Oulu is trying to preserve the Paska kaupunni graffiti in connection with the change of plan

The city of Oulu seeks to secure the famous Shit town – with the entry made in the site plan of the mural, says Oulu city’s online newspaper My Oulu. The site plan change has become relevant when the owner of the property located on Uudellakatu wants to demolish the 1960s building and replace it with a new one.

New construction requires site plan changewhich was approved by the city council at its meeting on March 30. Based on the Oulu Museum and Science Center’s statement, a note has been added to it to ensure the preservation of the wall painting:

“At the projection indicated in the site plan, on the ground level on the wall opposite plot no. 3, the possibility of implementing ‘Paska Kaupunni’ graffiti must be ensured by arranging for it a wall surface that is light in color and suitable for painting graffiti.”

Shit town – mural has traditionally been seen on the wall between the now demolished building and its neighboring house Valkealinna. The two words have been painted again and again until the end of the 1980s. They refer to someone from Oulu Kauko Röhkä & Nartu’s song Shit city.

Sometimes the Valkealinna housing company has removed the graffiti by painting over it, but the words have always appeared on the wall again. In 2024, the building company’s property manager told Ylethat the wall will be painted over if other words or images appear in connection with the words “Shit town”.

“Because of the graffiti itself, it is not covered. Paska Kaupunni is a landmark of Oulu, and the housing company also appreciates it. But we don’t want to send a signal that anyone can deface anything,” property manager Johanna Harmainen told Yle at the time.

Construction researcher at the Oulu Museum and Science Center Samuli Paitsola told the Mun Oulu online newspaper that the measure made in the zoning, i.e. the triangle order of the site plan, does not mean protecting graffiti or making it a museum, but its purpose is to enable the implementation of graffiti in the future as well.

HS reached out musician Kauko Röyhkä by phone to comment on the relationship between the song and the mural.

What kind of relationship do you have with this graffiti, Do you see it as a tribute Shit city for the song?

“Well, I don’t really have anything to do with it. It was published in the fall of 1985 Shit city -song as a maxi single and then the first writing appeared on the wall. And it was specifically in form Shit town. It has been wiped over many times and it has always come again and in different forms. And I don’t know who makes these. The people of Oulu apparently understood that the song is some kind of criticism towards Oulu, because I now had a reputation as a critical artist! But that wasn’t it, it only speaks of the frustration of young men.”

Do the people of Oulu often come to talk to you about this graffiti – is graffiti more important to the people of Oulu than the song?

“I can’t say which one is more important, but they’ve mastered that thing in Oulu and it’s seen as a backhanded compliment. We once had to perform at an event for Oulu’s industry influencers in Helsinki. And then I asked them if they wanted us to play Shit city – that it doesn’t describe this well, someone can get the wrong idea. Ne said that without anything else it must be called!”

Are you proud that the song has been immortalized on the wall in this way?

“Well, I don’t know. It doesn’t matter to me. It lives its own life and we make music in our own style. I don’t think this has anything to do with that song!”