Sveaborg Finland. Sveaborg (Suomenlina) - "Helsinki's most famous attraction is the sea fortress of Sveaborg

Fortress Suomenlinna (Suomenlinna) or Sveaborg- these are 4 islands off the coast of the city of Helsinki, formerly also called Suomenlinna, this is a bright symbol of the city of Helsinki. Erected by the French and was intended to become the "Gibraltar of the North". Now Suomenlinna is a functioning museum under open sky.

History of occurrence.

Under the Swedes, the fortress was called Sveaborg - i.e. Swedish fortress. The Finns called her Viapori. The history of Suomenlinna Fortress is closely connected with the history of Finland, Helsinki and the Baltic Sea. Suomenlinna Fortress appeared on the map of Finland in the nineteenth century. Being an important defensive line from the east, the fortress passed to Russia at the beginning of the 19th century, and, in addition to the fleet bases in Tallinn and Kronstadt, it was used to guard the fairways leading to St. Petersburg.

Architecture.

Suomenlinna Fortress is a complex of chaotically located bastions built on small rocky islands. From the very beginning, defensive structures and fortress buildings were also used for utilitarian needs. Suomenlinna is largely authentic, that is, historically original building. Dozens of underwater historical sites have been discovered not far from the Suomenlinna fortress.

Neighborhood.

In the immediate vicinity is the Suomenlinna Fortress Museum (Suomenlinna-museo). The museum contains unique examples of pre-revolutionary artillery of Imperial Russia - for example, a 6-inch siege gun of the 1904 model and other weapons. In the collection of the Toy Museum you will find thousands of objects and things for children, the oldest of which were made at the very beginning of the nineteenth century. In addition, the museum has a separate room with military toys. The Ehrensvärd Museum features miniature ship models, antique furniture, weapons and paintings by Sveaborg artist Elias Martin. You can also visit the Military Museum in the Manezh, which is located in a building that was previously used by the Russian army as an artillery depot. In our time, Finnish military equipment is exhibited there.
You can also see the Vesikko submarine, which was used during World War II. Inside the boat, almost all rooms are open for visiting.

Note to the tourist.

The Suomenlinna Museum is open all year round, from May to October it is open from 10:00 to 18:00, the rest of the time it opens half an hour later and closes at 16:30.
The Ehrensvärd Museum is open throughout the summer season from 11:00 to 18:00, and in spring and autumn only on weekends, from 11:00 to 16:00.
The Toy Museum is open to visitors only from March to October, from 11:00 to 17:00.
The Military Museum is open from mid-May to September, from 11:00 to 18:00, for adults the entrance ticket costs 4 euros, for children under 17 - 2 euros.
The entrance to the submarine is also open from mid-May to September, from 11:00 to 18:00, the cost of an entrance ticket for adults is 4 euros, for children under 17 years old - 2 euros.
Hostel Suomenlinna is located on the territory of the fortress on the island of Iso Mustasaari.
You can have a bite to eat at Café Vanille, where you will be offered excellent desserts, or at Café Piper, where you can dine in the English-style garden in the summer. The Toy Museum Café will be interesting for you - you can have tea with desserts inside a real toy museum. And for true gourmets in Sveaborg, the Walhalla restaurant is open, which will offer you a large selection of dishes and a rich wine list.

Suomenlinna Sea Fortress (fin. Suomenlinna - "Finnish fortress", Swedish. Sveaborg - "Swedish fortress"), the construction of which was started by the Swedes in 1746, is located on a group of islands, not far from Helsinki. It is a national monument of Finland and at the same time - an object world heritage UNESCO (since 1991). More than 600 thousand tourists visit the fortress every year.

Unfortunately, we went to the fortress during the day and we didn’t have much time for inspection and we didn’t manage to visit everywhere. Of course, it is better to go for the whole day. If desired, in Fortress Suomenlinna you can stay overnight, in the center of the fortress there is a small hostel (open throughout the year) with the same name. Just remember that the shower and toilet are shared in the hostel) In addition to shared bedrooms, there are 1, 2 and 3-bed rooms. There is also a kitchen, Internet access. Prices, if desired, can be found.

Built at a time when Finland was part of the Kingdom of Sweden, Sveaborg Fortress surrendered to Russian troops in 1808 during the Finnish War. As you remember, it was after the end of this Russian-Swedish war and the conclusion of the Friedrichsham Peace Treaty (in 1809) that Finland became part of the Russian Empire and became known as Grand Duchy of Finland. The fortress, respectively, was also occupied by the Russian garrison for the next 108 years, until the Great October Socialist Revolution of 1917. In 1918, the fortress acquired a new name - Suomenlinna fortress.

