Isosaari
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Isosaari () is an island in Helsinki, part of the Ulkosaaret district of the city, more specifically of Itäsaaret, i.e. ‘eastern islands’. It was one of the fortified islands of the
Gulf of Finland The Gulf of Finland (; ; ; ) is the easternmost arm of the Baltic Sea. It extends between Finland to the north and Estonia to the south, to Saint Petersburg—the second largest city of Russia—to the east, where the river Neva drains into it. ...
. Isosaari is one of the outermost islands in the
Helsinki Helsinki () is the Capital city, capital and most populous List of cities and towns in Finland, city in Finland. It is on the shore of the Gulf of Finland and is the seat of southern Finland's Uusimaa region. About people live in the municipali ...
region, and it is a site that is important from the perspective of
cultural history Cultural history records and interprets past events involving human beings through the social, cultural, and political milieu of or relating to the arts and manners that a group favors. Jacob Burckhardt (1818–1897) helped found cultural history ...
. Its sights and its nature are unique.


General information

The island covers an area of 76 hectares. It is mainly covered by a
coniferous forest Conifers () are a group of cone-bearing seed plants, a subset of gymnosperms. Scientifically, they make up the division Pinophyta (), also known as Coniferophyta () or Coniferae. The division contains a single extant class, Pinopsida. All e ...
. The island had a fortress of the
Finnish Defence Forces The Finnish Defence Forces (FDF) (; ) are the military of Finland. The Finnish Defence Forces consist of the Finnish Army, the Finnish Navy, and the Finnish Air Force. In wartime, the Finnish Border Guard becomes part of the Finnish Defence For ...
until January 2012, when the training of
conscript Conscription, also known as the draft in the United States and Israel, is the practice in which the compulsory enlistment in a national service, mainly a military service, is enforced by law. Conscription dates back to antiquity and it contin ...
s on the island ceased and the island remained a training ground and a guard fortress. The island is located 3.8
kilometre The kilometre (SI symbol: km; or ), spelt kilometer in American English, American and Philippine English, is a unit of length in the International System of Units (SI), equal to one thousand metres (kilo- being the SI prefix for ). It is the ...
s to the south of
Santahamina Santahamina () is an island and neighbourhood of Eastern Helsinki, Finland. At present it is a military base housing the Guard Jaeger Regiment, making access restricted. The Finnish National Defence University (NDU) is also located on the islan ...
. It is two kilometres long and one kilometre wide at its widest.Otavan Iso tietosanakirja, Otava 1968, vol. 2 p. 1375 The ferry ride from the
Helsinki Market Square The Market Square (Finnish: ''Kauppatori'', Swedish: ''Salutorget'') is a central square in Helsinki, Finland. It is located in central Helsinki, at the eastern end of Esplanadi and bordering the Baltic Sea to the south and Katajanokka to the east ...
takes little over half an hour.


Naval fortress

The island houses a
130 53 TK 130 53 TK or 130 TK ("130 mm rifled, 53 length caliber, turret gun") is a Finnish fixed, heavy artillery piece, manufactured by Tampella. The caliber is 130 mm. The 130 53 TK is the main weapon of the Finnish coastal artillery. The maximum ...
Coastal artillery Coastal artillery is the branch of the armed forces concerned with operating anti-ship artillery or fixed gun batteries in coastal fortifications. From the Middle Ages until World War II, coastal artillery and naval artillery in the form of ...
battery, a
maritime surveillance Maritime patrol or maritime reconnaissance is the task of monitoring areas of water. Generally conducted by military and law enforcement agencies, maritime patrol is usually aimed at identifying human activities. Maritime patrol refers to active ...
station and a
corrosion Corrosion is a natural process that converts a refined metal into a more chemically stable oxide. It is the gradual deterioration of materials (usually a metal) by chemical or electrochemical reaction with their environment. Corrosion engine ...
laboratory A laboratory (; ; colloquially lab) is a facility that provides controlled conditions in which scientific or technological research, experiments, and measurement may be performed. Laboratories are found in a variety of settings such as schools ...
of the
Aalto University Aalto University (; ) is a public university, public research university located in Espoo, Finland. It was established in 2010 as a merger of three major Finnish universities: the Helsinki University of Technology, the Helsinki School of Economic ...
. The fortification works on Isosaari were begun in 1913. The batteries with heavy guns were completed in 1915. Since then the island fortress played a significant role in the evolution of coastal artillery in Finland and in the defense of capital of the nation. When the training of conscripts ended in Isosaari, it was transferred to the
Upinniemi Upinniemi () is a village in the municipality of Kirkkonummi in southern Finland. It is located approximately 12 km south of the municipal centre. Upinniemi is dominated by the Finnish naval base, which is one of the largest military instal ...
garrison. During the independence of Finland, the Isosaari fortress was a unit under the Suomenlinna Coastal Regiment, responsible for the training of conscripts and all other functions on the island.


