Description of the attraction
The monument to Mikael Agricole is located in Vyborg next to the Lutheran Cathedral of the Holy Apostles Peter and Paul.
Mikael Agricola, a famous Finnish educator, the founder of the Finnish literary written language, was born in the Pernaya parish in Nyuland in a peasant family. The boy was very gifted, and therefore the local priest convinced Mikael's parents to educate him. Education in those days was the privilege of only the wealthy class, but, nevertheless, Agricola's outstanding abilities gave him the opportunity to study at a Latin school in Vyborg. The surname Agricola Mikael chose for himself, from the Latin agricola is translated as "farmer".
Agricola received further education in Germany, at the University of Wittgenberg. In 1539 he was appointed rector of the Theological Academy in Turku, and in 1554 - the first Lutheran bishop of Finland.
Agricola spearheaded the reform of the Church, which resulted in the establishment of Lutheranism in Finland. According to Catholic traditions, church services were conducted in Latin. At the same time, the majority of parishioners listened and memorized incomprehensible words that were purely mechanical, not even guessing about their meaning. Mikael Agricola believed that services in churches in Finland should be conducted in Finnish. Sermons for priests were prepared in Finnish, and Mikael Agricola began translating the Bible into Finnish.
The ABC-kirja primer is considered the first Finnish book; it was published in 1542. This year is still celebrated as the year of the origin of writing in Finland. Agricola took the Turku dialect and the Karelian dialect as the basis for the written language. In addition to the alphabet, the primer included the commandments of God. Prayer "Our Father", Symbol of Faith, other spiritual texts.
Agricola's second book is a prayer book in Finnish. Agricola at 154 8g. the New Testament was translated. When Agricola was doing translations, there was no Finnish literature yet, nor were there any rules for writing. Many spiritual concepts did not exist either, so Agricola introduced new words to denote them. For example, it is Mikael Agricola who owns such Finnish words as enkeli (angel), historia (history), esikuva (sample), kasikirjoitus (manuscript).
In Finland, the figure of Mikael Agricola is held in high esteem. The date of his birth has not been established, but the day of his death is known - April 9. This day in Finland is celebrated as a national holiday - Mikael Agricola Day or Finnish Language Day. Every year on this day, the Finnish Literature Society awards prizes for the best translations of world literature into Finnish.
Mikael Agricola is buried in Vyborg, but the exact place of his burial is unknown. Possible locations for his grave are the former cathedral of the Dominican monastery or the cathedral.
The initiative to create a monument to Agricole in Vyborg belonged to the Finnish Literary Society. Funds for its construction began to be raised in 1860, but they began to seriously implement this idea in 1901.
In 1903, the model of the monument to the sculptor Emil was approved. Vikstrem. They decided to erect the monument in the center of the city, in front of the main portal of the church, which stood opposite the current post office of Vyborg. The monument was unveiled on June 21, 1908. Vikström portrayed the founder of Finnish writing with an open book in his hands, preaching a sermon. At the foot of the pedestal there was a sculptural composition: a girl is reading a book to an old man.
Vyborg monument during the Winter War 1939-40 disappeared. According to historical data, the Finns buried it in the sand during the retreat, but it has not yet been found. A replica of Agricola's bust stands today in Pernay, Finland.
In 2009, the monument to Mikael Agricole was re-erected in Vyborg. The solemn ceremony of the "return" of the monument took place on June 27, 2009. This monument is a new casting from the original monument of Emil Vikstrem.
The project of the pedestal for the new monument was developed by the architect Y. Lankinen (his father was once the architect of the city of Vyborg). The pedestal was made by master masons from Kamennogorsk. The slab that connects the bust and the base of the monument is part of the original monument designed by Emil Wikström.