Small photo sketches during a summer walk. Fortress bastions, coastal defense line, sandy ramparts, cannons, seascape... there is something to see there)))

The church of the fortress was built for the Russian garrison in 1854, it was originally Orthodox and had five domes. After Finland gained independence, it became Evangelical Lutheran, was partially rebuilt, four domes were removed. Now the spire of the church is also used as a beacon for sea and air transport.

Suomenlinna Fortress Tourist Information Office

Center tourist information (Suomenlinna Center) is located in the central part Fortress Suomenlinna. Here you can take a map, get information about hiking trails etc. There is also a souvenir shop, cafe and museum "Suomenlinna". Tourist excursions depart from here. Basic a tourist route on the map of the fortress is marked in blue and passes through all the main attractions. The length of the route is about 1.5 km, when you walk around the territory of the fortress, you will see that the inscriptions of the signs of this route also have a blue background.

Tourist Information Center opening hours:

• in the period from May 02 to September 30 - daily, from 10-00 to 18-00
• in the period from October 01 to April 30 - daily, from 10-30 to 16-30

Only walking is allowed on the premises. In addition, it is emphasized that each visitor is solely responsible for their own safety. This is due to the fact that the islands are rocky, there are many rather dangerous places, so be careful.

If you visit the fortress with a dog, then your pet must be on a leash. Canine waste must be disposed of by the dog owner. Actually, these are the usual requirements for Finland.

Kindling fires and making kebabs (barbecue) is also not allowed. If you really want to eat in nature, but do not want to sit in a cafe, then snacks and lunches can be bought at the Siwa grocery store, located near the main pier.

There are tunnels inside the fortifications, most of which are located on the islands of Kustaanmiekka ("King's Sword") and Susisaari ("Wolf Island"). Some tunnels are open for free access to visitors.

We continue the walk

Occasionally, you can stumble upon the old barrels of previously formidable guns, now simply stacked in the grass.

If you are tired, you can sit down and admire the seascape

Symbol Fortress Suomenlinna- monumental royal gate, built in 1753-1754 as the main entrance to the fortress.

The location and name of the gate is also not accidental - it was in this place that the ship of the Swedish monarch Adolf Frederik moored in 1752 ( Swede. Adolf Fredrik), who arrived on the island in order to personally observe the construction.

On the main fortress square of Suomenlinna is the grave of the founder and first commandant of the fortress - the Swedish field marshal Augustin Ehrensvärd ( Swede. Augustin Ehrensvard). Fortress of Sveaborg (Swede. Sveaborg) was built according to his drawings and is considered the main achievement of his activities. Of course, when Augustin Ehrensvärd started building the fortress, he was not yet a field marshal, but had the rank of colonel. After construction was completed, he was promoted to major general.

Walking through the territory of the fortress, you will see a small (length 40m, total displacement 381 tons, crew 20 people) submarine built before the Second World War for the German naval forces. Moreover, the submarine was laid down and built at the Crichton-Vulcan shipyard in the Finnish city Turku. The launch took place in 1931 (the submarine was assigned the number CV-707), tests were also carried out in coastal waters Turku.

In 1936, the Finns bought a submarine for the Finnish Navy and renamed it "Vesiko" ("Vesikko" - mink). In the Finnish campaign of 1939, "Vesiko" did not take part in active hostilities, but in the period 1941-1944 it carried out reconnaissance and patrolling. Based in the Suomenlinna area. After the war, all Finnish submarines were destroyed (according to the Paris Peace Treaty of 1947, Finland, in particular, is forbidden to have a submarine fleet) and Vesiko is the only submarine of the Finnish Navy that we can see.

In 1959, "Vesiko" was transferred to the military museum ( Sota Museum), and in 1973 it was transferred to Suomenlinna, where, after restoration, it was opened to the public, you can see the internal structure and understand the conditions under which the submariners served. Unfortunately, we were unable to get inside. I hope it works out on my next visit to the fortress)))

The cost of visiting the Vesico submarine

The visit is open during the summer period (say, for the 2014 season: from May 05 to September 30). Opening hours: from 11-00 to 18-00. Ticket sales end at 17:45. Entry fee:

• adult - 5.0 euro
• family ticket - 12.0 euros
• children under 7 years old - free of charge

How to get to Suomenlinna Fortress

To get to the sea fortress, of course, you can only by water. There are two options:

• on the Local Ferry (HSL) departing from Market Square East Pier ( Kauppatori, Fin. Kauppatori) during the whole year. The ferry arrives at the main pier in the fortress
• by water tram line JT-Linen (this option is available only in summer, from May to September). Stops at the pier at the King's Gate and at Suomenlinna Center

The ferry ride takes approximately 15-20 minutes. The ferry ticket can be bought from the ticket machine or from the ferry line at the Market Square (open only in summer). if you have Helsinki Card then the ride is free.

