We are still in Helsinki, Finland. It was quite an interesting town with a wide variation of architecture, culture, designs, politics, history, and people. Most people speak Finnish and Swedish since Finland was ruled by Sweden for something like 500 to 600 years. Our local guide said 20% of Finnish people own boats. Helsinki has lots of immigrants with the largest numbers from Russia, Estonia, and Somalia. Some 5,000 people are homeless in Helsinki but they house them in winter time. We saw lots of museums, galleries, theaters, and other cultural centers. This post will just me another glimpse of Helsinki but far from a complete picture.

The Church in the Rock was an interesting stop. It was much more popular this trip than our last time in Helsinki. The church is immersed in the mountain, inside a massive block of granite. It was opened in 1969 but had been planned for a very long time. While it sits inside granite rock, sunlight comes in through the skylights. It is also used as a concert hall since it has extraordinary acoustics created by the surface of the rock walls. The interior is copper domed. If nothing else, it is unusual. You can see the entrance in the first photo.

Uspenski Cathedral is on the left side of the second photo. It’s the main cathedral of the Orthodox Church of Finland. It was designed by a Russian architect but was built after his death, from 1862 to 1868. This church sits on a hillside on the peninsula and overlooks the city. It’s also visible from many places in the central part of Helsinki.

I’ve included the Museum of Contemporary Art in the third photo. They were working on the main section of this building, so this is just one end of it. But you can see that it is a very modern structure. It was designed by an American architect, Steven Holl. It was conceived for the display of art produced since the 1960s. This museum demonstrates Finland’s ability to achieve crossovers between the worlds of fine art and high technology. Helsinki has many fine new buildings such as this.

The Finnish National Theater is nearby and is on the other end of the spectrum. It was established in 1872 and the structure in the fourth photo was done in 1902. It is the oldest Finnish speaking professional theater in Finland. The National Theater was a touring company from 1872 until this theater was built in 1902, giving them a permanent home. The theater has expanded over the years to add three additional permanent stages, so it’s a big operation.

The Chapel of Silence, or Kamppi Chapel is in the last photo. I somewhat hate to keep posting churches but they can be very interesting. This chapel is located in Narinkka Square which is a hotbed of activity and shopping. The chapel is a non-denominational church and welcomes everyone irrespective of religion, background, or philosophy of life. And while everyone is welcome, there is NO talking inside the chapel. It is really just a giant oval, wood-slat building and completely open inside. It reminded me of the “cone of silence”, from ‘Get Smart’. But I must say that it was nice to come in from the loud and high activity square and be standing there in complete silence. They also didn’t allow photos inside the chapel.