Suomenlinna, also known as Sveaborg, is a sea fortress made up of eight islands, with six of them having strong defenses. It is located about four kilometers (2.5 miles) southeast of Helsinki, Finland. Suomenlinna is a popular place for tourists and locals to visit, especially for picnics because of its beautiful views.

Construction of the fortress started in 1748 under the Swedish Crown to protect against Russia. Admiral Augustin Ehrensvärd was in charge of building the fortress. The original design was greatly influenced by Vauban, a famous French military engineer, and used ideas from the star fort style of fortifications, but adapted to fit the rocky islands.

During the Finnish War in 1808, Russian forces attacked the fortress. Despite its strong reputation as the "Gibraltar of the North," the fortress surrendered after two months on May 3, 1808. This event helped Russia take control of Finland in 1809 and led to the creation of the Grand Duchy of Finland, a self-governing region within the Russian Empire.

While under Russian rule, the fortress was used as a base for the Baltic Fleet during World War I. In 1915, construction began on the Krepost Sveaborg defense system. After Finland declared independence in 1917, Russian forces left the fortress. Originally called Sveaborg ("Fortress of Sweden") and Viapori in Finnish, the fortress was renamed Suomenlinna ("Fortress of Finland") in 1918. In Swedish, it still uses its original name. After the Finnish Civil War, the islands were used as a prison camp for captured Red soldiers.

Suomenlinna was controlled by the Finnish Defense Department until 1973, when most of it was handed over to civilian management. Known for its strong bastion fortifications, the fortress was added to the UNESCO World Heritage List in 1991.

Geography

The Suomenlinna district of Helsinki is located southeast of the city center and includes eight islands. Five of these islands are connected by bridges or a sandbar. Länsi-Mustasaari (Västersvartö) is connected by a bridge to Pikku Mustasaari (Lilla Östersvartö), which is connected by a bridge to Iso Mustasaari (Stora Östersvartö). This island is also connected by a bridge to Susisaari (Vargö). During the Russian period, Susisaari was linked to Susiluoto (Vargskär) by filling in the water between them. This island, which has the most fortifications, was renamed Gustavssvärd (Kustaanmiekka, meaning "Gustav's sword") during its construction by Sweden. The three islands that are not connected to others are Särkkä (Långören), Lonna (Lonnan), and Pormestarinluodot (Borgmästargrundet). The total land area of the district is 80 hectares (0.80 square kilometers; 0.31 square miles).

Instead of using the standard Finnish postal system, which includes a street name and house number, addresses in Suomenlinna use a letter code for the island followed by a house number. For example, "C 83" refers to house number 83 on Iso-Mustasaari (marked by the letter "C"). The postal code for the Suomenlinna district is 00190.

The most of the island of Pikku Mustasaari is home to the Naval Academy of Finland, an institution part of the Finnish Defence Forces. The civilian area on the island is mostly limited to one street on the southeastern coast, which connects it to the neighboring islands of Iso Mustasaari and Länsi-Mustasaari.

History

During the early years of the Great Northern War, Russia took advantage of Sweden’s weakness in the area of Ingria and captured land near the Neva River, including two Swedish forts named Nyen and Nöteborg. In 1703, Peter the Great started building a new city called Saint Petersburg in the eastern part of the Gulf of Finland. To help protect this city, he also built a strong naval base called Kronstadt. This made Russia a powerful naval force in the Baltic Sea, which worried Sweden, as Sweden had been the strongest power in that region before. Russia showed its strength by capturing Viborg in 1710 using its navy. Sweden’s main naval base, Karlskrona, was too far south to help defend Finland, which made it hard for Sweden to stop Russian ships and soldiers from reaching Finland first.

