Helsinki – the White Capital of the North
Within a quarter of a century Engel built 30 public buildings and many private houses in Helsinki. He spent one whole year in Saint-Petersburg, studying Russian architecture, before he set down to work. Tsar Alexander I and his successor Nicolas I personally oversaw the construction of the Finnish capital taking an interest in and giving their approval to every architectural decision. These two reasons explain close resemblance that Helsinki of the early XIX century bears with Saint-Petersburg of the same period. No wonder that in Hollywood thrillers about the “cold war” Soviet Union the Finnish capital was many times presented as Leningrad or Moscow, just like in the Soviet movies, for example, Riga’s streets were filmed as if they were Paris.
The next major construction period in Helsinki belongs to the beginning of the XX century. At this time the local architectural style was formed which got the name of Finnish Romanticism. In a short time it was replaced by rationalism which swept over the whole world. The buildings of this particular period bear no trace of any of their national characteristics.
During World War II (1939-1944) Helsinki was bombed several times by the soviet air forces and some buildings downtown were destroyed.
Two world-known events that took place in Helsinki in the middle of the last century added some modern features to the looks of the city, making it a city of international significance: 1952 Summer Olympic Games and Conference of Security and Cooperation in Europe in 1975. A number of hotels, shops, sea passenger’s terminal, Olympic Stadium, “Finlandia” Hall — the biggest congress-center and concert hall and other sports and entertainment facilities were built at that time.
At all times there was a cult of the wild nature in Finland. In the recent decades besides their love for the wild nature Finns have also become highly environmentally-conscious. This consciousness, together with advanced industrial technologies and professional culture of construction, allowed Finns to preserve healthy environment in which they live. Even in the capital one can be amazed at how clear the water is at the shores or in lakes and ponds, how fresh the grass and the trees are, at real wild animals and birds — squirrels, rabbits, and pheasants.