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Suomenlinna (), or Sveaborg (), is a sea fortress composed of eight islands, of which six have been fortified. Located about southeast of the city center of Helsinki, Finland, Suomenlinna is a popular destination for both tourists and locals, who enjoy it as a picturesque picnic site. Set sail for Suomenlinna: a quick intro
Construction of the fortress began in 1748 under the Sweden as a defense against Russian Empire. The general responsibility for the fortification work was given to Admiral Augustin Ehrensvärd. The original plan of the bastion fortress was heavily influenced by Vauban, a renowned French military engineer, and incorporated the principles of the star fort style of fortifications, albeit adapted to a group of rocky islands.
During the Finnish War, Russian forces besieged the fortress in 1808. Despite its formidable reputation as the "Gibraltar of the North", the fortress surrendered after only two months, on 3 May 1808. Its loss paved the way for Russia's occupation of Finland in 1809, and the subsequent establishment of the Grand Duchy of Finland, an autonomous state within the Russian Empire.
Under Russian rule, the fortress served as a base for the Baltic Fleet during World War I, and in 1915, construction began on the Krepost Sveaborg defense system. Russian forces abandoned the fortress after Finland declared independence in 1917. Originally named Sveaborg ("Fortress of Sweden") and known as Viapori () in Finnish, it was renamed Suomenlinna ("Fortress of Finland") in 1918. In Swedish, however, it retains its original name. In the aftermath of the Finnish Civil War, the islands housed the Suomenlinna prison camp for captured Red soldiers.
Suomenlinna remained under the control of the Finnish Defense Department until 1973, when most of it was transferred to civilian administration. Famous for its bastion fortifications, the fortress was designated a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1991.
Instead of following the standard Finnish postal addressing system, which uses a street name and house number, addresses in Suomenlinna use a letter code for the island followed by a house number. For instance, "C 83" refers to house number 83 on Iso-Mustasaari (designated by the letter "C"). The postal code for the Suomenlinna district is 00190.
The lack of coastal defenses was keenly felt with Russian landings in Helsingfors in the spring of 1713 and the Swedish failure to blockade the Hanko Peninsula in 1714. A Russian naval campaign against the Swedish coast towards the end of the Great Northern War further outlined the need to develop Finnish coastal defenses. Immediately after the war ended the first plans were set in motion in Sweden to construct an archipelago fleet and a base of operations for it in Finland. However, nothing with regard to Sveaborg took place until the end of Russo-Swedish War of 1741–1743. Fortifications were left unfinished at Hamina and Lappeenranta while Hämeenlinna was being built into a supply base. Lack of funds, unwillingness to devote funds for defending Finland, and the belief (arising just before the war) that Russia would be pushed away from the Baltic Sea were the main causes for the lack of progress.
The following Russo-Swedish War of 1741–1743, which quickly turned from a Swedish attack into a Russian occupation of Finland, again underlined the importance of developing fortifications in Finland. Lack of base of operations for naval forces made it difficult for the Swedish navy to operate in the area. Other European states were also concerned about developments regarding Russia, especially France, with whom Sweden had concluded a military alliance. After lengthy debate, the Swedish parliament decided in 1747 to both fortify the Russian frontier and establish a naval base at Helsingfors as a counter to Kronstadt. Augustin Ehrensvärd (1710–1772), a young lieutenant colonel, was given the responsibility of designing the fortresses and directing construction operations.
Construction started in early 1748 kept expanding, and by September there were around 2,500 men building the fortresses. Initially the soldiers were housed in the vaults of the fortifications, while the officers had specially built quarters integrated into the baroque cityscape composition of the overall plan. The most ambitious plan was left only half completed: a baroque square on Iso Mustasaari partly based on the model of Place Vendôme in Paris. As the construction work progressed, more residential buildings were built, many following the shape of the fortification lines. Ehrensvärd and some of the other officers were keen artists who made oil paintings presenting a view of life in the fortress during its construction, and giving the impression of a lively "fortress town" community.
