Finland - Porvoo

Multiviews of Porvoo.

Sent by Juho, a postcrosser from Porvoo, Finland.

This is from Wikipedia : Porvoo (Finnish pronunciation: [ˈporʋoː]; Swedish: Borgå [ˈbɔrɡo]) is a city and a municipality situated on the southern coast of Finlandapproximately 50 kilometres (30 mi) east of Helsinki. Porvoo is one of the six medieval towns in Finland, first mentioned as a city in texts from 14th century. Porvoo is the seat of the Swedish speaking Diocese of Borgå of the Evangelical Lutheran Church of Finland.
Porvoo was first mentioned in documents in the early 14th century, and Porvoo was given city rights around 1380, even though according to some sources the city was founded in 1346. The old city of Porvoo was formally disestablished and the new city of Porvoo founded in 1997 when the city of Porvoo and the Rural municipality of Porvoo were consolidated. When Sweden lost the city of Viborg to Russia in 1721, the episcopal seat was moved to Porvoo. At this time, Porvoo was the second largest city in Finland. After the conquest of Finland by Russian armies in 1808 Sweden had to cede Finland to Russia in 1809 (the Treaty of Fredrikshamn). The Diet of Porvoo in 1809 was a landmark in the History of Finland. The Tsar Alexander I confirmed the newFinnish constitution (which was essentially the Swedish constitution from 1772), and made Finland an autonomous Grand Duchy.

The Porvoo Common Statement is a report issued at the conclusion of theological conversations by official representatives of four Anglican Churches and eight Nordic and Baltic Lutheran Churches in 1989–1992. It established the Porvoo Communion, so named after the Porvoo Cathedral where the Eucharist was celebrated on the final Sunday of the conversations leading to the Statement

The town received its name from a Swedish earth fortress near the river Porvoonjoki which flows through the town. The name Porvoois the Fennicised version of the Swedish name (Borgå) and its parts of borg meaning "castle" and å "river".

Finland - Fortress of Suomenlinna (4)

Helsinki, Suomenlinna.

Sent by Anne, a postcrosser from Finland.

Finland - Simonkatu

The Amazing Time Machine.

Sent by Leyla, a postcrosser from Helsinki, Finland.

Finland - The Obelisk and the Lutheran Cathedral

The Obelisk "The Stone of Empress" and the Lutheran Cathedral.

Sent by Merja, a postcrosser from Finland.

"The Stone of the Empress' is the oldest public memorial in Helsinki. It was erected in the Market Square to commemorate the Empress Alexandra's (the German-born wife of Nicholas I), first visit to Helsinki. She visited the City in 1833 with her husband, who came to inspect the construction of Helsinki's new centre. The memorial is an obelisk cut in red granite. A bronze globe is set on top of the obelisk, and the two-headed eagle of Russia.

The obelisk form, already a basic memorial type for glorifying sculptures depicting historical events and in memorial stones during Antiquity in Europe was adopted for 'The Stone of the Empress'. This work is typical of the early 19th century obelisks which followed the traditions of the Antique forms.

The stone includes the following, explanatory texts in Finnish and Latin: "Keisarinna Alexandralle Suomen pääkaupungissa ensikerran käyneelle XXIX.p:Touko X.p: Kesä MDCCCXXXIII. Imperatrici Alexandrae Metropolin Finlandiae Primum Adventati die XXIX Maji X Juni MDCCCXXXIII." The English translation reads: "To Empress Alexandra on her first visit to the capital of Finland May 29 - June 10, 1833."(Source)

Finland - Helsinki Cathedral

Helsinki Cathedral.

Sent by Paula, a postcrosser from Finland.

This is from Wikipedia : Helsinki Cathedral (Finnish: Helsingin tuomiokirkko or Suurkirkko, Swedish: Helsingfors domkyrka or Storkyrkan) is an Evangelical Lutheran cathedral of the Diocese of Helsinki, located in the centre of Helsinki, Finland. The church was originally built as a tribute to the Grand Duke, Nicholas I, the Tsar of Russia and until the independence of Finland in 1917, it was called St. Nicholas' Church.

