Varak és kastélyok (A 25. Egri Nyári Egyetem előadásai 1995 Eger, 1995)

Előadások: - Eeva-Liisa Rautalahti: Suomenlinna – világörökség

J the Kronstadt fortress near St. Petersburg, to cut off the sea passage of the Russians to the west and, lastly, to be a base for the new Archipelago Fleet. Responsibility for the fortification work was given to an artillery officer named Augustin Ehrensvärd (1710—1772), who had studied fortification technics in France and Italy. The construction was financed through a military alliance weith France. The fortress was named Sveaborg, "Fort of Sweden". (The name Suomenlinna, Fort of Finland, dates back to 1918. In this paper all names are given in Finnish to avoid confusion although the Swedes and Russians used the Swedish names.) The original fortification plan was the largest building venture in Sweden to that date. A sea fortress was to be built on the islands of Susiluoto and a land fortress on the mainland in Helsinki, and the open waters between Helsinki and the islands would become a naval port. However, in 1750s the plan was reduced to include only the sea fortress. It was decided that each of the six islands was to have an indépendant fortress. The fortifications designed by Ehrensvärd were based on the bastion system by Vauban, but freely and genially adapted to the terrain and climate. The bastion walls were built of local granite, quarried on the site and nearby islands. By the end of the 18th century, the fortifications on the two southernmost islands were almost complete. This included the outworks and fortifications on Kustaanmiekka, to cover the passage through the narrow strait of Kustaanmiekka, the galley-dock on Susisaari protected by the main fort with its several defensdive lines, and the ceremonial court in the center. Although the utilitarian military purpose was the main goal, also architectural beauty was considered important; the ceremonial court is considered one of the finest baroque squares in Finland. All official buildings were built of brick or stone when part of the defensive walls. Also parks and gardens and vegetable plots were set out between the fortication lines, the most important among them being the Piper's Park, distinguished as the first English landscape garden in Finland. The large maintenance center, with a hospital, bakery and brewery on Länsi-Mustasaari and the naval square on Iso Mustasaari remained unfinished. The Period of Russian Rule The fortress surrended in 1808 to the Russians during the Finnish War. In the treaty of Hamina Sweden ceded Finland to Russia. After this Finland became a Grand Duchy in 1809 and Suomenlinna served as a Russian garrison town untiul the Finnish declaration of independence in 1917. The beginning of the Russian period was rather quiet. The main feature of this period was a growing need for various facilities, like barracks, various forms of accommondation, a hospital and a church. The turning point in building activities was the Crimean War, particularly the year 1855, when the joint British and French fleet bombarded Suomenlinna causing serious damages. The guns of Suomenlinna were hopelessly old fashioned and the defenders were forced to watch helplessly the actions of the attacking fleet outside the range of their guns. The effects of the bombardement can still be seen today; especially the buildings around the ceremonial court were badly damaged. After the war the building of modern canon emplacements was started on the islands on Kustaanmiekka, Susisaari ja Länsi-Mustasaari. By the end of the 19th century the chain of these emplacements literally covered and buried all the western defense structures of the Swedes.