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Fortress of Suomenlinna
UNESCO site
Date of Insscription: 1991
Suomenlinna (Sveaborg) is a sea
fortress, which was built gradually from 1748 onwards on a group of islands
belonging to the district of Helsinki. The work was supervised by the Swedish
Admiral Augustin Eherensvärd (1710-1772), who adapted Vauban’s theories to the
very special geographical features of the region. The landscape and the
architecture of the fortress have been shaped by several historic events. It
has served to defend three different sovereign states over the years: the
Kingdom of Sweden, the Russian Empire and most recently the Republic of Finland.
Covering an area of 210 ha and
consisting of 200 buildings and 6 km of defensive walls, the fortress stretches
over six separate islands. The original fortress was built using local rock and
fortified with a system of bastions over varied terrain. The purpose of the
fortress was originally to defend the Kingdom of Sweden against the Russian
Empire and to serve as a fortified army base, complete with a dry dock.
Sandbanks, barracks and various other buildings were added during the
19th-century Russian period. The defensive system was adapted to match the
requirements of a modern fortress and developed in the 19th century using
contemporary fortification equipment.
After Finland gained independence
in 1917, the fortress was renamed Suomenlinna (or Fortress of Finland) and
served as a garrison and a harbour. The military role of the fortress declined
after World War II, and in 1973 the area was converted for civilian purposes.
Since then, buildings have been renovated to serve as apartments as well as workspaces,
to house private and public services, and for cultural purposes.
Today, Suomenlinna is one of the
most popular tourist attractions in Finland and constitutes a district of
Helsinki with 850 inhabitants.
Criterion (iv): In the history of
military architecture, the Fortress of Suomenlinna is an outstanding example of
general fortification principles of the 17th and 18th centuries, notably the
bastion system, and also showcases individual characteristics..
Source: unesco.org
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