A distinct landmark in the scenery of central Helsinki, with a tall green dome surrounded by four smaller domes, the church was built in 1830–52, in neoclassical style. It was designed by Carl Ludvig Engel, to form the climax of the whole Senate Square laid out by Engel, surrounded by a number of buildings all designed by him. The building has a Greek-cross plan (i.e. a square central mass and four arms of equal length), and is symmetrical in each of the four cardinal directions, each marked by a colonnade and pediment. Engel had intended to place a further row of columns on the west end to mark the main entrance (opposite the altar at the east end), but this was never realised. The building was later altered by his successor Ernst Lohrmann, whose four small domes make the architectural connection to the cathedral's model, Saint Isaac's Cathedral in St. Petersburg, even clearer. Lohrmann also erected two separately standing bell towers and over-lifesize zinc statues of the Twelve Apostles at apexes and corners of the roofline.

Today the cathedral is one of the most popular tourist attractions in Helsinki. Annually more than 350,000 people visit the church, some of them to attend religious events, but most as tourists. The church is in regular use for both worship services and special events such as weddings. The crypt was renovated in the 1980s by architects Vilhelm Helander and Juha Leiviskä for use for exhibitions and church functions. Helander was also responsible for the conservation repairs to the cathedral in the late 1990s.

Before the cathedral was built, in its place a smaller church stood, called the Ulrika Eleonora Church. It was dedicated to its patroness, Ulrika Eleonora, Queen of Sweden. A facsimile of this church, made entirely from snow, was later constructed on the Senate Square in the early 2000s. The Helsinki Old Church was built between 1824 and 1826 in nearby Kamppi to serve the parish during the years between the demolition of the Ulrika Eleonora Church and the consecration of the new cathedral.

Finland. - Helsinki

Views of Helsinki.

Sent by Marika, a Facebook friend from Finland.

Finland - Fortress of Suomenlinna (4)

FINLAND
Helsinki/Soumenlinna - Suomenlinna Fortress.

Sent by Elisa, a postcrosser from Finland.

Finland - Fortress of Suomenlinna (3)

Suomenlinna - Sveaborg
Seafortress off Helsinki
Bathing beach. Russian sand banks and cannons.

Sent by Outi, a postcrosser from Helsinki, Finland.

Finland - Fortress of Suomenlinna (2)

Fortress of Suomenlinna.

Sent by Pirjo, a postcrosser from Finland.

Finland - The Church of Lohja

LOHJA, FINLAND.
The Church of Lohja from 14th and 15th century.

Sent by Paavaliina, a postcrosser from Lohja, Finland.

Finland - Raseborg Castle

Raseborg Castle in Raseborg, Finland.

Sent by Sirkka-Liisa, a postcrosser from Finland.

This is from Wikipedia : The Raseborg Castle (Finnish: Raaseporin linna, Swedish: Raseborgs slott), is a medieval castle in Raseborg, Finland. The castle was founded by Bo Jonsson Grip and it is thought that the castle's first phase was completed sometime between 1373 and 1378. The first written data about the castle is from 1378. Its main purpose was to protect Sweden's interests in southern Finland against the Hanseatic city of Tallinn. The castle was originally built on a small island in the north end of a sea bay. The historians think that the castle was built in 3 different stages over time from the 14th to the 16th century.

The ruins of the outer wall of the castle do still exist. According to the historians the outer wall was built to protect the foundations of the castle itself. When the use of the artillery got more common, it was vital to protect the basic walls of the castle. There was also one more protection outside the castle. That was a wooden barrier, which surrounded the castle and it prevented any foreign ships to approach the castle harbour. There still exists some small parts of that barrier. The barriers are today on the mainland, but in the 15th century they were located on a peninsula by the sea. The sea level became lower over time, and it became increasingly difficult to approach the castle by boat. This is one of the main reasons why the castle lost its importance.

Battles were fought between Swedish and Danish forces and even pirates over control of the castle in the Middle Ages. The castle was abandoned in 1553, three years after Helsinki was founded in 1550 and Helsinki became strategically more important. Restoration work began in the 1890s and in these days the castle ruins are open to the public.

Close to the castle ruins is one of the largest open-air theatre stages in Finland, the Raseborg Summer Theatre. The theatre was founded in 1966, and gives numerous performances in Swedish every year in July, often with a connection to the castle history.

Finland - Fortress of Suomenlinna (1)

Part of Suomenlinna, a UNESCO WHS in Helsinki, Finland.

Sent by Minna from Joensuu in Finland.

In the history of military architecture, the Fortress of Finland (Suomenlinna) is an outstanding example representative both of the general fortification principles of the period and of its specific characteristics.