Cost of visiting Suomenlinna Fortress

The question is interesting, but, in this case, redundant. The entrance to the fortress is free. You only need to pay the fare. At the moment (according to the HSL website at the beginning of 2014):

I marked the ticket Suomenlinna-lippu, which is valid for 12 hours (from the moment of activation at the reader) and is relevant only for travel by ferry in Suomenlinna fortress. For children from 7 to 16 years old - 2.5 euros. In principle, the ferry is part of Helsinki's public transport and all HSL tickets are valid ( fin. Helsingin seudun liikenne). But the ticket Suomenlinna-lippu convenient. Please note that HSL tickets are not valid on the waterbus.

In addition, a guided walking tour (available in English and Russian) is also paid, it costs 10 euros. By Helsinki Card- for free.

A separate fee is charged for visiting museums: the Suomenlinna Museum, the Toy Museum (located on the island of Iso Mustasaari) and the Manege Military Museum. Tickets are inexpensive, within 5-6 euros, children are cheaper, there are family tickets. Please note that late at Finland do not work))) There is also the Ehrensvärd Museum and the Customs Museum. The opening hours of the museums in the fortress are somewhere from 10-30 to 16-30 (17-00).

A walk in the fresh sea air is very healthy and, among other things, causes an increased appetite. And then the Finns approached this problem thoroughly and solved it completely: you will not be allowed to die of hunger, there is a restaurant, a brewery restaurant and several cafes. Susisaari is home to the first traditional Japanese tea room in Finland.

All requied information, tourist map, the schedule of museums and other institutions, you will find on the official website Fortress Suomenlinna.

What immediately comes to mind when we talk about Finland? Of course, Helsinki! And what is primarily associated with the city of Helsinki? Of course, the fortress of Sveaborg, or, as it is also called, Suomelinna.

The oldest fortress, built back in the days when Finland was part of Sweden, is an integral symbol of the country. It is marked by UNESCO as part of the architectural and cultural heritage and consistently attracts thousands of tourists every month.

The history of the fortress begins in the middle of the 18th century, in 1748. Built on the Wolf Skerries - nearby islands - it was supposed to protect the city from invading enemy troops. The building coped with this task perfectly until 1808, when it was captured by Russian troops after a long battle. Since then, and for the next 110 years, Sveaborg was under the control of Russia. During the Crimean War, the fortress held back the invasion of the Anglo-French troops.

In 1918, Finland became an independent state and Sveaborg received a new name - Suomelinna, which means "Finnish fortress" in Swedish. For about half a century, the building belonged to the military, served as a base for artillery, until in 1973 it acquired the status of a museum.

Since 1991, Suomelinna has been included in the UNESCO World Heritage List as a valuable architectural and cultural monument.

Sveaborg today: what to see and do

Today Sveaborg is a museum and a hallmark of Finland. Both adults and children will find entertainment here; and lovers of architecture, and connoisseurs of diverse military equipment which is found in abundance here. Tourists will also note beautiful nature, and gourmets will find a place with delicious national cuisine in an old medieval setting. This fortress has everything, even a working prison, so it makes sense to arrive at the opening so that you have a whole day at your disposal.

We list briefly the main museums of Suomelinna:

• in fact, the Suomelinna Museum. Everything that has remained intact over the long years of the existence of the fortress, you can carefully examine in this museum.
• military museum "Manezh", where you can study Finnish military equipment in all details
• Ehrensvärd Museum, which, among other things, contains paintings by an artist who lived and worked directly in the fortress
• the Vesikko submarine is a must-visit - a rare opportunity to see the inside of a real boat from the Second World War
• customs museum, whose name speaks for itself
• and for dessert - the toy museum, which has collected a collection of bears, dolls and other children's games for a period of about two hundred years. If you come to Sveaborg with children, be sure to leave an hour and a half for this museum, especially since the museum has a very nice cafe.

A little nuance: if you take care of purchasing the Helsinki Card in advance, visiting museums will cost you ... Free!

In addition to museums, the fortress itself is also worthy of attention. Forts, barracks, bastions and ancient fortress walls will not leave you indifferent.

• Special attention should be paid to the Great Courtyard with a characteristic distorted perspective of buildings.
• Interesting is the Royal Gate, erected in 1754 on the site where, according to legend, the king of Sweden stood and watched the construction of the fortress.
• The Zander Bastion will amaze you with an exhibition of ancient weapons and massiveness.
• The docks of Suomellina are the oldest surviving in Europe.
• Kronwerk Ehrensvärd is simply beautiful in itself.

