SENATE PLACE

It is the work of two men: Johan Albrecht Ehrenström and Carl Ludvig Engel. The first, whose task is to create a city worthy of a European capital, is called in 1816 at the Berlin Engel, already at work in Tallinn and St. Petersburg. In the space of a quarter of a century Engel will draw the plans of about public buildings and a large number of special houses in Helsinki and other cities in Finland. He is nevertheless obliged to submit his projects to Tsar Alexander I and his successor Nicolas I, who, in all things, retain their right of veto.

The northern place of the Senate is dominated by the very white Lutheran cathedral (Tuomiokirkko), one of the largest dome cathedrals in the world, completed in 1852 according to the plans of Engel. The monumental staircase further strengthens its imposing character. The sculptures on the roof, representing the apostles, are carried out on the model of the Isaac church of St. Petersburg. From the top of the stairs, the view on the south port (Eteläsatama) and the surrounding streets is splendid. From the Gulf of Finland, for example on a ferry, the panorama is even more striking. The façade of the cathedral, surmounted by the large green dome and surrounded by numerous terrazzo columns, then shines gently. On the right of the square, the Governor's Palace, one of the major works of Engel completed in 1822, houses the Senate and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. The Prime Minister's office is located on the first floor at the corner of the Aleksanterinkatu. The main entrance to the main entrance hides one of the most beautiful interiors in Empire style. The place is unfortunately forbidden to the public.

Left, the place of the Senate is bordered by the main building of the former university of Finland, transferred to Helsinki by decree of the czar after the great Turku fire in 1827. The façade presents the same structure as the Governor's Palace. A large part of the university will, however, be destroyed by the bombings of 1944, including the large concert hall, works of art included (since 1971, the large concert hall in Helsinki has been elected to the Palais Palace of Alvar Aalto). Behind the cathedral, in the Unioninkatu, the small Orthodox church of the Holy Trinity, also in Engel, hosts several beautiful old icons, including the Virgin of Smolensk. Also in the Unioninkatu, the beautiful library of the university (Yliopiston Kirjasto), the ceiling decorated with frescos, is one of the most beautiful works in Engel. Its interior splendour is commensurate with its splendid yellow facade, decorated with a majestic corinthienne colonnade.

At the centre of the square is the statue of Alexander II, assassinated in 1881 by an anarchist group, made by Walter Runeberg in 1894 (son of the famous writer Johan Ludvig Runeberg). It was under Alexander II that the Duchy of Finland acquired broad autonomy, hence the special place it held in the memory of the inhabitants of the city. The place of the Senate is also bordered to the south by former residences of the Helsinki Commercial Bourgeoisie. Among these mansions in the early th century, notice the beautiful grey-grey house built for the powerful businessman Sederholm. The ground floor is now occupied by small boutiques in the old, by charming cafés or Russian restaurants. The Demetriade house, which makes the corner of the Unionkatu, gathers many of these chic shops that form the very tourist Baazar Demetriade. Helsinki also sometimes displays a small air in St. Petersburg. Moreover, the Finnish capital was used as a shooting site for certain films, the action of which was supposed to take place in the city built by Pierre-le-Grand in 1703.