Young Communist League of Finland

The Young Communist League of Finland (Finnish: Suomen kommunistinen nuorisoliitto, SKNL) was the youth organization of the Communist Party of Finland (SKP) 1925-1936. The organization was clandestine, but had a significant impact in Finnish society. SKNL was a section of the Communist Youth International.

Prior to the founding of SKNL, the SKP worked through public organizations such as the Socialist Youth League of Finland (banned 1923) and the Socialist Youth League. An effective underground youth organization was not established while it was still possible to work publicly. Gradually, young members of the SKP began setting up secret party cells of their own. In 1923 the Communist Youth International proposed the formation of a communist youth league in Finland. Activity towards the build-up of the organization intensified and in August 1924, the SKP began publishing Nuori Kommunisti ('Young Communist'). In early 1925 an organiser was hired to build the movement and the SKNL was thus founded. In May, the league had 250 members.

The work of SKNL was difficult due to the repression by the state machinery. However, in the period 1925-1926 SKNL cells were set up around the country. As of September 1925 the SKNL had cells in the Helsinki, Tampere, Pori, Vaasa, Lappeenranta, Vyborg and Kuopio regions. In total there were 40 cells, with 149 members. The SKNL was active in the 1927 parliamentary election, campaigning for the Socialist Electoral Organisation of Workers and Smallholders. The youth activist Toivo Latva was elected to parliament.

The first conference of SKNL was held in Moscow, August 1927. At that time, the organization had 94 cells and 358 members. The second conference, which was attended by eight delegates, took place in connection with the congress of the Communist Youth International in August 1928. By then the membership had reached approximately 600, out of whom 20% were women.

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