157210

Introduction to Suomenlinna

Suomenlinna (Finnish: Suomenlinna, Swedish: Sveaborg) is a fortification built on six small islands off the coast of Helsinki, Finland, at the entrance to the port of Helsinki, the capital of Finland. It is a famous tourist attraction. Its original name was Sveaborg, but the Finns renamed it Suomenlinna for reasons of patriotism and nationalism, but the Swedes and Swedish-speaking Finns still call it Suomenlinna. swerborg.

The Swedes began construction of the fortification in 1748 to defend against Russian expansion. Engineering was carried out by the eminent Swedish engineer Augustin Ehrensvärd. The design scheme was influenced by Vauban, a famous European military engineer at that time, and took the star castle style as the basic structure. Suomenlinna and fortifications on the mainland together form a defensive system that makes it difficult for attackers to land on the beach.

In 1991, according to the cultural heritage selection criteria (iv), Suomenlinna was approved by the UNESCO World Heritage Committee as a cultural heritage and included in the World Heritage List because it reflected the characteristics of European military buildings at that time.

Selection was based on criterion (iv): In the history of military architecture, Suomenlinna is an outstanding example of the universal defensive principles of the 17th and 18th centuries, and in particular its fortress system, which also demonstrates its individual character.

Evaluation of the World Heritage Committee:The castle was built in the second half of the 18th century by the Swedes on an island at the entrance to Helsinki Harbour. The castle well reflects the characteristics of European military architecture at that time.

The construction

Suomenlinna was built more than 250 years ago and was designed by a Swedish artillery officer, Okostin. The famous Suomenlinna is the world’s largest existing maritime fortress and a world cultural heritage. This is a group of buildings on several small islands off the coast of Helsinki, a product of the Swedish era. So far, the forts, castles and barracks of that year have been well preserved. Today, hundreds of years later, Suomenlinna has evolved into a trendy meeting place.

The Emperor’s Gate is a symbol of Suomenlinna, and it was built for military parades between 1753 and 1754. In 1752, when the founder, King Adolf Fredrik of Sweden, came to inspect the project, the place where the boat anchored was the location of the Emperor’s Gate.

Built in 1852, the Helsinki Cathedral has an exquisite structure, a milky white appearance, and extraordinary aura. It can be called the essence of Finnish art history. At the top of the cathedral is a bell tower with light green arches, more than 80 meters above sea level, so it has become a landmark building in Helsinki. Helsinki Cathedral is the most popular place to get married in Finland.

The forts, castles, and military camps built by the Swedes on the island 250 years ago have all been well preserved. There are dozens of museums, restaurants and cafes on the island. The Suomenlinna Museum offers three locally brewed beers in Suomenlinna, which are pure and unique in taste. The shipyard on the island uses traditional skills to build an ancient sailing ship, and tourists can also participate in it.

Motto

On the Emperor’s Gate of Suomenlinna, a marble slab is engraved with a motto of Augustin Ohrenschwald: “Later generations, stand here on your own strength, and do not rely on the help of foreigners.”

Use

Suomenlinna was designed by Okostin, a Swedish artillery officer. He died in 1772 after completing a chain of defensive castles on a series of islands near Helsinki, and it wasn’t until the end of the 18th century that Suomenlinna’s plans were finally completed. At that time, the Russians were eyeing Finland under Swedish rule.

At that time, the Russians not only relied on Kronstadt, which occupies an important strategic position in the eastern part of the Baltic Sea, to protect their central city, St. Petersburg, but also used it as the base camp and supply base for the Russian fleet to fight against the Swedish naval forces, which brought serious challenges to Finland. threat. At that time, one of the main reasons why Okostin built Suomenlinna was to defend against the Russian invasion of Finland.