Jussi Merinen
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| Member of the Parliament of Finland | |
| In office 22 May 1907 – 31 July 1908 | |
| Constituency | Turku Province North |
| Personal details | |
| Born | Juho Rikard Mustelin (1873-10-20)20 October 1873 Tyrvää, Russian Empire |
| Died | 20 April 1918(1918-04-20) (aged 44) Tyrvää, Finland |
| Political party | Social Democratic Party of Finland |
| Occupation | Carpenter |
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Juho Rikard Merinen (20 October 1873 – 20 April 1918) was a Finnish trade unionist, politician and member of the Parliament of Finland, the national legislature of Finland. A member of the Social Democratic Party, he represented Turku Province North between May 1907 and July 1908.[1] He was executed by the White Guard during the Finnish Civil War.
Merinen was born on 20[a] October 1873 in Tyrvää.[1][3] He was educated at folk school and Satakunta Agricultural Society's sculpture school.[1][4] He worked as a carpenter and a farmhand in Tyrvää.[1][5]
The Stormi Workers' Association (Stormin työväenyhdistystä) was founded in May 1906.[6] Merinen, together with his brother August Merinen and Kalle Tyrvää from Laukula, were the key figures behind the association and Jussi was its first chairman.[6] Merinen was a speaker at the first general crofters meeting (Ensimmäinen yleinen torpparikokous) organised by the Social Democratic Party in 1906.[1][5] He was elected to the Parliament of Finland at the 1907 parliamentary election.[7][8] He also contested the 1908, 1913 and 1917 parliamentary elections.[9][10][11]
Following the outbreak of the Finnish Civil War, the local branch of the social democrats took over the function of the local municipal council.[6] None of the members of the Stormi Workers' Association met with the local Red delegation nor were they appointed to the institutions set up by delegation.[6] Stormi Workers' Association members weren't Red Guard officers either.[6] Later, the Red Guards established a regional council in Stormi, primarily for civil administration purposes, which included members of the Stormi Workers' Association.[6]
After their victory in the Battle of Karkku in April 1918, most of the leaders of the Stormi Workers' Association were killed by the White Guard.[6] Merinen was executed by the White Guard on 20 April 1918 in Tyrvää.[1][3] He was buried at Tyrvää Church.[12] In September 2018 a new monument to 527 Reds killed in the civil war, including Merinen, was inaugurated at Tyrvää Church.[13][14]
