Tag: History Museums in Finland

History Trip: Museum Submarine Vesikko

What it was like to be one of the 20-member crew of submarine in 1930s? If you want to experience this exotic enviroment, it is possible by visiting the museum submarine Vesikko in Suomenlinna

What it was like to be one of the 20-member crew of a submarine in 1930s?
If you want to experience this exotic enviroment, it is possible by visiting the museum submarine Vesikko in Suomenlinna.

Story of Vesikko

Vesikko was built in 1930s in a shipyard in Turku, Finland. It was launched in 1933 and delived to Germany, where is was known as CV-707. However, Finland wanted to strengthen its own navy and bought a submarine back in 1936. In Finland it was renamed as Vesikko. Vesikko was one of Finland’s five submarines. The other four were named Vetehinen, Vesihiisi, Iku-Turso and Saukko.

Vesikko is a Finnish word for mink and Saukko means otter. The other three; Vetehinen, Vesihiisi and Iku-Turso are mystical Finnish creatures living in water. So Finnish submarines didn’t sound very threatening, but were ready to protect Finnish waters when needed.

Unfortunately, submarines were soon needed when Finland was drawn in the World War II. Finnish submarines were used for patrol and convoy missions. Vesikko operated in the Gulf of Finland and had its home base in Suomenlinna. During the Winter War (1939-1940), the role of Vesikko and the other submarines remained small. In the Continuation War (1941-1944) Vesikko patrolled the Gulf of Finland and protected trading ship traffic. Vesikko’s duties as a warship ended on December 15, 1944.

Vesikko Became a Museum Submarine

After the war, the Paris Peace Treaty of 1947 forbade Finland from having submarines. Therefore all of the submarines were scrapped, expect one. Vesikko was the only was that was saved. After a long and extensive restoration it was opened to the public in 1973 as an exhibit of the Military Museum. Nowadays it is a significant memorial to naval warfare as a restored 1930s submarine.

This war veteran is spending its quiet retirement days on the Susisaari island, on the coast of Helsinki, but is happy to welcoming guests during summer season. Please check the opening hours from the Suomenlinna website.

More info:
Suomenlinna
Military Museum

Image by Dorit Salutskij / Suomenlinna Governing Body

History Museum: The National Museum of Finland

Are you interested in the history of Finland? Then the National Museum of Finland is just the place for you!

Are you interested in the history of Finland?
Then the National Museum of Finland is just the place for you!

And by the way, even if you are not a history fan, don’t skip this one just yet. I’ll promise you that visit to the National Museum of Finland might turn out to be surprisingly interesting.

The National Museum of Finland

The National Museum contains the oldest and most comprehensive cultural history collections in the country. So we could easily rename it as the national history museum of Finland!

But the National Museum is more than just a boring history museum. It is a national cultural history museum. It means that the museum has a lot more to offer than just the Finnish history. Instead it tells the story of Finland.

Museum’s permanent exhibitions reveal the story of Finland starting from the prehistory times all the way to modern days. Experience the history through fascinating stories and a collection of artefacts. Study ancient mysteries, discover when the area of Finland was settled, and where the people might have come from? Or you can find out how Finland became Finland and what have happened during Finland’s first 100 years as an independent country.

And with a collection of about half a million objects, there is a lot to see here. The collection includes interesting artefacts, which might not all be valuable alone, but are important to Finns. These include rare findings from the ancient water burial site, a ballot box from the first election, and a suitcase of a little refugee girl who had to leave her home in Karelia during the Second World War.

Intriguing Example of Finnish Architecture

Fun thing about visiting the National Museum is that the museum building itself is a kind of an exhibition of its own. Having an excellent location along the Helsinki’s main street, the building is hard to miss. But what is it? Is it a castle? Or perhaps a church? No, the building was in fact designed as a museum from the start, although the museum was known by a different name at the time.

The predecessor of the National Museum was a State Historical Museum. It was founded in 1893 when several older collections were combined and placed in the care of the state. When Finland became independent, it was renamed as the National Museum of Finland.

The museum building was designed by Finnish architects Eliel Saarinen, Herman Gesellius and Armas Lindgren in 1902, and it is an excellent example of Finnish architecture. With its granite facade and steatite decoration, the National Museum is one of Finland’s most significant national-romantic works of architecture. The construction was completed in 1910 and the museum opened to the public in 1916.

In addition to the permanent exhibitions, the National Museum of Finland also has temporary exhibitions, short-term pop-up exhibitions and events as well as themed tours and workshops.

Have I already convinced you that the National Museum is a bit of a must-visit in Helsinki?
If so, check the opening hours at National Museum’s website.

Address:
The National Museum of Finland
Mannerheimintie 34
00100 Helsinki
Finland

Sources:
Finnish Heritage Agency
Photographer Soile Tirilä. Image by The National Museum of Finland