Suomenlinnan Kirkko

Helsinki


Built by the Russians in 1854 for their garrison on Suomenlinna, this church originally had five onion domes, and served as an Orthodox place of worship until the 1920s, when it became Lutheran. The interior is stark and unadorned, and it’s one of the few churches in the world to double as a lighthouse – the beacon was originally gaslight, but it is now electric. Mass is celebrated (in Finnish) at 2pm on the first Sunday of the month.


Lonely Planet's must-see attractions

Nearby Helsinki attractions

1. Suomenlinna

0.1 MILES

Suomenlinna, the ‘fortress of Finland’, straddles a cluster of car-free islands connected by bridges. This Unesco World Heritage site was originally built…

2. Sotamuseo Maneesi

0.17 MILES

On the Suomenlinna island of Iso Mustasaari, Sotamuseo Maneesi has a comprehensive overview of Finnish military hardware, from bronze cannons to WWII…

3. Suomenlinna-Museo

0.18 MILES

By the bridge at Suomenlinna that connects Iso Mustasaari and the main island, Susisaari, is Suomenlinna-Museo, a two-level museum covering the history of…

4. Suomnelinna Toy Museum

0.23 MILES

A three-storey wooden cottage houses this delightful private collection of hundreds of dolls and nearly as many teddy bears, dating from the early 19th…

5. Ehrensvärd-Museo

0.25 MILES

Perhaps the most interesting of the museums at Suomenlinna, this was once the home of Augustin Ehrensvärd, who designed the fortress, and later the…

6. Vesikko

0.38 MILES

At Suomenlinna, the Vesikko is the only WWII-era submarine remaining in Finland (the rest were scrapped). It saw action against the Russians during the…

7. Mannerheim-Museo

1.18 MILES

This fascinating museum by Kaivopuisto was the home of Baron Gustav Mannerheim, former president, commander in chief of the Finnish army and Finnish Civil…

8. Ursa

1.19 MILES

In the Kaivopuisto park, this charming dome-topped observatory was built in 1926. During the darker months, it opens of an evening, while on summer…

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