A Homage to Helsinki Trivia Quiz

Answer: Gustav I of Sweden

Though the coastal area where Helsinki is now located had been colonized by Swedish settlers in the late 13th century, the foundation of the city came almost 300 years later, on 12 June 1550, when King Gustav I of Sweden (also known as Gustav Vasa) established the trading town of Helsingfors. The king's intention was for the new town to compete with Reval (present-day Tallinn), the powerful Hanseatic city located across the Gulf of Finland. The original location of the town, however, at the mouth of the river Vantaa, did not allow for the building of a harbour, and the settlers soon abandoned the place. In 1640, Count Per Brahe, the Swedish Governor-General of Finland, moved the city centre to the Vironniemi peninsula - the current location of Helsinki Cathedral and other major landmarks.

Helsingfors remained a small, provincial town plagued by fires, disease and poverty until the early 19th century. In 1809, Finland became an autonomous Grand Duchy of the Russian Empire, and Tsar Alexander I moved the Finnish capital from Turku to Helsinki, which was closer to St Petersburg. Helsinki grew steadily during the 19th century, and became an important cultural and economic centre. During the 20th century, the city continued to develop at a steady pace, experiencing a population boom in the 1960s and 1970s. Present-day Helsinki is home to over 600,000 people - over 1.2 million in the Capital Region, which also includes the cities of Espoo, Vantaa, and Kauniainen. With its very high standards of urban living, it frequently ranks as one the world's most liveable and environmentally-friendly cities.

The name Helsinki comes from the Swedish "Helsinge" (origin still unclear); Helsingfors, the city's original name, means "Helsinge rapids". Its citizens, however, call it by the nickname of "Stadi" (from the Swedish "stadet", meaning simply "city"), or the short form "Hesa". The city's coat of arms depicted in the photo was introduced in the early 17th century.

Answer: Senate

In the 1812 plan for a thorough renovation of Helsinki - which had become capital of Finland in 1809 - Senate Square ("Senaatintori" in Finnish, "Senatstorget" in Swedish) was designed as the city's main square. German-born architect Carl Ludvig Engel was chosen as the architect of the buildings that would surround the square, whose Neoclassical (Empire) style was meant to resemble the architecture of Saint Petersburg. The first building to be completed was the Government Palace on the square's eastern side (1822), which served as the seat of the Finnish Senate until 1918 - hence the square's name). The main building of the University of Helsinki, on the opposite side, was completed in 1832.

The huge Lutheran cathedral, looming over the square atop a large flight of steps, took over 20 years to build (1830-1852): with its dazzling white walls and tall, green dome, it is Helsinki's most recognizable landmark. Facing the cathedral, at the southeast corner of the square, stands Sederholm House, the oldest remaining building of central Helsinki, dating from 1757. A statue of Emperor Alexander II of Russia, erected in 1894, stands in the middle of the square. Because of the resemblance of Helsinki's neoclassical buildings with those of Moscow and Saint Petersburg, during the Cold War the city was sometimes used as a location for films set in the Soviet Union - such as "Reds" (1981) and "Gorky Park" (1983).

Senate Square is the heart of modern Helsinki, and one of its main tourist attractions. It hosts many events throughout the year, from the Helsinki Christmas Market in December to art exhibitions, concerts and parades during the summer months.

Answer: its climate is relatively mild for its northerly location

Helsinki lies at a latitude of 60°N, like other places in the Northern Hemisphere (such as Alaska, the Kamchatka Peninsula, and southern Greenland) known for their long, very cold winters. However, the Finnish capital enjoys a surprisingly temperate climate (humid continental in the Köppen classification), mitigated by the influence of the Northern Atlantic Current (the northward extension of the Gulf Stream) and the Baltic Sea. Compared to more northerly locations in Finland, Helsinki has a much shorter snow season, and average winter temperatures rarely drop below -5 ºC (23 ºF).

While winter days are very short, with less than 6 hours of daylight around the winter solstice, during the summer solstice Helsinki enjoys almost 19 hours of daylight. The average summer temperature is a very pleasant 19-22 ºC (66-72 ºF), though in recent years much higher temperatures have been recorded - such as the 33.2 ºC (91.8 ºF) recorded on 8 July 2019.

The photo shows a detail of the frozen sea in central Helsinki, with the Eastern Orthodox Uspenski Cathedral (inaugurated in 1868) in the background.

