Hamina Fortress
Encyclopedia
Hamina Fortress is located in Finland
on the coast of the Gulf of Finland
and it is an integral part of the Hamina
city centre. Hamina fortress is a Star fort
, representing the Renaissance
ideal city embodied by Palmanova
city in northeastern Italy
.
, which had received city rights in 1653 under the name of Vehkalahden Uusikaupunki. The city was destroyed in the Great Northern War
in 1712. The construction of the fortress began by Swedish
general Axel von Löwen after the Treaty of Nystadt in early 1720s. Von Löwen wanted to prevent the Russia
n advance into the Gulf of Finland as envisioned by the Tsar
Peter the Great
, who wanted to open the sea routes for Russia. Alongside the Hamina fortress the construction of another fortress also began in Lappeenranta.
Protected by the six bastion
s, named after other Finnish fortified cities, of the fortress the garrison was responsible for defending the city and the coastal road.
After the Russo–Swedish War of 1741–1743 the still-unfinished fortress had to surrender to Russian troops and the area was annexed by Russia. General Alexander Suvorov
continued the construction of the fortress.
. Dutch-born general Jan Pieter van Suchtelen
considered the fortress obsolescent and inadequate, so the north-facing defences on the shore of Kirkkojärvi lake were demolished and replaced with a new large masonry bastion according with Caponier
system in 1803.
After the border between Russia and Sweden moved westwards to Tornionjoki river
from Kymijoki river
as result of the Finnish War
, the fortress was abandoned in 1830s and the Tsar Nicholas I
gave the fortress area to Hamina city. Simultaneously the position of the commander of the fortress was dissolved.
Hamina fortress saw action again in the Crimean War
. The fortress was reinforced and the position of the fortress commander was re-established for the duration of the war.
has been responsible for the renovating the fortress structures. Much of the fortress remains to this day, and it is used as a venue for different events. Perhaps the most notable is the Hamina Tattoo
, an international military music event held bi-annually in Hamina. Parts of the fortress are still in military use, as the Finnish Reserve Officer School
is located in the fortress.
Finland
Finland , officially the Republic of Finland, is a Nordic country situated in the Fennoscandian region of Northern Europe. It is bordered by Sweden in the west, Norway in the north and Russia in the east, while Estonia lies to its south across the Gulf of Finland.Around 5.4 million people reside...
on the coast of the Gulf of Finland
Gulf of Finland
The Gulf of Finland is the easternmost arm of the Baltic Sea. It extends between Finland and Estonia all the way to Saint Petersburg in Russia, where the river Neva drains into it. Other major cities around the gulf include Helsinki and Tallinn...
and it is an integral part of the Hamina
Hamina
Hamina is a town and a municipality of Finland. It is located in the province of Southern Finland and is part of the Kymenlaakso region. The town has a population of and covers an area of ofwhich is water. The population density is...
city centre. Hamina fortress is a Star fort
Star fort
A star fort, or trace italienne, is a fortification in the style that evolved during the age of gunpowder, when cannon came to dominate the battlefield, and was first seen in the mid-15th century in Italy....
, representing the Renaissance
Renaissance
The Renaissance was a cultural movement that spanned roughly the 14th to the 17th century, beginning in Italy in the Late Middle Ages and later spreading to the rest of Europe. The term is also used more loosely to refer to the historical era, but since the changes of the Renaissance were not...
ideal city embodied by Palmanova
Palmanova
Palmanova is a town and comune in northeastern Italy, close to the border with Slovenia. It is located 20 km from Udine, 28 km from Gorizia and 55 km from Trieste near the junction of the Autostrada Alpe-Adria and the Autostrada Venezia-Trieste .Palmanova is famous for its fortress...
city in northeastern Italy
Italy
Italy , officially the Italian Republic languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Italy's official name is as follows:;;;;;;;;), is a unitary parliamentary republic in South-Central Europe. To the north it borders France, Switzerland, Austria and...
.
Construction
The location of the fortress used to be the marketplace of the VehkalahtiVehkalahti
Vehkalahti is a former municipality surrounding the town of Hamina in south-eastern Finland. At the beginning of 2003 Hamina and Vehkalahti combined to form a new town of Hamina.-History:...
, which had received city rights in 1653 under the name of Vehkalahden Uusikaupunki. The city was destroyed in the Great Northern War
Great Northern War
The Great Northern War was a conflict in which a coalition led by the Tsardom of Russia successfully contested the supremacy of the Swedish Empire in northern Central Europe and Eastern Europe. The initial leaders of the anti-Swedish alliance were Peter I the Great of Russia, Frederick IV of...
in 1712. The construction of the fortress began by Swedish
Sweden
Sweden , officially the Kingdom of Sweden , is a Nordic country on the Scandinavian Peninsula in Northern Europe. Sweden borders with Norway and Finland and is connected to Denmark by a bridge-tunnel across the Öresund....
general Axel von Löwen after the Treaty of Nystadt in early 1720s. Von Löwen wanted to prevent the Russia
Russia
Russia or , officially known as both Russia and the Russian Federation , is a country in northern Eurasia. It is a federal semi-presidential republic, comprising 83 federal subjects...
n advance into the Gulf of Finland as envisioned by the Tsar
Tsar
Tsar is a title used to designate certain European Slavic monarchs or supreme rulers. As a system of government in the Tsardom of Russia and Russian Empire, it is known as Tsarist autocracy, or Tsarism...
