Treasures of Scandinavia

Once under the dominance of Sweden, and later Russia, modern, youthful Helsinki thrives on its own terms, with Finnish spirit that embodies unity and cooperation among the nations.

By RONALD GERSTE

© St. Petersburg Times, published August 6, 2000

Treasures of Scandinavia: Stockholm Stockholm's islands are the jewels in Sweden's crown, offering royal sightseeing and intriguing looks back at Viking history.

HELSINKI -- It is just a short ferry ride from Helsinki harbor to what might deserve infamy as the greatest monument to military folly on the planet.

After a mere 20 minutes the ship approaches Sveaborg, the giant fortress that guards the sea entrance to Finland's capital -- or was supposed to guard it. Beginning in 1748, thousand of workers toiled for decades on that beautiful island to erect a system of catacombs, brick walls and artillery positions.

But the Swedish king, at that time also the sovereign of Finland, never received any value from the millions that were literally dug in here.

When war with Russia broke out in 1808, occupants of the supposedly unconquerable fortress quickly surrendered. The defenders were "encouraged" when the Czarist army captured the adjacent town and sent some of the defending officers' wives to the fortress, to tell their wavering husbands about the Russians' courtliness and generosity.

But the Finns are enjoying the island now. It has become a favorite destination on one of those endless Scandinavian evenings when the sun hardly sets. Sveaborg -- or Suomenlinna, as this site is called in Finnish -- is on UNESCO's list of World Heritage Sites.

It has several museums, the main one telling the vivid tale of life within the four miles of walls that were meant to protect the fort. There is also a Military Museum, a Coast Artillery Museum and an old submarine to explore, while younger visitors flock to the Doll and Toy Museum.

This year, designated by European ministers as one of Europe's nine "Cities of Culture," Helsinki is the site for more concerts, exhibitions and other activities than usual. A highlight is the series of Culinary Summer Concerts, in which open-air performances are followed by gourmet dinners inside the fortress.

The ferry ride back from Sveaborg reveals the characteristics of the Finnish capital. It is an often-green, urban landscape, erected on one of the Baltic's most beautiful archipelagos.

Helsinki is the youngest of all European capitals, celebrating its 450th anniversary this year. On June 12, 1550, a royal decree by Swedish King Gustav Vasa ordered the merchants of the region to move to a new site and build a trading post on what was then considered the edge of the civilized world.

Like the rest of Finland, Helsinki remained Swedish until the ignominious fall of Sveaborg. For the next 110 years it belonged to Czarist Russia, gaining independence in 1918.

The city's outstanding buildings are relatively young. Two magnificent churches dominate a skyline devoid of anything approaching a skyscraper, although there are a few multistory office buildings.

The city's landmark is St. Nicholas Cathedral, with its white facade a striking contrast to the often-blue Scandinavian sky. Like the surrounding Senate Square, the cathedral was built under orders of Czar Nicholas I, after whom the cathedral is named.

The czar employed architect Carl Ludvig Engel to rebuild the city center in an entirely neo-classical style. Although Engel hailed from Berlin, his concept literally meant transplanting a part of St. Petersburg, the czar's residence, into the heart of Helsinki.

Next to the imposing St. Nicholas, Engel erected a Greek-style university building, painted almost as white as the cathedral itself. On the other side of Senate Square a yellow, Roman-style temple was built for the Finnish Senate; it is still used by the Council of State.

From Senate Square, the spiritual and academic heart of Finland, it is just a few steps on cobblestone streets to the other hill with a view over downtown. Here, the Uspensky Cathedral rises up.

Consecrated in 1868, this distinctly orthodox church with its numerous little towers and almost a dozen golden crosses symbolizes the eastern influence that still is part of Helsinki's heritage. Uspensky is one of those places in Helsinki where the close historical relationship with St. Petersburg can be felt.

That uneasy relationship with the mighty neighbor to the east can be traced in an exhibition in Finland's War Museum, just a few blocks from Uspensky Cathedral. "The Winter War" tells the story of Finland's valiant struggle against Stalin's onslaught in 1939-40.

It also gives the visitor a sense of the Finnish art of survival. By diplomatic skill Finland could keep its independence during the Cold War.

And for Western film teams it became a substitute Moscow: Because some of its streets and city blocks look so distinctly Russian, the Finnish capital was a favorite site to shoot thrillers in those years when the permission to film was virtually unobtainable in Moscow. To movie buffs, some Helsinki features are recognizable from James Bond, Clint Eastwood and Arnold Schwarzenegger films.