In 1747, when Finland was part of the Swedish realm, the Diet in Stockholm decided to build a fortress to serve as the main base for the armed forces stationed in Finland. A group of islands close to Helsinki were chosen to be the site of the fortress, which was to be called Sveaborg, the 'Fortress of Sweden', and construction began in 1748. The purpose was to link and fortify several islands so that entry into the city's harbour could be controlled.

The work began in 1748 under the supervision of the Swedish Admiral Augustin Ehrensvärd (1710-72), an artillery officer of aristocratic background in his mid-thirties. He adapted Vauban's theories to the very special geographical features of Helsinki. Ehrensvärd's original plan was to build a chain of linked fortifications across a group of islands close to Helsinki and to fortify certain strategic points on land around the town itself. The second part of the plan was never carried out, but by the time of his death in 1772 Ehrensvärd had produced the chain of forts, collectively called Sveaborg (Swedish Fortress), that were to protect the approaches to Helsinki. By the end of the century the construction work was virtually complete.

One of the main reasons for building Sveaborg was to help Sweden counter the ambitions of Russia, whose principal military base in the Gulf of Finland was Kronstadt, commissioned by Peter the Great to protect the city of St Petersburg and as the home port of a new Russian Navy to challenge Swedish maritime power in the eastern reaches of the Baltic Sea.

Although Sveaborg was operational at Ehrensvärd's death, fortification continued. King Gustav III (1771-92) seems to have taken a close interest in the work. The fortress was occupied by the Russians after the war of 1808-9 (despite its reputation as being invulnerable); it was again strengthened and its name was changed to Viapori. Swedish power in the region gradually declined and in 1808 Sveaborg was surrendered to Russian forces. In 1855, during the Crimean War, Franco-British soldiers bombarded the fortress to no avail. However, reconstruction work and new construction were undertaken. Following Finland's independence (1918), the name was changed a final time to Suomenlinna (Fortress of Finland). 6 km of walls and 190 buildings have been preserved.

Located on islands off Helsinki, Suomenlinna is a unique historical monument and one of the largest maritime fortresses in the world. Its history is closely entwined with that of Finland and the Baltic region. Helsinki can also thank Suomenlinna for its early growth and prosperity. (Source)

Finland - Helsinki (1)

Various places in Helsinki, Finland.


Sent by kaheli from Finland.

Helsinki; Swedish: Helsingfors, is the capital and largest city of Finland. It is in the region of Uusimaa, located in southern Finland, on the shore of the Gulf of Finland, an arm of the Baltic Sea. Helsinki has a population of 605,523 (28 February 2013), an urban population of 1,159,211 (31 December 2011) and a metropolitan population of 1,361,506, making it by far the most populous municipality and urban area in Finland. Helsinki is located some 80 kilometres (50 mi) north of Tallinn, Estonia, 400 kilometres (250 mi) east of Stockholm, Sweden, and 300 kilometres (190 mi) west of Saint Petersburg, Russia. Helsinki has close historical connections with these three cities.

The Helsinki metropolitan area includes urban core of Helsinki, Espoo, Vantaa, Kauniainen and surrounding commuter towns. It is the world's northernmost metro area of over one million people, and the city is the northernmost capital of anEU member state.

Helsinki is Finland's major political, educational, financial, cultural and research centre as well as one of northern Europe's major cities. Approximately 70% of foreign companies operating in Finland have settled in the Helsinki region. The nearby municipality of Vantaa is the location of Helsinki Airport, with frequent service to various destinations in Europe andAsia.

In 2009, Helsinki was chosen to be the World Design Capital for 2012 by the International Council of Societies of Industrial Design, narrowly beating Eindhoven for the title.

In the Economist Intelligence Unit's August 2012 Liveability survey, assessing the best and worst cities to live in, Helsinki placed eighth best overall. In 2011, the Monocle Magazine in turn ranked Helsinki the most liveable city in the world in its Liveable Cities Index 2011. (Source)

Finland - Sipoo

Sent by Stig, a postcrosser and a fanatical collector of poststamps and postcards from Sipoo in Finland. The postcard shows Ostholmen, Sibbo archipelago and Sibbo old church.