Training of conscripts

A total of ca. 300 conscripts were trained on the island every year. As of 2012, this training ended, but various special courses are still held on the island. On these courses, firing position men, marines, maritime surveillance men, fortress launchers and
military police Military police (MP) are law enforcement agencies connected with, or part of, the military of a state. Not to be confused with civilian police, who are legally part of the civilian populace. In wartime operations, the military police may supp ...
were trained. In addition to these, firing position NCOs were trained, as well as logistics men, scribes, headquarter couriers and gunsmiths. The fortress was responsible for its own standby troops, and due to the small number of conscripts, they had fewer weekend leaves than other conscripts in the country, and during the evenings they were not allowed to travel to the mainland. The standby functions included guard duty, maritime surveillance, and the ability to fire warning shots from one of the 130 mm cannons on the island. In addition to this, the men of the fortress were responsible for guard duty at the
Naval Academy A naval academy provides education for prospective naval officers. List of naval academies See also

* Military academy {{Authority control Naval academies, Naval lists ...
on the island of Pikku-Musta in
Suomenlinna Suomenlinna (), or Sveaborg (), is a sea fortress composed of eight islands, of which six have been fortified. Located about 4 km southeast of the city center of Helsinki, the capital of Finland, Suomenlinna is a popular destination for bot ...
. The military police of the fortress was responsible for many standby tasks. Marine surveillance based on sensory perception has been discontinued, just as it has on other fortresses in Finland. The
Finnish Defence Forces The Finnish Defence Forces (FDF) (; ) are the military of Finland. The Finnish Defence Forces consist of the Finnish Army, the Finnish Navy, and the Finnish Air Force. In wartime, the Finnish Border Guard becomes part of the Finnish Defence For ...
are responsible for the guarding of the island as well as its logistics and transportation to and from the island. In the old days, boats came to the island from
Santahamina Santahamina () is an island and neighbourhood of Eastern Helsinki, Finland. At present it is a military base housing the Guard Jaeger Regiment, making access restricted. The Finnish National Defence University (NDU) is also located on the islan ...
three times a day.


The weather and maritime surveillance station

During 1984–2008 the Defence Forces operated a weather station on the island, making observations on behalf of the
Finnish Meteorological Institute The Finnish Meteorological Institute (FMI; ; ) is the government agency responsible for gathering and reporting weather data and forecasts in Finland. It is a part of the Ministry of Transport and Communications but it operates semi-autonomousl ...
. The weather observations were made by conscripts, who had been trained in the Artillery Brigade in Niinisalo. Every three hours they sent a
SYNOP SYNOP (surface synoptic observations) is a numerical code (called FM-12 by WMO) used for reporting weather observations made by staffed and automated weather stations. SYNOP reports are typically sent every six hours by Deutscher Wetterdienst on ...
telegram, which included information on the temperature, the relative humidity, wind speed and direction, quality of clouds and their lower limit and total number, as well as the barometer reading, visibility and meteorological phenomena. On its 24th anniversary, on 1 October 2008, the Isosaari weather station ceased it operations. Before 1984, the weather station was located on Katajaluoto. There are still automated weather stations on the sea outside Helsinki, e. g. in the
Harmaja Lighthouse Harmaja () is an island and a lighthouse outside Helsinki, south of the Suomenlinna sea fortress. The island has been functioning as a landmark since the 16th century. A landmark structure was built on the island in the 18th century and a light h ...
. The coastal surveillance station at the southern tip of the island is known as "Rikama", in honour of Colonel Johan Rikama. Actually, Rikama did not have anything to do with the coastal surveillance station, but he was actively involved in the development of the country's coastal defense and especially of the fire control of the coastal artillery. His ashes were scattered to the south of Isosaari, and a stone was erected on its southern shore in his memory. Memorial plaques for him and Lieutenant General Eino Järvinen can be found on the stone. Järvinen died while participating in the inauguration ceremony of the stone.


