Statues in Finland
Havis Amanda
Havis Amanda is a nude female statue sculpted by Ville Vallgren (1855-1940). He made it 1906 in Paris, but was not erected at its present location at the Market Square in Kaartinkaupunki until 1908. Havis Amanda is one of Vallgren's Parisian Art Nouveau works. She is a mermaid who stands on seaweed as she rises from the water, with four fish spouting water at her feet and surrounded by four sea lions. She is depicted ...Sibelius Monument
The Sibelius monument was designed by Eila Hiltunen and completed in 1967. It consists of series of more than 600 hollow steel pipes welded together in a wave-like pattern. The purpose of the artist was to capture the essence of the music of Sibelius. The monument weighs 24 tonnes. It’s probably the most well-known abstract sculpture in Finland and popular tourist attraction.Virstantolppa
Virstantolppa is the oldest memorial in Lappeenranta. It stands in the site of remarkable battle in Russo-Swedish war in 1741. Over 4000 men were killed or injured in the battle on 23th August 1741 where Russian army conquered Lappeenranta. The battle was one the bloodiest in time. Two Swedish commanders were executed in Stockholm afterwards because of serious defeat.The memorial was erected originally in 1818 and enhance ...The Memorial of Kostianvirta Battle
Kostianvirta battle was part of the Great Northern War (1700-1721). Russian army invaded to Finland in 1713 because the major Swedish army was fighting in central Europe. On October 1713, Finnish army under General Carl Gustaf Armfeldt had set the defence line to Kostianvirta river. When Russians attacked, Armfedlt’s 3,400 men first succesfully prevented 15,000 Russians to cross Kostianvirta.On October 6, Russians m ...Jaakko Ilkka Statue
Jaakko Ilkka (1545-1597) was a Finnish yeoman and trader. He is remembered for leading the Cudgel War, a peasant uprising in the kingdom of Sweden against exploitation by nobility and military. At its end, and the peasants' defeat on January 1–2, 1597, Ilkka escaped, but was soon recaptured and executed for his part in the fighting. Jaakko Ilkka was executed in Kyrönjoki and his body was brought near Ilmajo ...Mannerheim Statue
The statue of Carl Gustaf Emil Mannerheim (1867-1951), Marshal of Finland, was made by the sculptor Evert Porila in 1939. The statue is located at the hill, where Mannerheim watched the occupation of Tampere in the Finnish Civil War (1918). He was commander of the white army, which occupied Tampere from red guards after the bloody battle .The statue was originally planned to be situated in the centre of Tampere, but the S ...Napue Battle Monument
The battle of Napue (in Isokyrö) in between a Swedish and a Russian army, as part of the Great Northern War (1714). The Swedish force, consisting almost entirely of Finnish troops, was destroyed by the numerically superior Russian force. As a result, all of Finland сame under Russian military occupation for the rest of the war, a period of hardship known in Finland as the Greater Wrath. The memorial was erected ...Featured Historic Landmarks, Sites & Buildings
Historic Site of the week
Beckov Castle
The Beckov castle stands on a steep 50 m tall rock in the village Beckov. The dominance of the rock and impression of invincibility it gaves, challenged our ancestors to make use of these assets. The result is a remarkable harmony between the natural setting and architecture.
The castle first mentioned in 1200 was originally owned by the King and later, at the end of the 13th century it fell in hands of Matúš Èák. Its owners alternated - at the end of the 14th century the family of Stibor of Stiborice bought it.
The next owners, the Bánffys who adapted the Gothic castle to the Renaissance residence, improved its fortifications preventing the Turks from conquering it at the end of the 16th century. When Bánffys died out, the castle was owned by several noble families. It fell in decay after fire in 1729.
The history of the castle is the subject of different legends. One of them narrates the origin of the name of castle derived from that of jester Becko for whom the Duke Stibor had the castle built.
Another legend has it that the lord of the castle had his servant thrown down from the rock because he protected his child from the lords favourite dog. Before his death, the servant pronounced a curse saying that they would meet in a year and days time, and indeed precisely after that time the lord was bitten by a snake and fell down to the same abyss.
The well-conserved ruins of the castle, now the National Cultural Monument, are frequently visited by tourists, above all in July when the castle festival takes place. The former Ambro curia situated below the castle now shelters the exhibition of the local history.