Peter the Great
Peter I of Russia
Peter the Great, Peter I or Pyotr Alexeyevich Romanov Dates indicated by the letters "O.S." are Old Style. All other dates in this article are New Style. ruled the Tsardom of Russia and later the Russian Empire from until his death, jointly ruling before 1696 with his half-brother, Ivan V...
, who wanted to open the sea routes for Russia. Alongside the Hamina fortress the construction of another fortress also began in Lappeenranta.
Protected by the six bastion
Bastion
A bastion, or a bulwark, is a structure projecting outward from the main enclosure of a fortification, situated in both corners of a straight wall , facilitating active defence against assaulting troops...
s, named after other Finnish fortified cities, of the fortress the garrison was responsible for defending the city and the coastal road.
After the Russo–Swedish War of 1741–1743 the still-unfinished fortress had to surrender to Russian troops and the area was annexed by Russia. General Alexander Suvorov
Alexander Suvorov
Alexander Vasilyevich Suvorov , Count Suvorov of Rymnik, Prince in Italy, Count of the Holy Roman Empire , was the fourth and last generalissimo of the Russian Empire.One of the few great generals in history who never lost a battle along with the likes of Alexander...
continued the construction of the fortress.
19th century
At the beginning of the 19th century Hamina fortress one the many fortresses that were reinforced as part of the South-Eastern Finland fortification systemSouth-Eastern Finland fortification system
South-Eastern Finland fortification system is an extensive defensive system formed by three concentric fortress chains in South-East Finland built by Russia in 1790s...
. Dutch-born general Jan Pieter van Suchtelen
Jan Pieter van Suchtelen
Jan Pieter van Suchtelen, Count of Liikkala, Pyotr Kornilovich Suhtelen , was born in the Netherlands, and was a general in the Russian army during the Russo-Swedish War...
considered the fortress obsolescent and inadequate, so the north-facing defences on the shore of Kirkkojärvi lake were demolished and replaced with a new large masonry bastion according with Caponier
Caponier
A caponier is a type of fortification structure. The word originates from the French word "caponnière" - which strictly means capon-cote i.e. chickenhouse.The fire coming from the feature A caponier is a type of fortification structure. The word originates from the French word "caponnière" -...
system in 1803.
After the border between Russia and Sweden moved westwards to Tornionjoki river
Torne River
The Torne River , is a river in northern Sweden and Finland. Approximately half of the river's length is a part of the border between these two countries. It rises at Lake Torne near the border with Norway and flows generally southeast for a distance of into the Gulf of Bothnia...
from Kymijoki river
Kymi River
Kymi river is a river in Finland. It begins from the lake Päijänne, flows through the provinces of Päijät-Häme, Uusimaa and Kymenlaakso and discharges into the Gulf of Finland. River passes the towns of Heinola and Kouvola...
as result of the Finnish War
Finnish War
The Finnish War was fought between Sweden and the Russian Empire from February 1808 to September 1809. As a result of the war, the eastern third of Sweden was established as the autonomous Grand Duchy of Finland within the Russian Empire...
, the fortress was abandoned in 1830s and the Tsar Nicholas I
Nicholas I of Russia
Nicholas I , was the Emperor of Russia from 1825 until 1855, known as one of the most reactionary of the Russian monarchs. On the eve of his death, the Russian Empire reached its historical zenith spanning over 20 million square kilometers...
gave the fortress area to Hamina city. Simultaneously the position of the commander of the fortress was dissolved.
Hamina fortress saw action again in the Crimean War
Crimean War
The Crimean War was a conflict fought between the Russian Empire and an alliance of the French Empire, the British Empire, the Ottoman Empire, and the Kingdom of Sardinia. The war was part of a long-running contest between the major European powers for influence over territories of the declining...
. The fortress was reinforced and the position of the fortress commander was re-established for the duration of the war.
Fortress today
The restoration of the fortress began in 1957 and since 1980s Finnish National Board of AntiquitiesFinnish National Board of Antiquities
The Finnish National Board of Antiquities preserves Finland’s material cultural heritage: collects, studies and distributes knowledge of it. The Board is a cultural and research institution, but it is also a government authority charged with the protection of archaeological sites, built heritage,...
has been responsible for the renovating the fortress structures. Much of the fortress remains to this day, and it is used as a venue for different events. Perhaps the most notable is the Hamina Tattoo
Military tattoo
The original meaning of military tattoo is a military drum performance, but nowadays it sometimes means army displays more generally.It dates from the 17th century when the British Army was fighting in the Low Countries...
, an international military music event held bi-annually in Hamina. Parts of the fortress are still in military use, as the Finnish Reserve Officer School
Reserve Officer School
According to the military, the Finnish defence doctrine relies on the principle of territorial defence which means that the whole of Finland must be defended in all cases. It is claimed that this requires a very large war-time reservist defence force to deter and fight aggression. Career officers...
is located in the fortress.