Sweden struggled to protect its coast when Russia landed in Helsingfors in 1713 and failed to block the Hanko Peninsula in 1714. Later in the Great Northern War, Russia attacked the Swedish coast again, showing that Finland needed better defenses. After the war ended, Sweden began planning to build a fleet that could move through the islands near Finland and a base for it. However, no work on Sveaborg started until after the Russo-Swedish War of 1741–1743. Forts at Hamina and Lappeenranta were not finished, and Hämeenlinna became a supply base instead. Sweden did not spend enough money on Finland’s defenses because of limited funds, a lack of interest in protecting Finland, and the belief that Russia would not stay near the Baltic Sea.

The Russo-Swedish War of 1741–1743 showed again how important it was to build strong defenses in Finland. Sweden had no good naval base to support its ships, which made it hard to fight Russia. Other European countries, like France, were also worried about Russia’s growing power and helped Sweden by forming an alliance. In 1747, Sweden’s parliament decided to build forts along the border with Russia and create a naval base in Helsingfors to counter Russia’s base at Kronstadt. A young officer named Augustin Ehrensvärd was chosen to design the forts and oversee their construction.

Sweden began building the forts in January 1748. Ehrensvärd’s plan included two main forts: one on an island near Lovisa called Svartholm and a larger one at Helsingfors named Sveaborg. Sveaborg’s design had separate forts on linked islands and a navy dockyard at its center. Forts on the mainland would help stop enemies from landing on the coast. The plan also included storing weapons and supplies for Sweden’s army and navy in Finland. Plans to build forts on the Hanko Peninsula were delayed.

Construction started in early 1748 and grew quickly. By September, about 2,500 workers were building the forts. Soldiers lived in the fort’s underground spaces, while officers had special homes built to match the city’s design. A grand square on an island called Iso Mustasaari was planned but only partly completed. As construction continued, more homes were built along the fort’s lines. Some officers painted pictures of life in the fortress, showing it as a lively town.

Because of Russian threats in 1749 and 1750, more focus was placed on the island forts to protect Sweden’s navy. Over 6,000 workers helped build the forts by 1750. Forts at Gustavssvärd were finished in 1751, and the main forts on Vargö were ready by 1754. Although the fortress was not fully completed, work continued. By 1755, 7,000 workers were building forts outside Helsingfors, which had about 2,000 people. The forts made Helsingfors an important place. Sweden’s involvement in the Seven Years’ War slowed construction in 1757, ending the fast building phase of Sveaborg.

During this time, Sweden was in the Age of Liberty, when the government was controlled more by the parliament and split into two political groups, the Hats and the Caps. Ehrensvärd had the support of the Hats, but when the Caps gained power in 1766, he was replaced by someone who supported the Caps. After 1769, the Hats returned to power, and Ehrensvärd was put in charge of the archipelago fleet again. However, no more progress was made on the forts before Ehrensvärd died in 1772. Work on Sveaborg continued under Jacob Magnus Sprengtporten, but disagreements with King Gustav III ended his time in charge. Fewer soldiers were stationed at Sveaborg, and by 1776, the commander reported that only one-tenth of the fortress’s guns could be used. Even when war with Russia began in 1788, Sveaborg was still not fully built.

In the 1760s, shipbuilding facilities were added to Sveaborg for Sweden’s archipelago fleet. In 1764, the first three ships for this fleet were built there. In 1770, Ehrensvärd started training naval officers at his own expense. A naval school was officially created there in 1779.

Sveaborg was built to support Sweden’s archipelago fleet, but it could not repair or prepare Sweden’s main warships after the Battle of Hogland. Facilities at Sveaborg were not enough to care for sick or injured soldiers. Russian control of the sea near Sveaborg blocked Sweden’s warships from leaving, and Russian ships cut off supplies from Sweden to Sveaborg. In November 1788, the Swedish fleet finally left for its base at Karlskrona, but the Baltic Sea had frozen so much that ice had to be cut to move ships. The fleet could not stay at Sveaborg because it lacked the tools and supplies to prepare the ships.

Although the route to Sweden opened again in late 1788 and early 1789, Russian ships blocked Sveaborg from Sweden by forming a blockade near Porkkala. Sveaborg remained the most important place for building and repairing ships during the war. Despite efforts, many ships at Sveaborg were still unfinished.