Answer: Copenhagen

The sea and other waterways are an integral part of Helsinki's cityscape and everyday life, as well as major contributors to its economy. The port of Helsinki comprises three active harbours: Vuosaari Harbour, a mostly cargo port in the eastern part of the city; the West Harbour, which handles both passenger and cargo traffic; the South Harbour (in the photo), a passenger port located within walking distance of Senate Square. A number of ferry lines (Silja Line, Viking Line, St Peter's Line, and Tallink) operate cruiseferries - very popular with both Finns and tourists for their many amenities and duty-free sales - connecting the Finnish capital with Stockholm, Tallinn, and Saint Petersburg. The cruiseferry Finnjet, connecting Helsinki to Travemünde and Rostock in Germany, was eliminated in 2005; however, the shipping company Finnlines operate a daily passenger-freight service to Travemünde from Vuosaari Harbour. The Tallinn-Helsinki sea route is the busiest of all, as the Estonian capital lies only 84 km (52 mi) south of Helsinki across the Gulf of Finland.

Although almost half of the Baltic Sea is covered in ice for a few months during the winter, Helsinki and other ports are always open thanks to the powerful icebreakers that operate in the Gulf of Finland, the Gulf of Bothnia, and other parts of the region. Some of these famous icebreakers spend the summer season at the dock in Katajanokka, the small headland adjacent to downtown Helsinki.

Though Denmark is technically part of the Baltic region, Copenhagen - which lies on the Öresund strait connecting the North Sea with the Baltic Sea - has no direct ferry link with Helsinki. There are, however, frequent flights to the Danish capital from Helsinki-Vantaa International Airport.

Answer: Art Nouveau

Though lacking in buildings older than the early 19th century, Helsinki is a veritable mecca for devotees of more recent architectural styles. Besides the many examples of cutting-edge (if somewhat controversial) contemporary architecture, such as the Kiasma contemporary art museum (1998) and the nearby Helsinki Music Centre (2011), Helsinki is home to a considerable number of buildings in the uniquely Finnish variant of the Art Nouveau style known as "National Romantic" ("Kansallisromantiikka"). This style, strongly influenced by the "Kalevala", the Finnish national poem compiled by Elias Lönnrot in 1835-1848, looked to early medieval culture and architecture as major sources of inspiration. Not surprisingly, the years 1880-1910, which coincided with Finland's national awakening (and eventually led to its independence from Russia in December 1917), are also known as the Golden Age of Finnish Art.

Among Helsinki's most significant buildings in the National Romantic style, there is the National Museum of Finland (1910), the Sampo building (1903), the Finnish National Theatre (1902), and the Pohjola Insurance building (1889-1901). The latter was designed by the Finnish architecture firm Gesellius, Lindgren & Saarinen. The main entrance (shown in the photo) by Hilda Flodin, a Helsinki-born artist, is decorated it with sculptures of animals and mythical creatures; the name of the two insurance companies housed in the building, Pohjola and Kullervo, are both taken from the "Kalevala". In addition, many beautiful Art Nouveau/National Romantic buildings can be admired in various Helsinki neighbourhoods, in particular Katajanokka and Ullanlinna.

Helsinki Central Station, designed by Eliel Saarinen - one of the architects of the Pohjola building, and the father of Eero Saarinen, who designed the Gateway Arch in St Louis - and inaugurated in 1919, is probably Finland's best-known building in the Art Nouveau style (referred to as "Jugend" in Scandinavia).

Answer: it is built into solid rock

Designed by architects (and brothers) Timo and Tuomo Suomalainen, Temppeliaukio ("Temple Square") Church is a Lutheran church built directly into solid granite. Located just north of the city centre, it was inaugurated in September 1969. The earliest plans for the church date from the 1930s, when a competition for the design was held; however, those plans did not come to fruition because of WWII. In 1961. another competition was held, won by the Suomalainen brothers. As the original plan had to be scaled back for economic reasons, work on the church began did not begin until February 1968.

The entrance to Temppeliauko Church is rather austere, belying its unique interior. Natural light enters through a skylight that surrounds the central, copper-lined dome. One of the church's most striking features is its excellent acoustics, created by the rough rock surfaces that can be seen in the photo. Interestingly, the Suomalainen brothers had not included the idea of leaving the rock walls untreated in their plan, as they thought the competition jury would find it too radical. However, advice from experts in music and acoustics led them to change their mind and leave the walls exposed. The church, which houses an organ with 3001 pipes and 43 stops, is often used as a concert venue, and can hold 940 people. It is one of Helsinki's most popular tourist attractions, visited by over half a million people every year.

Answer: Jean Sibelius

Jean Sibelius (1865-1957) is widely regarded as Finland's greatest classical composer, and one of the "founding fathers" of Finnish national identity at the turn of the 20th century. Some of his major works, such as the choral symphony "Kullervo" and the "Lemminkäinen Suite", were based on episodes from the "Kalevala", the Finnish national poem, while his tone poem "Finlandia" was composed as a form of protest against Russian censorship. After his death in 1957, the Sibelius Society organized a competition for a monument to commemorate the composer, which was won by sculptor Eila Hiltunen. The sculpture, named "Passio Musicae", was unveiled on 7 September 1967, a few days before the 10th anniversary of the composer's passing.

