tradition at Holiday time.  So I surfed the Forum and the Leonard Cohen Files to collect some of her other Ice photographs.   One lovely surprise I discovered, the first one below is what Jarkko uses as his avatar.

And here are some of Eija Arjatsalo's beautiful Ice Creations that I was able to find.

 

Thank you Eija, for all your exquisite photo galleries.

And thank you Jarkko, for everything you do for Leonard Cohen and his fans.

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• Photos of Eija & Jarkko Arjatsalo: Leonard Cohen Krakow Event, August 2010
• Link to the Leonard Cohen Forum here
• Link to the Leonard Cohen Files here

Two Outstanding Tributes Paid to JARKKO ARJATSALO

 
From Jan 11, 2011  leonardcohenforum

Krakow Leonard Cohen Event Tribute to Jarkko, Aug 6, 2010

Joe Way, representing North America, delivers a tribute to Jarkko along with Andrew Darbyshire (l), representing the South Pacific/Downunder and Sebastian Korta (r) representing Europe

Andrew Darbyshire, Joe Way, Jarkko, Sebastian Korta

* Krakow Leonard Cohen Event Tribute to Jarkko Arjatsalo *

bridgebud

...This is the 15th anniversary of the beginning of the leonardcohenfiles. Look at what you have started. This is one of the most amazing things that has happened to...most everyone here...to reach our age and make this whole group of new friends around someone we thought only we liked and years ago. And now we have discovered this great community. So we are deeply indebted to you. And you are a great friend...to all the community here.

                                          *                               *                              *

Leonard Cohen's Tribute to JARKKO - Helsinki Concert - Aug 10, 2010

I was still on my European concert travels with limited computer access when I was lucky to view this Helsinki concert video of "I Tried To Leave You" on Youtube. It was so moving, it is still on my mind, one of my best memories of the World Tour.

LC paid tribute to Jarkko with Jarkko standing right there in front of the audience with Jarkko's home crowd.

When the camera panned to Jarkko, he looked so calm. But I was in tears watching this.

Thanks so much friends...You know it was a while ago things weren't going so well for me and my voice wasn't heard very often in very many places and a voice arose in this city. A man started a website called, "leonardcohenfiles", JARKKO ARJATSALO, who kind of kept my voice alive over these many years. So I want to thank him very much for that

* I Tried To Leave You *  (outro cued to start at 8.08)

itriedtoleaveyou