This is from Wikipedia : Sipoo (Finnish pronunciation: [ˈsipoː], Swedish: Sibbo) is a municipality of Finland. Its seat is in Nikkilä/Nickby. It is the eastern neighbour of Helsinki and is located in the province of Southern Finland and is part of the Eastern Uusimaa region. The municipality has a population of 18,123 (31 March 2010) and covers an area of 698.68 square kilometres (269.76 sq mi) of which 359.05 km2 (138.63 sq mi) is water. The population density is 53.36 inhabitants per square kilometre (138.2 /sq mi).

The once almost completely Swedish speaking municipality is since 1953 bilingual, a majority being Finnish speakers since 2003, due to migration from other parts of Finland. Today the Finnish speaking majority stands for ca 60% and the Swedish speaking minority for about 39% of the population.

On June 26, 2006, the Sipoo town council decided on a strategy to triple the municipality's population over the next 25 years. The decision was made after Helsinki announced plans to annex a part of the municipality in order to continue to build high-end urbanizations in the coastline (and thus high-tax revenue producing). The Finnish Council of State voted in favour of the annexation on June 28, 2007, with votes 8 to 4. Sipoo disputed this and appealed the Supreme Administrative Court but the court upheld the decision of the Council of State[7] and the annexation took place on January 1, 2009. As Helsinki did not directly border Sipoo at any point, the city of Vantaa ceded the area lain between Helsinki and Sipoo to Helsinki in the process.



Thanks for the beautiful stamps.

Finnish National Opera - The Olympic Stadium

Sent by Noora, a postcrosser from Finland. This postcard shows a Finnish National Opera (1993) and The Olympic Stadium (1938)

Finland - Uspenski Cathedral

Sent by KuusiTintti from Finland. It shows the biggest Orthodox Church in north and west Europe, Uspenski Cathedral.

This is from Wikipedia : Uspenski Cathedral (Finnish: Uspenskin katedraali, Swedish: Uspenskij-katedralen, Russian: Успенский собор) is an Eastern Orthodox cathedral in Helsinki, Finland, dedicated to the Dormition of the Theotokos (the Virgin Mary). Its name comes from the Russian word uspenie, which denotes the Dormition. Designed by the Russian architect Alexey Gornostaev (1808-1862), the cathedral was built after his death in 1862-1868.

The crypt chapel of the cathedral is named after the holy Alexander Hotovitzky, who served as vicar of the Orthodox parish of Helsinki 1914-1917.

The Cathedral is set upon a hillside on the Katajanokka peninsula overlooking the city. On the back of the cathedral, there is a plaque commemorating Russian Emperor Alexander II, who was the sovereign of the Grand Duchy of Finland during the cathedral's construction. Main cathedral of the Finnish Orthodox Church in the diocese of Helsinki, Uspenski Cathedral is claimed to be the largest orthodox church in Western Europe, although Finland is normally included into Northern Europe.

In 2006, about 516 500 tourists visited the church. Admission to the Cathedral is free of charge. In winter, the Cathedral is closed on Mondays.

Finland - Cathedral Of Helsinki

Sent by KuusiTintti from Finland.

Finland - South Harbour - Herring Market

Sent by Henriikka of Finland.

This is from Wikipedia : South Harbour (Finnish: Eteläsatama, Swedish: Södra hamnen) is a bay and harbour area immediately next to the centre of the city of Helsinki, Finland. It is the largest passenger harbour in Finland, and 5.4 million passengers travel through it every year. The most of the harbour's traffic is to Stockholm, Sweden and Tallinn, Estonia, and cruises. In summertime, there is also much small ship traffic.

The bay is bordered by the districts of Katajanokka, Kaartinkaupunki, Ullanlinna and Kaivopuisto. The waterway leading to the South Harbour is 9.6 metres deep. The most critical point on the waterway is the Kustaanmiekka strait, with a width of 80 metres. The waterway has a speed limit of 30 km/h, except for the Katajanokka area, which has a speed limit of 10 km/h.

Finland - Helsinki Cathedral

Sent by Riika (valkyr) of Rauma, Finland in the 'Show Your Country Postcard Swap' in the Swap-Bot. This one shows a Helsinki Cathedral.

Helsinki Cathedral (Finnish: Helsingin tuomiokirkko or Suurkirkko, Swedish: Helsingfors domkyrka or Storkyrkan) is an Evangelical Lutheran cathedral of the Diocese of Helsinki, located in the centre of Helsinki, Finland. The church was originally built as a tribute to the Grand Duke, Nicholas I, the Tsar of Russia and until the independence of Finland in 1917, it was called St. Nicholas' Church.