sv, Johanneskyrkan , native_name_lang = Johannes Kyrkan , image = Johanneksenkirkko 2 2020-04-22.jpg , coordinates = , location =

Helsinki Helsinki ( or ; ; sv, Helsingfors, ) is the capital, primate, and most populous city of Finland. Located on the shore of the Gulf of Finland, it is the seat of the region of Uusimaa in southern Finland, and has a population of . The city ...

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Finland Finland ( fi, Suomi ; sv, Finland ), officially the Republic of Finland (; ), is a Nordic country in Northern Europe. It shares land borders with Sweden to the northwest, Norway to the north, and Russia to the east, with the Gulf of B ...

, denomination =

Lutheran Lutheranism is one of the largest branches of Protestantism, identifying primarily with the theology of Martin Luther, the 16th-century German monk and Protestant Reformers, reformer whose efforts to reform the theology and practice of the Cathol ...

, previous denomination = , churchmanship = , membership = , attendance = , website = , former name = , bull date = , founded date = , founder = , dedication = , dedicated date = , consecrated date = , cult = Christian Lutheran , relics = , events = , past bishop = , people = , status = , functional status = , heritage designation = , designated date = , architect = , architectural type = , style = Gothic Revival , groundbreaking = 1888 , completed date = 1891 , construction cost = , closed date = , demolished date = , capacity = 2,600 , parish = , diocese =

St. John's Church ( fi, Johanneksenkirkko, sv, Johanneskyrkan) in

is a

church designed by the

Swedish Swedish or ' may refer to: Anything from or related to Sweden, a country in Northern Europe. Or, specifically: * Swedish language, a North Germanic language spoken primarily in Sweden and Finland ** Swedish alphabet, the official alphabet used by ...

architect in the Gothic Revival style. It is the largest stone church in Finland by seating capacity.

Description

''Johannes'' (John) church stands on a hill that for many centuries had been a place for

Midsummer Midsummer is a celebration of the season of summer usually held at a date around the summer solstice. It has pagan pre-Christian roots in Europe. The undivided Christian Church designated June 24 as the feast day of the early Christian martyr ...

bonfires (Midsummer is now also "John's Day", ''Juhannus'' in Finnish). Situated in the

Ullanlinna (; sv, Ulrikasborg) is a city district of Helsinki, in Finland. The name ''Ullanlinna'' ( en, "Ulla's Castle") refers to the fortification line that was built at the southern edge of the area during the 18th century (no longer visible), as part ...

district of Helsinki, the church was built between 1888 and 1891, the third Lutheran church in Helsinki, and still the biggest. The twin towers are in height, and the church seats 2,600 people and has excellent acoustics, and it is therefore used for big concerts and events as well as services. The altarpiece shows

Saul Saul (; he, , ; , ; ) was, according to the Hebrew Bible, the first monarch of the United Kingdom of Israel. His reign, traditionally placed in the late 11th century BCE, supposedly marked the transition of Israel and Judah from a scattered t ...

's conversion and the painting, called ''A Divine Revelation'', is by

Eero Järnefelt Erik "Eero" Nikolai Järnefelt (8 November 1863 – 15 November 1937) was a Finnish painter and art professor. He is best known for his portraits and landscapes of the area around Koli National Park. He was a medal winner at the Paris ''Expositi ...

, brother-in-law to

Jean Sibelius Jean Sibelius ( ; ; born Johan Julius Christian Sibelius; 8 December 186520 September 1957) was a Finnish composer of the late Romantic and early-modern periods. He is widely regarded as his country's greatest composer, and his music is often ...

. In August 2022, a six-month renovation of the church was completed, in which the

gargoyle In architecture, and specifically Gothic architecture, a gargoyle () is a carved or formed grotesque with a spout designed to convey water from a roof and away from the side of a building, thereby preventing it from running down masonry walls ...

s of the church were repaired and renewed due to their poor condition; Helsinki's raw sea air and weather fluctuations on both sides of zero had worn out the condition of the concrete decorations and it was feared that they would crumble and fall in time.

Organ

The organ was built in 1891 by German company Walcker of

Ludwigsburg Ludwigsburg (; Swabian: ''Ludisburg'') is a city in Baden-Württemberg, Germany, about north of Stuttgart city centre, near the river Neckar. It is the largest and primary city of the Ludwigsburg district with about 88,000 inhabitants. It is s ...

, with a pneumatic mechanism. At the time it was the largest in the country. In 1921 composer

Oskar Merikanto Oskar Merikanto (; born Frans Oskar Ala-Kanto; 5 August 1868, Helsinki17 February 1924, Hausjärvi-Oitti) was a Finnish composer, music critic, pianist, and organist. As a composer, Merikanto was primarily a miniaturist, and includes songs an ...

, the first church organist, expanded the organ. In 2004 and 2005 the organ was renovated by German organ builder Christian Scheffler Orgelwerkstatt; it now has 66 voices and 4036 whistles. In 2018 an English-style shell organ, by Urkurakentamo Veikko Virtanen Oy from

Espoo Espoo (, ; sv, Esbo) is a city and municipality in the region of Uusimaa in the Republic of Finland. It is located on the northern shore of the Gulf of Finland, bordering the cities of Helsinki, Vantaa, Kirkkonummi, Vihti and Nurmijärvi ...

, was installed. It has nine voices and a movable soundboard.

Gallery

References

External links

*
St. John's Church at the Parish Union of Helsinki official websiteEnglish translation
Lutheran churches in Helsinki Brick Gothic Churches completed in 1891 19th-century Lutheran churches Gothic Revival church buildings in Finland 19th-century churches in Finland {{finland-church-stub

Description

Organ

Gallery

See also

References

External links