And in case you have toured the fortress, visited museums and you have free time (which is unlikely), or you come to Suomelinna not for the first time, the fortress offers its guests many interesting events. Every year, regardless of the season, exhibitions, concerts, open-air performances, as well as opera performances and even sailing regattas are held here.

Address on the map

The address of Sveaborg Fortress is very simple:

• Suomenlinna C74, Helsinki

How to get there

Sveaborg Fortress is located on an island, so if you don't have your own helicopter, the only way to get there is by water.

The easiest way - public transport, HKL ferries, which run from Helsinki Market Square at intervals of 40-60 minutes, starting from 6 am to 6 pm.

If you don't like the ferry, use the JT-line water bus. The cost of one or the other type of transport is about 5 euros. Tickets can be purchased both at advance ticket offices and directly on board.

The distance to the fortress of Sveaborg from the capital is about two kilometers, so the road will not be long, no more than fifteen minutes.

Working hours

The Suomelinna Museum opens at 9.45 am and is open until 6 pm. Until about the same time, other museums located on the territory of the fortress are open to visitors - the Toy Museum, the Manege and others. Some of them close at 17.00 or 17.30.

Fortunately, cafes and restaurants are open longer, so after visiting the museums you can dine with appetite. The last catering establishment on the island closes at 23.00.

Official site

If the information provided in this article turned out to be not enough for you, it only provoked you and you want more details; or if you still have questions - comprehensive data can be found on the official website of the Sveaborg Fortress (Suomelinna) at www.suomenlinna.fi/ru/. All information on the site is provided, including in Russian, so we recommend that you study it if you are going to visit Helsinki during your next vacation.

Sveaborg fortress map

Although the fortress Suomenlinna and is one of the main attractions of Helsinki, not every tourist from Russia who comes to the capital of Finland visits it. Someone is limited to the view from the embankment, someone floats by on the ship Silja Line going to Stockholm. But in vain! You should definitely visit - at least out of respect for the history of your own country.

swedish fortress

The famously twisted biography of the fortress should be started not even from its birth, but from a slightly earlier time. In 1703, Peter the Great founded St. Petersburg in the east of the Gulf of Finland, and, to paraphrase the classic, we began to threaten the Swede. It is not surprising that in Sweden they thought about the response. We thought for a long time. During this time, Russia managed to win two wars against its formidable neighbor.

During the Northern War of 1700-1721, Helsingfors (future Helsinki) fell under the control of the Russian army and burned to the ground. According to the Russian version, as a result of a fierce artillery duel between our fleet and the Swedish coastal artillery, according to the Swedish one, it was burned by the retreating troops so that the enemy would not get anything. According to the Treaty of Nishtad in 1721, Peter I annexed only part of the Finnish lands (Ingria, Kegsholm district,). Helsingfors was returned to Sweden.

In the post-war years, the political life of Sweden consisted of a struggle between adherents of peaceful relations with Russia (the party of "caps") and supporters of revenge (the party of "hats"). The revanchists took over, but during the Russian-Swedish war of 1741-1743 they again received a hat.

In August 1742, Russian ground forces under the command of Field Marshal P.P. Lasi, with the assistance of a squadron under the command of Vice Admiral Z.D. Mishukov, blocked Helsingfors and forced the Swedish army to capitulate without a fight. Peace in Abo, concluded in 1743, was successful for Russia. The border in the Baltic continued to move towards Stockholm.

In 1747, the outstanding Swedish military engineer, artillery and fortification specialist Augustin Ehrensvärd ("hat" according to political views) persuaded King Fredrik I to accept a plan to build new fortresses to resist the Russian fleet in the Baltic (albeit in a truncated form and with a reduced budget).

On the group of islands, which are a natural barrier of the Helsingfors raid, the name of which is translated into Russian very romantically - "Wolf Skerries", the construction of a fortress began. She received the uncomplicated name Sveaborg (that is, "Swedish castle", "Swedish fortress"). Indeed, almost immediately locals began to pronounce the name with a Finnish accent - Viapori.

It was a real building of the century. Nothing similar in scale was built anywhere in Europe in the second half of the 18th century. Defensive structures were erected by 6 thousand people. The main stage of construction stretched over four decades, and minor improvements continued later. The "father of Sveaborg" and the first commandant of the fortress, Count Ehrensvärd, did not live to see the completion of construction. And although he died in the family estate, the count was reburied in the fortress. Ehrensvärd's grave with a luxurious headstone is one of the most photographed sights of Sveaborg.

Sveaborg, built according to the most advanced French models, received the proud nickname "Northern Gibraltar", which was supposed to symbolize its impregnability. A powerful military garrison was placed in the fortress, which turned Sveaborg into the second largest after locality Finland.

