Eira is a neighborhood in Helsinki

Helsinki

Helsinki is the capital and largest city in Finland. It is in the region of Uusimaa, located in southern Finland, on the shore of the Gulf of Finland, an arm of the Baltic Sea. The population of the city of Helsinki is , making it by far the most populous municipality in Finland. Helsinki is...

, the capital of Finland

Finland

Finland , officially the Republic of Finland, is a Nordic country situated in the Fennoscandian region of Northern Europe. It is bordered by Sweden in the west, Norway in the north and Russia in the east, while Estonia lies to its south across the Gulf of Finland.Around 5.4 million people reside...

.

The district dates back to the early 20th century and received its name after Eira Hospital

Eira Hospital (Finland)

Eira Hospital is a private hospital in southern part of Helsinki, Finland. It has given its name to the adjacent Eira district of Helsinki.The architectural landmark is located at Tehtaankatu and Laivurinkatu cross, with address at Tehtaankatu 30 in Helsinki. The building was designed by Lars...

 in the neighboring district of Ullanlinna

Ullanlinna

' is the southern-most city district of Helsinki, in Finland. The name Ullanlinna refers to the fortification line that was built at the southern edge of the area during the 18th century , as part of the town fortifications, which also included the fortress of . The name refers to the Swedish...

, which in turn took its name from Eira Hospital in Stockholm

Stockholm

Stockholm is the capital and the largest city of Sweden and constitutes the most populated urban area in Scandinavia. Stockholm is the most populous city in Sweden, with a population of 851,155 in the municipality , 1.37 million in the urban area , and around 2.1 million in the metropolitan area...

, which was named after Eir

Eir

In Norse mythology, Eir is a goddess and/or valkyrie associated with medical skill. Eir is attested in the Poetic Edda, compiled in the 13th century from earlier traditional sources; the Prose Edda, written in the 13th century by Snorri Sturluson; and in skaldic poetry, including a runic...

, the old Scandinavian goddess of healing.

Eira is located south from the city centre. The neighbourhood has some of the most expensive and sought-after old apartments, built in jugend style. Many foreign embassies and high-class restaurant

Restaurant

A restaurant is an establishment which prepares and serves food and drink to customers in return for money. Meals are generally served and eaten on premises, but many restaurants also offer take-out and food delivery services...

s are situated in Eira and the neighbouring district of Kaivopuisto

Kaivopuisto

Kaivopuisto , or in spoken language, Kaivari, is one of the oldest and best known parks in central Helsinki, Finland, and also a neighbourhood of about 500 inhabitants where the park is located.-Geography:...

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Eira also appears in the movie Calamari Union

Calamari Union

Calamari Union is the second full-length film by director Aki Kaurismäki, 1984.-Plot:Calamari Union is an allegorical movie that tells the story of sixteen men all of whom are called Frank apart from a single confrere, Pekka...

directed by Aki Kaurismäki

Aki Kaurismäki

-Career:After studying Media Studies at the University of Tampere, Aki Kaurismäki started his career as a co-director in the films of his elder brother Mika Kaurismäki. His debut as an independent director was Crime and Punishment , Dostoyevsky's famous crime story set in modern-day Helsinki...

. In the movie the area of Eira symbolizes wealth and well-being, which the characters are trying to achieve by moving from Kallio

Kallio

Kallio is a district and a neighbourhood in Helsinki, the capital of Finland, located on the eastern side of the Helsinki peninsula about one kilometere north from the city centre. It is one of the most densely populated areas in Finland...

to Eira.