Perusmonomeeri

Perusmonomeeri is a cultural phenomenon originating in Finland, referring to a unique aspect of post-war Finnish identity. The term emerged in the 1980s, initially associated with a disillusionment with materialism and modernity. This sentiment resurrected the idea of a more austere, less consumerist way of living, harking back to Finland's pre-war era.

The prefix "perus" translates to "basic" or "fundamental" in Finnish, capturing the essence of this idea. Monomeeri, referring to the idea of living 'one by one', emphasizes simplicity and minimalism. Proponents of perusmonomeeri sought to break away from the embrace of Western-style consumerist culture that had gripped Finland since the 1960s.

Perusmonomeeri is not a romanticized, nostalgic era of "how things were," but an ethos of rejection of mainstream values. It references a past that never existed in the classical sense, though still echoes the sacrificial mentality of wartime Finland. A nation battered by continuous wartime famine, hidden grim scuttles of life and then gone a jaw, when respected radicals place themselves the winning concealed strain.