28 May 2017 / leggypeggy

Enjoying three very different churches in Helsinki

architecture, cathedrals, choir, chruches, design competitrion, Helsinki, religion, rock, Scandinavia

The Rock Church is partially underground with light flowing in from high windows

Over the last few weeks, we’ve visited Helsinki three times and managed to visit what are probably their three most important and most different churches.

Rock Church
The first was the unusual Rock Church, also known as the Church of the Rock in English, the Temppeliaukio Kirrko in Finnish and the Tempelplatsen Kyrka in Swedish. The two Scandinavian names (by the way, Swedish is the second national language of Finland) translate as Temple Square Church.

Plans to build a church in the heart of Helsinki dated back to the 1930s when the land (Temple Square) was chosen and an architectural design competition was run. Unfortunately, World War II halted all progress. Another competition, conducted after the war, was won by brothers, Timo and Tuomo Suomalainen, in 1961.

Organ

Towards altar

Rock Church, Helsinki, pews with gallery

Pews and upper gallery

Candles

Organ

The land was excavated and the semi-subterranean church was built within the surrounding rock. It was consecrated in 1969.

Interior rock walls were not part of the original design. The Suomalainen brothers had considered leaving the rock exposed, but thought the idea might be too radical for the competition jury.

Luckily it went ahead when it was discovered that the rough, virtually unworked rock surfaces created incredible acoustics. In fact, the church has become a popular concert venue, and there were people setting up for a concert/event when we were visiting.

The church is also one of Helsinki’s most popular tourist destinations. About half a million people visit it each year.

Two more comments about this church. I tried to take pictures from the outside, including the church’s copper roof, but the whole structure sits very low and it was snowing on the day, so any picture was going to be problematic. Also, the whole atmosphere reminded me of the amazing cathedral in Brasilia, capital of Brazil.

A large choir rehearses on the steps of Helsinki’s Lutheran Cathedral

Helsinki Cathedral
We paid two visits to the Helsinki Cathedral, also known as the Finnish Evangelical Lutheran Cathedral. It was built between 1830–52 and was a tribute to the Grand Duke of Finland, Tsar Nicholas I of Russia. It was known as St Nicholas’ Church until Finland’s independence in 1917.

Designed by Carl Ludvig Engel, the building has a neoclassical style. It is surrounded by other, smaller buildings designed by him, and is part of the Senate Square.

Helsinki Cathedral without the choir

Wedding party

Helsinki Cathedral

Towards the altar

Organ pipes

Each of our visits occurred on a special occasion. The first time we were there when a wedding was just finishing. We got to see the bridal march and snap photos of the wedding party on the church’s side steps. I liked the fact that the bride wore a street-length dress and the group of attendees was a manageable size.

That said, our second visit was extremely large and impressive. There was a special choral event with close to 1000 choir members rehearsing on the church’s front steps. More singers (many in traditional dress) were arriving as we watched—we’d seen many of them checking into our hotel (ahead of us) the day before and that morning.

We heard only one song, and it was a treat to see such a large choir performing. We were staring our self-drive excursion later in the day, so missed the concert that was coming later.

The Eastern Orthodox Cathedral overlooks Helsinki

Uspenski Cathedral
We also made two visits to the Uspenski Orthodox Cathedral, but never managed to get inside. Our first visit was too late in the day. So we planned to visit again after our road trip around Finland.

Sadly, on that second visit a sign on the door said ‘not open today’. We were disappointed, but a fellow we met on the steps felt even worse. He’d been living in Finland for 10 months and it was the fifth time he’d come to the cathedral and not been able to get in.

This Eastern Orthodox Cathedral, dedicated to the Dormition of the Theotokos (the Virgin Mary), certainly has the most impressive exterior in Helsinki, but we’ll never know what the interior looks like. Oh well, maybe if we go back again.

The cathedral, which was completed in 1868, has a wonderful position on a hillside peninsula overlooking the city. So even though we couldn’t get in, we loved looking at the surroundings.

No doubt there are scores of other churches in Helsinki, but these are the only ones we saw.

View from Orthodox Church, Helsinki With a view like this, who cares if the Eastern Orthodox Church is closed!.

For those of you who follow my cooking blog, I now have a Finnish cookbook so stay tuned for a page-32 offering. In the meantime, feel free to check out a make-ahead potato recipe from a cookbook compiled by the folks at Bethany Lutheran Church in Nebraska.