The grave of George Quinnell

The grave of the
English English usually refers to: * English language * English people English may also refer to: Culture, language and peoples * ''English'', an adjective for something of, from, or related to England * ''English'', an Amish ter ...
Able seaman An able seaman (AB) is a seaman and member of the deck department of a merchant ship with more than two years' experience at sea and considered "well acquainted with his duty". An AB may work as a watchstander, a day worker, or a combination ...
George Quinnell is located on Isosaari. He participated in 1855 in what is in Finland known as the
Åland War The Åland War was the operations of an Anglo-French naval force against military and civilian facilities on the coast of the Grand Duchy of Finland in 1854–1856, during the Crimean War between Russia and the allied France and Britain. The war ...
, the British and French naval campaign on the shores of Finland in connection with the
Crimean War The Crimean War was fought between the Russian Empire and an alliance of the Ottoman Empire, the Second French Empire, the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland, and the Kingdom of Sardinia (1720–1861), Kingdom of Sardinia-Piedmont fro ...
, as part of the crew of '' HMS Amphion (1846)''. The ''Amphion'' was trying to sound the Viipuri Channel, but encountered fire from both
Santahamina Santahamina () is an island and neighbourhood of Eastern Helsinki, Finland. At present it is a military base housing the Guard Jaeger Regiment, making access restricted. The Finnish National Defence University (NDU) is also located on the islan ...
and Samu Matosaari in
Laajasalo Laajasalo () is a group of islands that forms a Southeast Helsinki's neighbourhood in southern Helsinki, the capital of Finland. As of 2018, it had a population of 18,876. It is Helsinki Helsinki () is the Capital city, capital and most popu ...
, as well as from five gun boats. One cannonball from Santahamina hit Quinnell in the head, and took it to the sea. The corpse was identified from the
insignia An insignia () is a sign or mark distinguishing a group, grade, rank, or function. It can be a symbol of personal power or that of an official group or governing body. An insignia, which is typically made of metal or fabric, is a standalone sy ...
. He was one of the few British casualties in the operation in the Helsinki waters. The body was buried in Isosaari, as the dead could not be transported home without serious health hazards. Quinnell was 35 when he died. A wooden cross was placed on the grave, with the text: "Sacred to the memory of George Quinnell. I. H. S." Towards the end of the century, a British wife of a Finnish merchant erected a permanent stone on the grave, on to which the text was copied. Representatives of the
Royal Navy The Royal Navy (RN) is the naval warfare force of the United Kingdom. It is a component of His Majesty's Naval Service, and its officers hold their commissions from the King of the United Kingdom, King. Although warships were used by Kingdom ...
and the British ambassador to Finland with his spouse have placed a
wreath A wreath () is an assortment of flowers, leaves, fruits, twigs, or various materials that is constructed to form a ring shape. In English-speaking countries, wreaths are used typically as household ornaments, most commonly as an Advent and C ...
on the grave on the occasions of the 100th and 150th anniversaries of the battle. Tradition says that Quinnell's widow haunts the grave, which has now become a site of interest for tourists.


Prison camp

In 1918, the Isosaari Prison Camp was operated on the island, to which members of the
Red Guards The Red Guards () were a mass, student-led, paramilitary social movement mobilized by Chairman Mao Zedong in 1966 until their abolition in 1968, during the first phase of the Cultural Revolution, which he had instituted.Teiwes According to a ...
and
Russia Russia, or the Russian Federation, is a country spanning Eastern Europe and North Asia. It is the list of countries and dependencies by area, largest country in the world, and extends across Time in Russia, eleven time zones, sharing Borders ...
n soldiers were placed. It was a place where the Whites placed especially prisoners who were considered to be "politically dangerous". More than 300 prisoners died on the island. Most of the dead were buried in Santahamina, with only a fraction buried in Isosaari. A black stone was erected in 1955 in the memory of those who died on the camp. It is located on the grounds of the former prisoner camp, on the likely site of the mass grave.


Tourism

In 2017,
Senate Properties Senate Properties (in , in ) is a Finland, Finnish unincorporated entity, unincorporated state-owned enterprise, which property management, manages a major part of the real estate assets owned by the Republic of Finland. History Senate Propert ...
(Finland) rented out the island and its buildings to Suomen Saaristokuljetus so that year-round tourism could be developed on the island. The island was opened to the public in June 2017. It is expected to become a popular destination for visitors and tourists, especially during the summer. The island has two restaurants, two beaches for swimming, a shooting range, a barracks building, three saunas next to the shore and a number of quarters for the staff. The island also houses a 9-hole "golf course", where the public can play golf. Cruises for golfing are arranged on Mondays. As of 2017, only one person resided regularly on the island. He was born on the island in 1949.https://yle.fi/a/3-9463243


References

{{reflist


External links


Isosaari home pages
Military installations of Finland Finnish Navy Gulf of Finland Neighbourhoods of Helsinki Islands of Helsinki