In 1806, 4,600 people lived on the islands, and 4,200 on the coast. The future Helsinki was by and large a village, in which the first stone house appeared only in 1757, which belonged to commerce adviser Johann Sederholm. This is the same small two-story house on Senate Square, which is photographed by all tourists as soon as they take pictures of the cathedral and the monument to Alexander II.

In 1807, at a meeting of the Russian Emperor Alexander I with his French counterpart Napoleon Bonaparte in Tilsit, an agreement was reached that Russia could annex Finland to its territory. On February 9, 1808, Russian troops under the command of General of Infantry Count F. F. Buxgevden crossed the border, and on February 18 they entered Helsingfors. Soon Sveaborg was under siege, remaining the only settlement in southern Finland that did not surrender.

About a third of all Swedish troops stationed in Finland were in the fortress: 7500 soldiers and officers, 1500 civilians, 354 convicts and six Russian prisoners of war; 110 warships, more than 2 thousand guns, 100 tons of gunpowder. The commandant of the fortress, Vice-Admiral Karl-Olaf Kronstedt, commanded the defense.

There were fewer besiegers of "northern Gibraltar", they had only 59 guns at their disposal, and there were also no huge reserves of gunpowder. But soon the commandant of the fortress signed a truce for a month, deciding to capitulate at the end of this period if he did not receive reinforcements from Stockholm. The messengers sent to Stockholm did not have time to reach the goal during this month.

On May 3, Sveaborg capitulated. And again we are dealing with two conflicting versions as to the reasons for how this happened. According to the first, the poorly trained Finnish peasant soldiers and the Swedes officers who did not want to die do not understand why, the malfunction of most of the guns, the quickly used up gunpowder, the lack of food supplies in the fortress and the lack of experience of Kronstedt, who previously won victories only at sea, are to blame. The second version, which military historians call "golden powder", is based on rumors that the Russian military command allegedly gave the commandant a large bribe. This fact has never been documented.

After the conclusion of the Friedrichsgam peace, according to which all of Finland passed to Russia, Vice-Admiral Kronstedt was made in Sweden almost the main culprit of the national catastrophe. He was sentenced to death, but pardoned at the request of the Russian emperor. The vice admiral retired, but refused to join the Russian army, wore Swedish orders, but did not disdain to receive a Russian military pension, his son became a Finnish senator, and relatives who remained in Sweden changed their last names.

Russian fortress

After the Russian-Swedish war of 1808-1809, the Sveaborg fortress became Russian. The new owners did not rename the "Swedish Castle" in the Russian way. But the islands on which the fortress is located were renamed, although not immediately. At first they used Swedish names, which were recorded with a Nizhny Novgorod accent.

The Finns, of course, pronounced all the names in their own way, so that each island had a whole bunch of names. Here are a few examples: Gustavsvard (Gustav-Sverde), aka Kustaanmieka, aka Artillery; Stora-Ostersvarto (Sture-Ostersvarte), aka Iso-Mustasaari, aka Commandant; Vargon (Vargen), aka Susisaari, aka Engineering.

Although Sveaborg soon had twice as many Russian soldiers as there had once been Swedish and Finnish soldiers, the island fortress began to slowly lose its importance, and the settlement on the coast began to gain more and more importance. The reason for this was the announcement in 1812 of Helsingfors as the new capital of the newly formed Grand Duchy of Finland (part of the Russian Empire). The former village attached to the fortress gradually began to turn into a city with a fortress on the outskirts of the sea.

By the way, in 1811 in the fortress in the family of the garrison doctor Grigory Belinsky, a son was born, who received the name Vissarion at baptism.

The interval between the first and second sieges of Sveaborg was almost half a century. In the summer of 1855, during the Crimean War (which, contrary to the name, was fought not only on the Black Sea), the Russian Baltic Fleet was blockaded in Sveaborg by the superior Anglo-French fleet.

On July 28 (from the point of view of the attackers) or on August 9 (from the point of view of the defenders), the shelling of the fortress began. The temporary commandant of Sveaborg, Lieutenant-General A.F. Sorokin, did not seem to need a French military pension and did not dream of a place in the House of Lords for his son, and therefore managed to perfectly organize the defense of the fortress.

Over two days and two nights of constant bombardment of the fortress and other islands near Helsingfors, more than 20 thousand shells were fired, "according to an approximate and most moderate calculation." In the Finnish capital, from where the shelling was clearly visible, panic began - the inhabitants feared that the enemy would start shooting at the city.

Despite the strength of the bombardment, the material damage inflicted on the fortress was negligible. The losses of the defenders amounted to 63 people killed, about 200 wounded and shell-shocked. The enemy lost 33 people. After several days of calm, the Allied fleet left the Baltic Sea. English and French newspapers wrote that Helsingfors and the fortress of Sveaborg were wiped off the face of the earth.