Due to repeated Russian threats in 1749 and 1750, more effort was placed on the island fortifications at the expense of those on the mainland, so that a safe base of operations could be secured for the Swedish naval units along the Finnish coast. Using the military garrisoned in Finland as the workforce, construction continued with over 6,000 workers in 1750. Fortifications at Gustavssvärd were completed in 1751 and the main fortifications on Vargö were ready in 1754. The fortress was fully operational though unfinished. These accomplishments did not reduce the pace of construction and in 1755 there were 7,000 workers constructing the fortifications outside of Helsingfors which at the time had around 2,000 residents. The substantial fortification work on the islands south of the town brought it a new and unexpected importance. Swedish participation to the Seven Years' War halted the construction efforts in 1757, which also marked the end of the rapid construction phase of Sveaborg.
This period in Swedish history was known as the Age of Liberty, during which the kingdom was under increased parliamentary control, divided into two political parties, the Hats and the Caps. Ehrensvärd had been supported by the Hats, so when the Caps rose to power in 1766 he was relieved of his post and replaced with ardent Caps supporter Christopher Falkengréen. However, after 1769 when the Hats regained power, Ehrensvärd was again placed in command of the Swedish archipelago fleet in Finland, officially the arméens flotta ("fleet of the army"), and returned to Sveaborg. But additional progress had not been made on the fortifications when Ehrensvärd died in 1772. Efforts to improve the fortress continued under Jacob Magnus Sprengtporten, but his tenure was cut short by disagreements with King Gustav III. Once again efforts slowed down as garrisons were reduced, and in 1776 Sveaborg's commander reported that he could not even man one-tenth of the artillery placed in the fort. Even at the start of the Russo-Swedish War in 1788 Sveaborg remained in an incomplete state.
Facilities for constructing ships for the Swedish archipelago fleet were built at Sveaborg in the 1760s. In 1764 the first three archipelago frigates were launched from there. In addition to the construction of the fortifications and ships, naval officer training was started by Ehrensvärd at his own expense at Sveaborg in 1770. It took until 1779 before a naval military school was formally founded there.
While the route to Sweden was open again in late 1788 and in early 1789, Russian ships cut the connection from Sveaborg to Sweden by forming a blockade at Porkkala cape. Sveaborg was the most important location for archipelago fleet's ship construction and fitting during the war. Even so, and despite efforts, several ships remained unfinished at Sveaborg until the end of the war. The importance of Sveaborg did not escape the Russians whose broad operational plan for 1790 included a siege of Sveaborg both from sea and land.
Following a pact between Alexander I and Napoleon, Russia launched a Finnish War and occupied Finland in 1808. The Russians easily took Helsingfors in early 1808 and began bombarding the fortress.Carl Nordling, L. "Capturing 'The Gibraltar of the North': How Swedish Sveaborg was taken by the Russians in 1808." Journal of Slavic Military Studies 17.4 (2004): 715–725. Its commander, Carl Olof Cronstedt, negotiated a cease-fire. When no Swedish reinforcements had arrived by May, Sveaborg, with almost 7,000 men, surrendered. The reasons for Cronstedt's actions remain somewhat unclear; but the hopeless situation, psychological warfare by the Russians, some (possibly) bribed advisors, fear for the lives of a large civilian population, lack of gunpowder, and their physical isolation are some likely causes for the surrender. By the Treaty of Fredrikshamn in 1809, Sweden ceded its eastern territory of Finland and the Grand Duchy of Finland was established within the Russian Empire. The Swedish period in Finnish history, which had lasted some seven centuries, came to an end. There were nine wrecks know as at 2024 to be bedded in the close area, possibly part of the fleet at the fortress. At the time of the surrender in 1808, more than 100 ships changed nationality. From forest to sea Minna Koivikko, Vrak Magazine #1 (2024) at 41
After the Crimean War extensive restoration work was begun at Sveaborg. A new ring of earthworks with artillery emplacements was built at the western and southern edges of the islands.
The next stage in the arming of Sveaborg and the Gulf of Finland came in the build-up to World War I. The fortress and its surrounding islands became part of "Peter the Great's naval fortification" designed to safeguard the capital, Saint Petersburg.
