Presidential Palace, Helsinki
| Presidential Palace | |
|---|---|
| Presidentinlinna (Finnish) Presidentens slott (Swedish) |
|
 |
|
| General information | |
| Type | Governmental |
| Architectural style | Neoclassical |
| Location | Helsinki, Finland |
| Coordinates | 60°10′06″N 24°57′22.5″E / 60.16833°N 24.956250°ECoordinates: 60°10′06″N 24°57′22.5″E / 60.16833°N 24.956250°E |
| Construction started | 1816/1843 |
| Completed | 1820/1845 |
| Design and construction | |
| Architect | Pehr Granstedt (1816) Carl Ludvig Engel (1843) |
The Presidential Palace in Helsinki (Finnish: Presidentinlinna, Swedish: Presidentens slott), is one of the official residences in Helsinki of the President of the Republic of Finland. It is situated on the north side of Esplanadi, overlooking Market Square.
At the beginning of 19th century, a salt storehouse stood on the site. Johan Henrik Heidenstrauch, then one of the elite of Helsinki's merchants, purchased the entire lot and erected between 1816–1820 a stately residence designed by architect Pehr Granstedt. Heidenstrauch House more resembled a palace than a merchants house. In 1837 it actually became a palace when it was purchased for the price of 170 000 roubles to be converted into a residence for the Governor-General of Finland. However, Nicholas I desired that it should become the official residence in Helsinki of the Tsar of Russia/Grand Duke of Finland, and the building became the Imperial Palace in Helsinki.
The necessary rebuilding and furnishing work, carried out between 1843 and 1845, was directed by architect Carl Ludvig Engel, the creator of neoclassical Helsinki and, after his death, by his son, Carl Alexander. All the timber storehouses behind were torn down and a new wing added. This wing, built along the north of the courtyard, contained on the second floor the chapel (the present library), ballroom, banquet hall in direct connection with the earlier reception floor of the main building, as well as a kitchen.
The Palace was completed in 1845, though repairs had to be made from time to time as mostly it stood empty and was not regularly heated. It was visited for the first time by a member of the Imperial family nine years later, in February 1854, when Tsar Nicholas I's younger son, Grand Duke Constantine, stayed there for a month. His brother Nicholas stayed there in June of the following year, after Nicholas's death. In 1856, the palace was also visited by the new Tsar's three oldest sons – Nicholas, Alexander, and Vladimir. It was during the reign of their father, Alexander II, that the Palace had its most brilliant time. He visited the city in 1863 and 1876, staying on both occasions at the Palace. In 1863 the Diet of Finland was opened by Alexander II in the Great Ballroom. The Ballroom was accordingly converted into a Throne-Room, with the Imperial throne placed on a dais. Alexander returned to the palace again in 1876 to open that year's session of the Diet. The Throne-Room continued to be used as the venue for the opening and closing ceremonies of the Diet until 1906.
...
Wikipedia