The next time the fortress became the scene of battles in the summer of 1906. This time there was no external enemy. The commandant of the fortress, General V. A. Laiming, received information about the impending general uprising in the Baltic Fleet and gave the order to mine the approaches to the fortress. Some of the sailors-miners refused to obey the order.

There is, however, as always, another version. Ever since Peter's time, a sailor who defended a watch in cold weather was entitled to a glass of vodka or compensation for its cost in money. For some reason, the sailors in the fortress did not get either one or the other, which caused discontent. One way or another, but the commandant gave a new order - to arrest the troublemakers.

And then an uprising broke out. The forces were divided approximately equally. About 2 thousand people took part in the rebellion, to which the Socialist-Revolutionaries and Bolsheviks had a hand, who took possession of the islands of Alexander, Artillery, Mikhailovsky and Engineering. There were about the same number of servicemen loyal to the oath, they fortified on the Komendantsky and Lagerny islands.

The rebellion was crushed in two days. 28 organizers and the most active participants were shot, more than a thousand were sentenced to various terms of imprisonment or sent to prison companies. About 600 people died in the battle. In the Brezhnev era in the USSR, a feature film "Sveaborg" was shot about these events, of course, very far from a true depiction of history.

Finnish fortress

In 1918, shortly after the independence of Finland, the Sveaborg fortress was renamed Suomenlinna (Finnish fortress). It briefly housed a concentration camp, which consisted of those who participated in the civil war in Finland on the side of the Reds. Of the 8,500 prisoners a year later, after the camp was closed, 7,500 were released. The rest were mowed down by hunger and infectious diseases.

After the closure of the concentration camp, Suomenlinna becomes a military facility and remains so until 1973, when it passes under the control of the civil administration and becomes one of the districts of Helsinki.

In 1991, the fortress was included in the list of UNESCO World Heritage Sites. True, the island of Piku-Mustasaari (Hospital) is still at the disposal of the Finnish army. There is another attraction near Suomenlinna, which, alas, cannot be visited for the same reason.

On the island of Sandhamn - Santahamina - Lagerny, southeast of the fortress, in 1857 a monument was erected "to those killed 63 sailors and soldiers during the bombardment of Sveaborg by the Anglo-French fleet on July 28 and 29, 1855." The project of the monument was carried out by Professor Baron P. Klodt (the same one who cast horses for the Anichkov Bridge in St. Petersburg). But these are small exceptions, and so almost universal, right? Wolf skerries are at the disposal of tourists.

You can safely allocate a whole day to visit Suomenlinna, and then you will not be able to see everything that is in the fortress.

But not only those who like to remember past victories Russian weapons it makes sense to go to the Wolf Skerries. A fortress is a fortress, but it is also a place where you can just take a walk, admire nature, and besides, various events are constantly held there - outdoor concerts, sailing regattas, exhibitions.

Most local residents prefer to eat prudently brought food with them. And this is a stupid decision. Although in order to find a catering establishment, there are no particular problems. The most popular restaurant among tourists, Walhalla, however, is open to ordinary visitors only for dinner from Monday to Saturday, and only organized groups are allowed there on Sunday and lunch.

Russian patriots can recommend Nikolai pizzeria. It is named after the merchant Nikolai Petrovich Sinebryukhov, who in 1819 received the exclusive right to produce and sell beer in Finland and, almost immediately after obtaining a patent, opened a tavern in Sveaborg. The brewing company Oy Sinebryhoff AB, which bears his name, still exists (here, however, it belongs to the Swedish Carlsberg).

Ferries bearing the inscription "Suomenlinna Sveaborg" depart from Helsinki's fish market (Kauppatori) from 6 am to 2:20 am at intervals of 40 minutes to one hour. Travel time is 15 minutes. The price of a round-trip ticket is €3.80. In summer, water buses also depart from the neighboring pier. Holders of the Helsinki card can use the ferry and visit all the museums in the fortress for free. You can park your own yacht at the guest port on the island of Susisaari, subject to availability.

Suomenlinna can be visited all year round, the fortress is open 365 days a year, but it is better to do it in the summer. 900 people live permanently on the islands, and about 400 more work on them. Many houses on the islands are used as art studios. On the territory of the Suomenlinna fortress there is a prison for those convicted of petty crimes. Prisoners are mainly engaged in maintaining fortifications in the proper form.

Entrance to the fortress itself is free, you have to pay only when visiting museums. The fortress has the Suomenlinna Museum, the Ehrensvärd Museum, the Manege (Museum of the Soviet-Finnish and Second World Wars), the Vessiko submarine, and a free-to-visit customs museum. It is hard not to notice that most of the cannons standing in the fortress have inscriptions in Russian. I think it will be especially pleasant for natives of Perm to study them.