Present day

Suomenlinna is now one of the most visited places in Helsinki and a favorite spot for people in the city to have picnics. In 2009, more than 713,000 people visited Suomenlinna, with most visitors coming between May and September. The island has several museums and also houses the last remaining Finnish submarine, Vesikko.

About 900 people live on the island year-round, and 350 people work there permanently.

There is a low-security work camp (Finnish: työsiirtola) on Suomenlinna. Inmates at the camp help maintain and repair the island’s fortifications. Only volunteers who promise not to use controlled substances are allowed to join the camp.

Ferries operate to Suomenlinna throughout the year. A service tunnel built in 1982 provides heating, water, and electricity to the island. In the 1990s, the tunnel was updated to also be used for emergency transportation.

Transport to and from the island stops between 3:00 AM and 6:00 AM daily but runs regularly and often at other times.

Suomenlinna is known for its connection to avant-garde culture. In the mid-1980s, the Nordic Arts Centre was created on the island. Many buildings have been turned into artist studios, which are rented at reasonable prices by the local government. During the summer, a children’s art school operates on the island. The Suomenlinna Summer Theater performs regularly and often has full audiences.

Between September 2 and 6, 2015, the Finnish postal service tested using drones to deliver small packages between Helsinki and Suomenlinna. Packages weighed no more than 3 kg (7 lb), and flights were controlled by a pilot.

The island has a backpackers’ hostel located in a building that was once a school. The building was used as a Russian school from 1909 to 1917, a military office from 1918 to 1919, a Finnish school from 1920 to 1959, and a canteen and entertainment space for soldiers from 1959 to 1972.

Suomenlinna Church, built in 1854, was changed in 1929 to include a lighthouse beacon. Both the church and the beacon are still used today. The lighthouse beacon was updated in 2019 to use LED lighting.

Timeline

• 1748: Construction of Sveaborg begins under the leadership of Augustin Ehrensvärd.
• 1808: Sveaborg gives up to Russia without resistance during the Finnish War.
• 1809: Treaty of Fredrikshamn: Finland becomes part of Russia.
• 1855: Crimean War: British and French naval forces attack Sveaborg and cause major damage.
• 1906: Sveaborg Rebellion: Russian soldiers plan to remove the tsar from power.
• 1914–1917: A series of land and sea defenses, called Krepost Sveaborg, is built around Helsinki.
• 1917: Finland becomes independent after the Russian Revolution.
• 1918: The fortress is officially named Suomenlinna in Finnish. A prison camp for Red rebels is located in Suomenlinna after the Finnish Civil War.
• 1921: Valtion lentokonetehdas (State Aircraft Factory) begins building airplanes and powered ice sleighs in Suomenlinna for the Finnish Air Force. In 1936, the factory moves to Tampere.
• 1973: Suomenlinna becomes a civil administration area.
• 1991: Suomenlinna is designated a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

In literature

The Swedish-speaking Finnish poet Johan Ludvig Runeberg wrote a poem titled Sveaborg, which is part of his long poem The Tales of Ensign Stål. This poem includes two lines that describe the fortress, specifically mentioning the "Gustav's Sword" (Gustavssvärd) section and its cannons.

Sveaborg is also referenced in the lyrics of a hymn written by Gunnar Wennerberg in 1849, titled O Gud, som styrer folkens öden ("Oh God, who steers the people's fate"). In this hymn, Sweden's "age-old freedom" is compared to Sveaborg, with the words: "…our protection in gloomy dangers, our comfort in every sorrow, our defense against powerful forces, and stronger than Sveaborg." These lines were written 40 years after Sweden gave Finland to Russia, and the use of Sveaborg as a metaphor carries historical meaning.

George R. R. Martin wrote a short story about the surrender of Sveaborg called The Fortress when he was in college. The story was published in his 2007 collection of short stories, Dreamsongs.