It was at some point during the 1980s that the text Paska Kaupunni, literally meaning “Shitty City,” first appeared on this wall in downtown Oulu in northern Finland. The text is most likely taken from the Finnish artist Kauko Röyhkä’s song “Paska Kaupunki.”

The graffiti has been removed numerous times over the years, but it always reappears the next day, misspelled in the exact same way (kaupunki would be the correct word). The message has been ingrained in the minds of the city’s inhabitants and is now a part of the city’s identity. There have even been plans to frame the text in some way to protect it.

Whatever people might think of the message and the city of Oulu, it is clear that the unsanctioned message will continue to be a part of the city.