The monument, which weighs over 24 tonnes (24 long tons/26 short tons), consists of about 600 hollow steel pipes welded together to form a wave-like pattern. Though it looks like a massive organ, it is believed to represent a forest of birches, symbolizing the beauty of Finnish nature that was such a major component of Sibelius's art. The face of the composer, which sits beside the main sculpture, was added some time later to establish a more concrete connection between the monument and the person to whom it was dedicated. The Sibelius Monument is located in Sibelius Park, in the neighbourhood of Töölö, north of the city centre.

Paavo Nurmi, the "Flying Finn", was a middle- and long-distance runner, while Tove Jansson was a novelist and artist known for her "Moomin" children's books. Alvar Aalto was probably the most famous Finnish architect and designer.

Answer: it is an 18th-century sea fortress

The Helsinki Archipelago consists of about 330 islands that populate the Baltic Sea off the city's coast. During the summer months, these islands - easily reached by ferry or water bus - offer a ready escape from urban life, with their clean air, lush vegetation, and picturesque beaches. However, in the sea fortress of Suomenlinna, the attractions of cultural heritage join those of unspoiled nature to provide a unique experience to its visitors.

Originally named Sveaborg ("Swedish fortress" - "Viapori" in Finnish), Suomenlinna was gradually built by Sweden - starting from January 1748 - as protection against the ever-present threat of Russian expansionism. However, the Russians eventually prevailed, taking over the fortress when Finland became part of Russia in 1809. Viapori was bombed and heavily damaged in 1855, during the Crimean War that pitted Russia against the English-French-Ottoman alliance, but was subsequently restored. In 1918, after Finland declared its independence from Russia, the fortress was patriotically renamed Suomenlinna ("Castle of Finland").

Five of the eight islands that form the Suomenlinna district are connected by bridges. The two largest islands are Susisaari and Iso Mustasaari, which host a number of museums and other historic buildings. The bastion fortifications (as seen in the photo) are remarkably well preserved, and provide an outstanding example of 18th-century military architecture. Though scaled down in recent years, some military presence remains on the islands - namely the Naval Academy of the Finnish Navy. However, Suomenlinna is now mainly a residential area (with about 900 permanent inhabitants) and a major tourist attraction.

Answer: Midsummer

Located west of the Töölö district, the island of Seurasaari is a rural oasis in the midst of urban life. it is connected to the mainland by a wooden footbridge, and easily reached by public transportation from the city centre.

A favourite destination for walks and picnics during the summer, the island also attracts many visitors because of its Open-Air Museum, which includes a collection of old wooden buildings brought there from every part of Finland. A visit to the museum (which is part of the National Museum of Finland) will give you a fair idea of life in Finland before it became the prosperous, highly industrialized country it is today. Opened in 1909, the museum now features 87 buildings; like other similar museums in Europe and North America, it was inspired by Stockholm's Skansen, which opened in 1891.

In spite of the visitors that flock to the island during the summer months, Seurasaari is home to many wild animals, especially birds and red squirrels. Besides the museum, the island also offers one of Helsinki's two nudist beaches. Every Midsummer (called "Juhannus" in Finnish, and celebrated around the summer solstice) a huge bonfire ("juhannuskokko") is built on an islet just off the island's coast, and ignited by a newlywed couple in the presence of thousands of people. The event also features folk music and dance, as well as food, drink, and sauna for both adults and children.

Answer: Bactrian camel

The rocky island of Korkeasaari ("High Island") is located to the northeast of central Helsinki. Established in 1889, the zoo is one of the oldest in the world: some of the original buildings, such as the restaurant Pukki, still survive. Home to over 150 animal species, it is open year-round. During the summer months, a regular ferry service connects the zoo with the Market Square (South Harbour), while when the ferry is not operative the zoo can be accessed via the bridge that connects the island with the neighbourhood of Mustikkamaa.

Most of the animals at Korkeasaari Zoo - with the exception of those hosted in the tropical houses - are species that can stay outside even during the cold, snowy Finnish winter. Besides native species such as reindeer, moose, brown bears, lynxes, and wolverines (as well as various owls), the zoo is home to Amur tigers, snow leopards, European bison, and other ungulates from the colder regions of the world. The shaggy-haired, two-humped Bactrian camel is one of these, being a native of the steppes of Central Asia, where winters can be even colder than in Finland. On the other hand, the three incorrect choices are all animals from the tropical regions of the world, which would be unable to tolerate Helsinki's winters.

As well as a beloved family destination during Finland's gorgeous summer season, Korkeasaari Zoo is also remarkable for its conservation work, especially as regards rare and endangered felines such as the Amur tiger and the Amur leopard.