The Government Palace
Helsinki's Empire centre and especially the buildings around
the Senate Square are an internationally significant example
of the neoclassical style. The German-born architect Carl
Ludwig Engel (1778-1840) designed the Government Palace (originally
the Senate), the Cathedral, the University of Helsinki's main
building and the Helsinki University Library.
Construction of the Senate began in 1818 and was completed
in 1822. The building is a typical Empire palace. Wings were
added on the Aleksanterinkatu and Ritarikatu sides in the
following years. Later on the Hallituskatu side was closed
off later. Further changes were made in 1900-1917. Since then
the exterior of the palace has not been changed.
The most dramatic event took place at the palace in 1904,
when Finnish resistance to the policy of Russification around
the turn of the century reached a climax with the assassination
of Governor-General Nikolai Bobrikov by Eugen Schauman on
the second-floor landing of the main staircase. Schauman then
shot himself as well.
Tsarist rule came to an end in Russian in 1917, and Finland
declared its independence on 6 December of that year. The
Economic Division of the Senate became the Government of Finland
on 27 November 1918, and the building in which it worked was
renamed the Government Palace. The Senate's administrative
departments became ministries and the Senate Chancery became
the Prime Minister's Office.
The Government Palace was refurbished in 1974-1997. It presently
houses the Prime Minister's Office, the Office of the Chancellor
of Justice and most of the Ministry of Finance and the Government's
conference rooms.
http://www.valtioneuvosto.fi/
Photographs:
- Government Palace
Photographer: Mika Lappalainen, Helsinki City Information
Office.
- Statue of Alexander II draped with flowers after the February
Proclamation, 13 March 1899, with the Government Palace in
the background.
Photo: Helsinki City Museum's photo archives
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