The local church was once the garrison church of the Russian limited contingent in Sveaborg and was called the Alexander Nevsky Cathedral. The cathedral was built according to the project of the architect Konstantin Ton. And although since 2000 not only Lutheran, but also Orthodox services have been held here, the appearance of the building was irreparably damaged back in 1928 by the architect Frans Sjostrem. Instead of a small copy of the Moscow Cathedral of Christ the Savior, we now see an unremarkable Lutheran church.

While in the fortress, somewhere around 17:20-17:30, you can take part in the daily ritual - together with other tourists, wave your hand to the ferry Silja Line passing by, towards Stockholm. If for some reason you were late and didn’t wave, don’t worry. In half an hour you will be given a second attempt - to escort the Viking ferry to the Swedish capital.

Thanks to the Schengen Agreement, today it is possible to travel from Helsinki to Stockholm for a day or two without any visas. And the mentioned ferries are in themselves the sights of both Scandinavian capitals. And if you are sailing aboard one of them, do not miss at the very beginning of the journey an island with a fortress, from the shore of which strangers are waving their hands.

ALEXEY ALEKSEEV
proof

Technical sponsor

Fortress Suomenlinna (Sveaborg) is located on 8 islands and is located near the capital of Finland, Helsinki. It was erected for military purposes in order to protect first the path to Stockholm, then only the Finnish capital. Today it is a magnificent sight.

These surroundings are not only a way to diversify your holiday in Helsinki, but also an occasion for a separate trip. It takes a long time to get to know local history and realize in what strange way the fate of these lands developed.

Panorama on Suomenlinna island in Helsinki - Google Maps

Historic buildings, special landscape design and local flora and fauna are not the limit for the inquisitive tourist. Sveaborg has a rich infrastructure.

Since 1991, Sveaborg has been on the UNESCO World Heritage List. Even in photographs, the views of the mighty fortress look very inspiring. At any time of the year, this place will find something to surprise you.

For example, the island of Iso-Mustasaari will appeal to those who want to visit museums, learn about how the power on the islands changed, how the construction and weapons business developed here. The island of Kustaanmiekka and the recently opened Vallisaari will appeal more to lovers of ecotourism. Each area of ​​the ensemble is charming in its own way.

origin of name

The first name of the fortress is Sveaborg. It translates simply: "Swedish fortress". So it was called by the Russians when Finland was part of the Russian Empire. The Finns at that time called the fortress Viapori (the translation is the same).

In 1917, Finland becomes independent and no longer wants the islands protecting the Finnish capital to be called Swedish. The name Viapori was changed to Suomenlinna (Finnish Fortress) in 1918.

The Swedes, however, continue to use the word Sveaborg, while the Russians have adopted a second name, Suomenlinna. In our language, it is generally accepted that the name of the fortress is variable, and both options are correct.

Story

The islands themselves, on which the fortress is located, are called "Wolf Skerries". These are 8 rocky pieces of land with Finnish names: Kustaanmiekka, Iso-Mustasaari, Pikku-Mustasaari, Lansi-Mustasaari, Susisaari, Särkkä, Lonna and Pormestarinluodot.

Documentary about the history of Sveaborg Fortress

The military period in the north of Europe provided the territory of the islands with a rich history. It so happened that this area survived three periods: Swedish, Russian and, finally, Finnish.

here in the 1740s. The Swedish government decided to build military fortifications. Major Augustin Ehrensverd was put in charge. This was the beginning of the architectural ensemble, which has survived to this day.

In 1808, the Russians besieged the fortress and got it without casualties, but with a large number of prisoners in addition. At first, they do not develop local territories, they only build an Orthodox church.

During the Crimean War, they were forced to erect cannons towards Sweden (they still stand on the islands). The Finns complained a lot about the behavior of the Russians during the years of dependence on the empire. In 1905, for the first time, local residents stage an uprising, which later served as the plot for the film.

In 1972, the USSR and Finland made a joint film called Sveaborg. The picture shows a bloody revolutionary uprising inside the fortress in 1905, which ended with a mass execution of the Bolsheviks.

In 1917 Finland gained independence. During the Civil War (1918) the fortress was used as a concentration camp for the Red Guards. Second World War in 1941-1944 turned the fortress into the base of the German flotilla. After the end of the war, the lands pass to the USSR, but later they are returned to the Finns, who begin the careful restoration of local buildings.

Now Suomenlinna is a cultural and historical Center Finland, with stunning views and a rich heritage - in 1991 it was included in the UNESCO World Heritage List.

There were times when the population on the islands numbered up to 10 thousand people, but today there are only 800-900 indigenous people here - the rest of the families moved to Helsinki. Many people here live in historic buildings that are constantly being renovated.

