Korppoo Church

Korppoo, Finland

The Korppoo Church was erected probably between years 1430 and 1440. It represents the oldest church architecture in Finland. Good example of this is the stone tower, which was probably built for defensive purposes, not for belfry. When the church was renovated in 1952-1953, several overpainted medieval wall paintings were found overpainted and restored.

The oldest wooden statue in Finland, "Korppoon madonna", was originally in the Korppoo Church. It was made in Rheinland approximately in 1225. Today the statue is preserved in National Museum of Finland (Helsinki).

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Address

Korpoströmsvägen 2-14, Korppoo, Finland
See all sites in Korppoo

Details

Founded: 1430-1440
Category: Religious sites in Finland
Historical period: Middle Ages (Finland)

More Information

www.geocaching.com

Rating

4/5 (based on Google user reviews)

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User Reviews

Peter Bergman (8 months ago)
Markku Miettinen (9 months ago)
Rauhallinen kivikirkko
Marko M (12 months ago)
Korppoon keskiaikaiseen kivikirkkoon tutustumiseen kannattaa varata aikaa etenkin silloin, kun "kaikki" muutkin ovat lomalla eli juhannuksesta elokuun alkuun. Kirkko nimittäin on mantereelta kahden lauttareitin takana, joten kyseinen päivä kannattaa uhrata ensi sijaisesti Korppoon, Nauvon ja Paraisten keskiaikaisten kirkkojen katseluun. Korppoon keskiaikainen kirkko on mantereelta katsoen kauimmainen, joten siitä on hyvä aloittaa. Korppoon kirkko on siitä harvinainen, että vain harvoissa Suomen kirkoissa on keskiaikainen kuori ja kuorirakennuksen esiintyminen osoittaa kirkon korkeaa ikää. Korppoon kirkko kuuluu niihin seitsemään Suomen keskiaikaiseen kivikirkkoon, jossa keskiaikainen kuori on säilynyt keskiaikaisessa asussaan. Kirkossa on myös keskiaikainen torni, jota on mahdollisesti käytetty puolustustornina, eli sitä ei rakennettu kelloja varten, vaan toimi linnoituksena, jonne paettiin levottomina aikoina. Nämä seikat jo sellaisenaan ovat näkemisen arvoisia. Muista näkemisen arvoisista asioista mainittakoon mm. alttarikaappi, useat pyhimyksiä kuvaavat puuveistokset ja 1400-luvulta peräisin oleva kuorilehteri.
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Church of the Savior on Blood

The Church of the Savior on Spilled Blood is one of the main sights of St. Petersburg. The church was built on the site where Tsar Alexander II was assassinated and was dedicated in his memory. Construction began in 1883 under Alexander III, as a memorial to his father, Alexander II. Work progressed slowly and was finally completed during the reign of Nicholas II in 1907. Funding was provided by the Imperial family with the support of many private donors.

Architecturally, the Cathedral differs from St. Petersburg's other structures. The city's architecture is predominantly Baroque and Neoclassical, but the Savior on Blood harks back to medieval Russian architecture in the spirit of romantic nationalism. It intentionally resembles the 17th-century Yaroslavl churches and the celebrated St. Basil's Cathedral in Moscow.

The Church contains over 7500 square metres of mosaics — according to its restorers, more than any other church in the world. The interior was designed by some of the most celebrated Russian artists of the day — including Viktor Vasnetsov, Mikhail Nesterov and Mikhail Vrubel — but the church's chief architect, Alfred Alexandrovich Parland, was relatively little-known (born in St. Petersburg in 1842 in a Baltic-German Lutheran family). Perhaps not surprisingly, the Church's construction ran well over budget, having been estimated at 3.6 million roubles but ending up costing over 4.6 million. The walls and ceilings inside the Church are completely covered in intricately detailed mosaics — the main pictures being biblical scenes or figures — but with very fine patterned borders setting off each picture.

In the aftermath of the Russian Revolution, the church was ransacked and looted, badly damaging its interior. The Soviet government closed the church in the early 1930s. During the Second World War when many people were starving due to the Siege of Leningrad by Nazi German military forces, the church was used as a temporary morgue for those who died in combat and from starvation and illness. The church suffered significant damage. After the war, it was used as a warehouse for vegetables, leading to the sardonic name of Saviour on Potatoes.

In July 1970, management of the Church passed to Saint Isaac's Cathedral (then used as a highly profitable museum) and proceeds from the Cathedral were funneled back into restoring the Church. It was reopened in August 1997, after 27 years of restoration, but has not been reconsecrated and does not function as a full-time place of worship; it is a Museum of Mosaics. Even before the Revolution it never functioned as a public place of worship; having been dedicated exclusively to the memory of the assassinated tsar, the only services were panikhidas (memorial services). The Church is now one of the main tourist attractions in St. Petersburg.

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