Senate Square and Helsinki Cathedral

Senate Square lies in the Kruununhaka district of central Helsinki, Uusimaa, Finland, and forms the best-known Neoclassical ensemble in the Nordic countries. After Russia annexed Finland in 1809 and Tsar Alexander I made Helsinki the capital of the Grand Duchy in 1812, the town, rebuilt after the fire of 1808, needed administrative buildings worthy of its new role. The German-born architect Carl Ludvig Engel was commissioned to plan the square and its surroundings. The Government Palace, originally the Senate building, closes the western side, the main building of the University of Helsinki stands on the east, and the Cathedral rises above the square on the north on a stepped plinth. At the centre stands a statue of Alexander II, unveiled in 1894, commemorating his role in the reforms of Finnish autonomy. The cathedral, originally the church of St Nicholas, was designed by Engel but completed in 1852, twelve years after his death, under Ernst Lohrmann. It has a white Greek-cross plan, a large green central dome and four smaller domes, and statues of the Twelve Apostles on the roofline. The interior is deliberately plain, with statues of Luther, Melanchthon and Mikael Agricola, and an organ that is used for concerts. Beneath the cathedral the crypt hosts exhibitions and events. Nearby, Sederholm House, the oldest stone building in central Helsinki from the 1750s, and the National Library by Engel add to the historical setting. The cathedral underwent major exterior and interior restoration programmes in the late twentieth century and again in recent years, and it is maintained by the Evangelical Lutheran parish. Visitors usually approach on foot from Market Square along Sofiankatu, climb the broad steps for city views, and enter for a short visit of 20 to 30 minutes. The square itself is used for markets, concerts, national celebrations and New Year events, so conditions vary through the year.