Helsinki – the White Capital of the North
Equestrian Statue of Marshal Mannerheim. Karl Gustav Mannerheim, 1867-1951, Marshal of Finland and the President of the Republic is the most notable person of Finland. The idea to erect the equestrian statue originated back in 1930 but the first attempts to fulfill this thought had no success. Only in 1960 the monument, created by Aimo Tukiainen, was solemnly opened. The sculpture is standing on Mannerheimintie Avenue, next to the Meuseum of Modern Art, Kiasma. The equestrian statue is done in bronze, its height, including the granite pedestal, is 11.5 meters.
Esplanade Park is a unique architectural ensemble of the historical center of the city. The park’s plan was designed by Karl Ludvig Engel. The oldest lime trees of the alley were planted back in 1840-ies. From the day it was founded the park immediately became the favorite promenade for the citizens. As you enter the park there is a restaurant named “Kapelli”, built in 1867 and renovated a number of times. In the summer numerous shows are staged on the open platform every day. The park has monuments dedicated to Johan Ludvig Runeberg, Eino Leino, and Zacharias Topelius.
The Statue of Havis Amanda, created by sculptor Ville Vallgren was unveiled in the autumn of 1908. It has been one of the symbols of Helsinki for more than one hundred years. Unlike many other monuments to great personalities placed in the center of Helsinki, this fountain is characterized with playfulness and some air of ease. The statue was dubbed “Havis Amanda” which translates from Swedish as “The Mermaid”. “Manta”, as the local people started calling her, has almost become an animated mistress of the downtown Helsinki. From 1930 originated the tradition to put a student cap on Manta’s head to celebrate Student’s Holliday “Vappa” on the first of May. In the winter of 1995 when Finnish national hockey team became the winner of the World’s championship 100.000 citizens of Helsinki gaily celebrated this event on the Market Square and Manta was clothed in a blouse of the national team. Nowadays Manta is one of the symbols of the city, which owes its birth to the sea.
In a picturesque park of Meilahti district there is a monument to the outstanding Finnish composer Jan Sibelius. To commemorate the composer, the monument was erected to visualize music itself. The monument’s author, Eila Hiltunen, created it out of welded pipes and gave it an abstract and symbolic meaning. Right next to it there is a sculptural image of the composer’s head. Today this is one of the most popular tourist attractions.
On Mannerheimintie avenue there is a magnificent building of Finland’s Parliament. The building was constructed according to the style of monumental Classicism by J. S. Siren in 1931 and it symbolizes Finland’s independence. In a gorgeous round meeting hall adorned with sculptures two hundred deputies are working. Adjacent bow-shaped room at the back and auxiliary wings for different purposes were added in 1978. Sculptures of the first President Kaarlo Juho Stahlberg and the first prime-minister Pehr Evind Svinhufvud are erected at the facade of the Parliament.