The cathedral was built as a tribute to the Grand Duke, Nicholas I, the Tsar of Russia, and was called St. Nicholas' Church until the independence of Finland in 1917. In 1959, it became a cathedral of the Evangelical Lutheran denomination. Both the Lutheran Cathedral and Senate Square are a rather severe interpretation of the neoclassical style, which is intended to reflect the glory of ancient Greece and Rome. Lining the roof are statues of the apostles made of zinc; they are copies of the sculptures on Vor Frue Kirke in Copenhagen. Senate Square:
A statue of Emperor Alexander II is located in the center of the square. The statue, erected in 1894, was built to commemorate his re-establishing the Diet of Finland in 1863, and initiating several reforms increasing Finland's autonomy from Russia. Personally, I thought the seagull perched upon his head added a nice contemporary touch.
Our tour continued past the Uspenski Cathedral and past the harbour to see the icebreakers docked for the summer season.
Then, it was on to Mannerheim Street, the main thoroughfare and home to Parliament House, the National Museum and Finlandia Hall. We also passed the new Contemporary Art museum, the Olympic Stadium, venue for the Olympic Games of 1952 (pictured below),
and the new Opera House, completed in 1993. We also really enjoyed seeing Sibelius Monument, a tribute to the famous Finnish composer, Jean Sibelius. (One of us once wrote a lengthy technical musical analysis of his Symphony No. 2 during her university years...)
From Sibelius Park, we continued on to the Seurasaari Open-Air Museum, located on a beautiful green island just a few miles from the heart of Helsinki. The island is a tranquil oasis in the midst of the city and here, the traditional Finnish way of life is portrayed in the cottages, farmsteads and manors of the past four centuries that have been relocated from around the different provinces of Finland.
The oldest building on the island is a 1686 wooden church from Karuna, near Turku. It was a small church, but full of impressive craftsmanship.
The candle-holders were very unique. Emily commented that "eight people must have had their arms cut off to make these."
The guided walking tour was a nice way of getting to know traditional Finnish life and architecture while enjoying the beautiful surroundings, and we were even treated to a traditional pastry in this delightful country setting.
The girls saved pieces of their treats to share with the ducks on the island.
Next, we headed back into the city to visit the Temppeliaukio Kirkko. This underground Rock Church is built inside of a massive block of natural granite in the middle of an ordinary residential square. The architects chose a rocky outcrop rising about 40 feet above street level, and blasted out the walls from the inside. The ceiling is made entirely of copper wire. It is not only a place of worship but also a popular venue for musical concerts because of its unique accoustics.
At the end of the tour Matt and I opted to stay downtown and browse the outdoor market while Grams and Gramps took the girls back to swim on board the ship. (It was a lovely warm day!)
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