In 1918 and 1919, the islands housed a large prison camp in the aftermath of the civil war. Of the 10,000 Red Guard prisoners held at the Suomenlinna prison camp, over 1,000 died of hunger and disease. Eighty prisoners were executed.
After the civil war, the fortress functioned as a Finnish garrison. A coastal artillery regiment, the Naval Academy, and a base for the mine-sweeping fleet were stationed on the islands. There were small-scale restoration efforts, and interest in the fortress as a tourist destination started to grow. During the Winter War in 1939–1940, Suomenlinna housed anti-aircraft and artillery units and served as a base for the submarine fleet. During the Continuation War, German military forces were stationed in Suomenlinna. The fortress sustained damage from bombings.
After the war, the Valmet Shipyard at Suomenlinna built Barge and Fishing trawler as war reparations. It also constructed vessels for the Finnish Navy and Coast Guard, and repaired ships. For the 200th anniversary of the fortress in 1948, the courtyard of Susisaari (Vargö) Castle and Kustaanmiekka (Gustavssvärd) were restored.
No longer very practical as a military base, Suomenlinna was turned over to civilian administration in 1973. An independent government department, the Governing Body of Suomenlinna, was formed to administer the unique complex. At the time there was some debate over its Finnish name, with some suggesting that the old name Viapori be restored, but the newer name was retained. The presence of the military on the islands has been drastically scaled down in recent decades. The Suomenlinna garrison houses the Naval Academy () of the Finnish Navy on Pikku Mustasaari. Suomenlinna still flies the war flag, or the swallow-tailed state flag of Finland.
There are about 900 permanent inhabitants on the islands, and 350 people work there year-round.
There is a minimum-security penal labor colony () in Suomenlinna, whose inmates work on the maintenance and reconstruction of the fortifications. Only volunteer inmates who pledge non-use of controlled substances are accepted to the labour colony.
For the general public, Suomenlinna is served by ferries all year, and a service tunnel supplying heating, water and electricity was built in 1982. In the beginning of the 1990s, the tunnel was modified so that it can also be used for emergency transport.
Transport to and from the island is generally ceased between the hours of 0300 and 0600 daily, but is otherwise regular and frequent.
Suomenlinna has been known as a location for avant-garde culture. In the mid-1980s, the Nordic Arts Centre was established on the island. Several buildings have been converted into artists' studios, which are let by the administration at reasonable rates. During the summer there is an art school for children. The performances of the Suomenlinna summer theater regularly draw full houses.
Between 2 and 6 September 2015, the Finnish postal service ran a test of the use of drones to deliver parcels between Helsinki and Suomenlinna. The parcels were limited to or less, and flights were under the control of a pilot. Reuters – "Finnish post office tests drone for parcel delivery" -accessed 15 September 2015.
The island houses a backpackers' hostel operating in a converted school building, built in 1908 and having served as a Russian school (1909-1917), military office (1918-1919), Finnish school (1920-1959), and a canteen and entertainment venue for soldiers (1959-1972).
Suomenlinna Church, built in 1854, was adapted in 1929 to include a lighthouse beacon. Both the church and beacon are still active today. The lighthouse beacon was modernised to use LED lighting in 2019.
Sveaborg is also mentioned in the lyrics of Gunnar Wennerberg's 1849 hymn O Gud, som styrer folkens öden ("Oh God, who steers the people's fate"), in which Sweden's "age-old freedom" is described as being "...our protection in gloomy dangers, our consolation in every bleached sorrow, our defence against the hegemon's forces, and stronger than Sveaborg". Den är vårt skydd i mulna faror,// vår tröst i varje bleklagd sorg,// vårt värn mot övermaktens skaror// och starkare än Sveaborg.
As these words were written forty years after the Swedish cession of Finland to Russia, the use of Sveaborg as a simile has deliberately historic overtones.
George R. R. Martin wrote a short story about the surrender of Sveaborg, "The Fortress", when he was a college student. It was published in his 2007 volume of short stories, Dreamsongs.
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