Suomenlinna Island and the sea fortress

Suomenlinna was designed to protect Sweden's interests [Finland was part of Sweden at that time. ] in the Baltic Sea against Russian expansion towards the west. Work began in 1748 and was led by Augustin Ehrensvärd. By the end of the century Suomenlinna had more inhabitants than Helsinki itself at that time. In 1808 Suomenlinna was surrounded by Russian troops as part of a war between Sweden and Russia. The fortress quickly surrendered without a proper fight. This surrender lowered the morale of the other groups and the whole of Finland was soon occupied by Russians.

During the Russian occupation period the fortress also experienced its only proper battle: during 1855 a large Anglo-French fleet bombed Suomenlinna for several days as part of the Crimean War. Heavy damage was caused, but this time the defenders didn't surrender.

After Finnish Independence was declared in 1918 the area was handed over to the new nation's army. Following the civil war the fortress was used for a year as a prison camp and later as a garrison. Technical development quickly reduced the fortresses military importance and in 1973 Suomenlinna was handed over to the civil government.

Today - Suomenlinna consists of eight islands, totalling a land area of around 0.8 km [0.31miles . ] . The fortress's wall length is about eight km [Five miles. ] and there are 290 buildings within the fortress. Today, Suomenlinna is home to 850 and workplace for 400 people all year round. It hosts several cafes, restaurants, museums, a shop and even a summer theatre. Suomenlinna is a variety of things to different people: home, work, a major tourist attraction, and one of the most popular recreational areas in Helsinki.

Raymond standing at the King's Gate.