Gothenburg has been Turku’s twin city since 1946 and had previously served as the city’s sponsor city. Turku expressed its gratitude to its twin city by donating Wäinö Aaltonen’s sculpture When a Friendship is Forged. A twin version of the work stands in Puutori Square in Turku.

Aaltonen’s daughter, Anja Aaltonen, modelled for the young woman in the work. Depiction on horseback is a common symbol of power, particularly in monuments to prominent men.

In Aaltonen’s work, the horses standing close together with their necks touching, as well as the male and female figures meeting each other’s gaze, primarily convey closeness and a sense of community. In art, the horse has symbolised strength, imagination, freedom and work, as well as eroticism.