It was during Czarist times that Helsinki dropped its provincial appearance and became a sophisticated city, due to the prosperity of its merchants. In the 1870s the Esplanade, then and now the country's most fashionable boulevard, was built with magnificent townhouses lining both sides of a park-like street. Now it features renowned restaurants, hotels and designer boutiques. The boulevard is loved by skaters, joggers, bikers and shoppers.

The Esplanade leads from the Market Square on the edge of the harbor to Helsinki's main traffic axis, Mannerheim Road. The best place to observe the bustle on the Esplanade is the city's traditional coffeehouse, the Kappeli. The ornately decorated pavilion was erected in 1867 and since has been the favorite place for visitors and residents to relax and watch the world go by.

Once again, Russian influence can be felt: Tea is served extra hot from a samovar, and the one brand of hard liquor that both countries produce, vodka, is always available. The cuisine, here as in other typical Finnish restaurants, is dominated by seafood. The Finns favor a light diet, and they eat a lot of their salmon, crawfish and herring prepared as cold dishes.

For international cuisine, there are also along the Esplanade some fine Russian and Swedish restaurants.

The Esplanade ends at Mannerheim Road, which bears the name of a former president of the 1940s (whose house at the harbor has been turned into a museum). Strolling northward on that busy street, a pedestrian passes some of the most important sites of recent Finnish and European history.

A few steps away from the city's pre-eminent department store, Stockmann, the prodigious railroad station is on the right-hand side. Completed just before the outbreak of World War I, the handsome station in 1917 was the site of Vladimir Lenin's departure for his fateful ride to St. Petersburg (the Imperial Russian capital), the first step to the October Revolution.

Finlandia Hall, a five-minute walk from the station on Mannerheim Road, is a monument to the partition of Europe following the rise of Communist Russia to superpower status. It was here in 1975 where the leaders of most European and North American nations, among them President Gerald R. Ford, met for the Conference on Security and Cooperation in Europe.

To some observers, the "Spirit of Helsinki" evolving from the ceremonial signing of the final document was the first crack in the Iron Curtain. After the signing, opposition groups in Eastern Europe pointed to the basic rights that their leaders had subscribed to in Finlandia Hall. Within 15 years, the Berlin Wall had come down, and democracy was born again in Eastern Europe.

- Freelance writer Ronald Gerste, who holds both a medical degree and a Ph.D., lives in Meerbusch, Germany.

If you go

GETTING THERE: Helsinki is served from New York with direct flights on the national airline Finnair, and with connecting flights from many European cities.

STAYING THERE: Kemp Hotel -- Finland's classic Grand Hotel right on the Esplanade has been reopened after extensive renovation -- it was closed for almost 34 years. A sign of the Finns' sense of coziness: There is a rubber duck in each bathroom to join you in the tub.

Inter-Continental Helsinki -- Mannerheimintie 46-48. In the vicinity of the Olympic Stadium, this business hotel offers two saunas and a top-floor swimming pool with a breathtaking view of the city. A visit to Finland without relaxing in a sauna would be incomplete. Note: Unlike the typical American sauna, the Finnish original is hot, not warm, and the Finns seldom enter wearing bathing suits.

EATING THERE: Ravintola Sipuli, Kanavaranta 3 -- Located at the foot of the Uspensky Cathedral, it offers outstanding international and Finnish cuisine.

Alexander Nevski -- Pohjoisesplanadi 17. Russian gourmet restaurant.

G.W. Sundmans -- Etelranta 16. Traditional Finnish-Swedish menu in a restaurant originating here in 1817.

Kahsi Poroa -- Merimiehenkatu 18. Dishes from the Northern Finnish province of Lappland, where reindeer is favored.

Kellarikrouvi -- Pohjoinen Makasinikatur 6. Cozy cellar restaurant featuring traditional Finnish food at reasonable prices.

FOR MORE INFORMATION: Contact the Finnish Tourist Board, 655 Third Ave., Suite 1810, New York, NY 10017; call (212) 885-9700; e-mail mek.usa@mek.fi; the Web site is http://www.mek.fi.

Also contact the Helsinki Tourist Board, Pohjoisesplenadi 19, FIN 00100 Helsinki, Finland. Call (011 35) 89-169 3757, fax (011 35) 89-169 3839; e-mail tourist.info@hel.fi; Web site is http://www.hel.fi./english/index.html.

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