Attractions of the Sveaborg fortress

The rich history of the fortress has rewarded it with a large number of attractions. The local population now lives in historical buildings, Russian cannons stand along the coast, various museums are open daily.

royal gate

Stone gates, preserved from the very foundation of the fortress, are literally a symbol of Sveaborg. The Swedish king passed through them from the royal bay to his possessions, then making his way through secret passages.

Submarine

A German World War II submarine dominates the bay off the coast of the island and is part of the Suomenlinna Naval Museum. Its imposing appearance once struck fear into the hearts of civilians, but now it is only a memory of hard times and part of the Museum of Naval Equipment.

Church

The large building of the Lutheran church surprises with its multitasking: it is both a spiritual building and a beacon. Once this church was Orthodox, but now it is decorated entirely according to Protestant canons. In this modest but very a nice place you can come for peace of mind.

Memorial plate in honor of V. G. Belinsky

The news for many tourists is the information that Suomenlinna is the birthplace of the Russian critic Vissarion Grigoryevich Belinsky. He was born here in 1811 aboard a Russian ship. On the territory of the fortress, a nominal commemorative plate was laid in his honor, with an inscription in three languages: Swedish, Russian and Finnish.

Museums

There are several museums of various kinds on the islands:

1. Suomenlinna Museum. This is the key building. Here, visitors are given a general history of the fortress, from the very foundation to the Finnish War, from World War II to the present day.
2. Customs. The permanent exhibition in the museum is devoted to the history of the Finnish customs service, the fight against smuggling. The museum building was built in the 18th century.
3. Ehrenswerd Museum. It is located on the territory, which is loved not only by tourists, but also by locals. This is a place for relaxation and meetings. At the entrance to the museum there is a monument to the founder of Sveaborg - Augustin Ehrensvärd. Here he is buried. The exposition of the object is dedicated to his life and the first years of the existence of the fortress.
4. Toy Museum in Suomenlinna. Favorite place all children and all those who are fond of unusual things. The permanent exhibition presents a collection of antique toys from the beginning. 19th century until the 1960s
5. Military Museum "Manege", Museum "Submarine Vesikko" And "Suomenlinna Sea Fortress" show guests various expositions dedicated to the wonders of European and Russian military equipment.

Entrance to all museums is paid, except for the customs one.

Infrastructure

Suomenlinna has long been accustomed to hosting guests, so the infrastructure here is well developed. Can be found shopping centers, souvenir shops, cafes and restaurants. For cultural recreation there is a library and a gallery of contemporary fine arts.

If you want to meet every day of your trip on these amazing islands, you can stay at the local hostel Hostel Suomenlinna. In May-September, it is better to take places in advance, there are a lot of people who want to.

The Gulf of Finland is equipped with beaches - you can sunbathe and swim. You should definitely take a walk in the English Garden park - it is distinguished by various plants that are usually difficult to find growing in the neighborhood. A special "fortress" flora was formed here thanks to different peoples engaged in ennoblement of this territory.

How to get to the Suomenlinna Fortress in Helsinki

In advance, purchase a single ticket for public transport in the city. In any case, you will not get to the place by taxi or by car, and this ticket will allow you to board the ferry without any problems. You can buy it in the subway or from bus drivers. There is also a point of sale on the pier, but you have to stand in line there.

How to get to Finland and how to get to Helsinki can be read on our website. Now you need to be on the Kauppatori market square, only from it you can get to Sveaborg.ferry. In winter, the ferry leaves for the Suomenlinna fortress with the upper deck closed.

If you have already taken a ticket, go to the turnstiles. If you are traveling with a baby in a stroller, go to the barrier, they will let you in for free. If you forgot to buy a ticket in advance, go ahead to the wooden kiosks, where the ticket office is located.

sea ​​bus

From May to September, the place can be reached by sea bus. They take tourists to the main attractions of the city. There is, for example, a route by which you can arrive immediately at the Royal Gate.

Sea trams are mainly the responsibility of JT-Line. There are 3 summer routes. A single ticket does not work on this transport: you need to buy a separate pass at a kiosk or on board the ship.

From island to island

There is no island on which all the sights of Sveaborg would be collected. You need to move between at least 3 islands: Lonna mine island, Iso Mustasaari and Vallisaari island.

From Iso-Mustasaari you can cross a bridge or a spit to the islands of Kustaanmiekka, Pikku-Mustasaari, Länsi-Mustasaari and Susisaari. The rest are served by water buses. If you wish, you can use the Island Hopping pass - with it you will be able to move freely on the water within the facility. Inside these "trams" there is a dining area with its own kitchen.

You can also visit the fortress as part of excursion tour across Helsinki.