St. John's Church, Helsinki

St. John's Church (Finnish: Johanneksenkirkko, Swedish: Johanneskyrkan) in Helsinki, Finland is a Lutheran church designed by the Swedish architect Adolf Melander in the Gothic Revival style. It is the largest stone church in Finland by seating capacity.[1][2][3]

St. John's Church
Nya Kyrkan
Finnish: Johanneksenkirkko
Swedish: Johanneskyrkan
60°09′42.5″N 024°56′41.0″E
LocationHelsinki
CountryFinland
DenominationLutheran
Websitewww.helsinginkirkot.fi/en/churches/st-johns-church
History
Consecrated1891 (1891)
Cult(s) presentChristian Lutheran
Architecture
Architect(s)Adolf Emil Melander
StyleGothic Revival
Groundbreaking1888
Completed1891
Specifications
Capacity2,600
Administration
DioceseHelsinki

Description

Johannes (John) church stands on a hill that for many centuries had been a place for Midsummer bonfires (Midsummer is now also "John's Day", Juhannus in Finnish).[2]

Situated in the Ullanlinna 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 74 metres (243 ft) 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.[1] The altarpiece shows Saul's conversion and the painting, called A Divine Revelation, is by Eero Järnefelt, brother-in-law to Jean Sibelius.[2][3]

In August 2022, a six-month renovation of the church was completed, in which the gargoyles 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.[4]

Organ

The organ was built in 1891 by German company Walcker of Ludwigsburg, with a pneumatic mechanism. At the time it was the largest in the country. In 1921 composer Oskar Merikanto, 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.[2]

In 2018 an English-style shell organ, by Urkurakentamo Veikko Virtanen Oy from Espoo, was installed. It has nine voices and a movable soundboard.[2]

See also

References
  1. "St. John's Church". Helsinki parishes. Archived from the original on August 10, 2014. Retrieved February 22, 2014.
  2. "Johanneksenkirkko". johanneksenkirkko.fi. Retrieved 28 June 2020.
  3. "Johanneksen kirkko ympäristöineen". Valtakunnallisesti merkittävät rakennetut kulttuuriympäristöt RKY. Retrieved 28 June 2020.
  4. "Tältä näyttävät Suomen suurimman kivikirkon uudet pedot – patsaat olivat vaarassa pudota ihmisten päälle Helsingissä". Helsingin Uutiset (in Finnish). 22 August 2022. Retrieved 22 August 2022.
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