- What to visit in the center of Helsinki
- Religious buildings in Helsinki
- Finnish capital museums
Russian tourists most often come to the capital of Finland, their main goal is to relax in the bosom of nature, sit with a fishing rod on the shore of the bay, and enjoy the northern natural beauty. When asked what to visit in Helsinki from places connected with Russia, locals will immediately direct you to the historical center of the city. Residents of St. Petersburg will feel at home here, and the rest will also be able to see an invisible resemblance to Northern Palmyra.
What to visit in the center of Helsinki
Thanks to the Russian Emperor Alexander I, in 1812 Helsinki was awarded the high title of the main city of the Finnish principality. With his light hand, the grandiose construction began. The center of the new capital was supposed to be Senate Square, its name in Finnish sounds rather difficult for a Russian-speaking tourist - Senaatintori.
The main square of the Finnish capital is what you can visit in Helsinki on your own. Any traveler will correctly answer the question of which building was built first. Naturally, the Senate building, where the government of Finland is holding its meetings today. Interestingly, there is another building opposite the Senate, which has the same architecture, it is like a mirror image. But in this architectural complex the University is located, the "future" of the country is in session.
A kind of continuation of a higher educational institution in Finland is the Main University Library. The building is not only an architectural monument, but also a place of attraction for the interests of many Slavists around the world. At one time, under Emperor Alexander I, copies of all books published in Russia were sent here. Many of them have not survived in their homeland, but today they are available to every visitor of the University Library.
There is another important object on Senaatintori Square, it is he who attracts the attention of tourists in the first place, and not the buildings of the Senate or the University. The dominant feature of the square is Tuomiokirkko, a Lutheran cathedral. The snow-white structure has five domes - one large in the center, and four smaller ones surrounding it. You can see the statues of the apostles decorating this religious building, and find similarities with the famous St. Isaac's Cathedral in St. Petersburg. A high staircase leads to the cathedral, many tourists rush to climb it to contemplate the city from above.
Religious buildings in Helsinki
In the modern capital of Finland, today there are more than 60 places of worship, which are occupied by various confessions. The Lutheran Cathedral is located on Senaatintori Square, and in order to see the main Orthodox church, you need to go to the island of Katajanokka. It is here that the Assumption Cathedral is located, the construction of which was completed in 1868. It is considered not only the oldest Orthodox church in Helsinki, but throughout Northern Europe. In its architecture, you can find features characteristic of the wooden architecture of the Russian North.
The Finns themselves consider the church located in Kallio to be a highlight among the religious buildings. It has a central place on a high hill, so the architectural structure can be seen from almost anywhere in the area. It has a tall tower that houses the bells. According to legend, the music for the bells of this church was written by Jan Sibelius, a famous Finnish composer of Swedish origin.
Finnish capital museums
You can get acquainted with the country, in general, and with Helsinki, in particular, with the help of unique exhibits stored in the capital's museums. First of all, guests strive to get to the Finnish National Gallery, which consists of several museum institutions: the Sinebrychoff Art Museum; The Ateneum Art Museum; Museum of Contemporary Art.
In the name of the first museum, a Russian tourist will hear familiar notes and will not be mistaken. This art gallery is based on the collection of the industrialists of the Sinebryukhovs in 1921 and is housed in a mansion built by one of the members of this family. The gallery holds the country's largest collection of works by European painters who worked during the 14th – 19th centuries.
The Art Museum, named after the ancient Greek goddess Athena, houses works of art dating back to the 1750s. and ending in the middle of the last century. The third in this company is Kiasma, a museum of modern art, or, as it is also fashionable to call it, a center of visual culture. It presents contemporary works of Finnish and foreign artists, sculptors or craftsmen, works in the format of temporary exhibitions.
Artifacts telling about the history of the country and its capital are kept in the National Museum of Finland, the Sveaborg Fortress, the Postal Museum and other museums in the city.
