Olafsborg Fortress (Olavinlinna) in Finland
Rating: 8,0/10 (765 votes)  Olafsborg Fortress is the first Swedish fortress built with the expectation of protection from firearms. The fortress is located in the municipality of Savonlinn on an island covered with rocks between lakes Pihlajavesi and Haapavesi, connected to the bay of Lake Saimaa. A settlement was gradually formed around the castle, which became the city of Nyuslott in 1639.
The Olafsborg fortress was founded in 1475 by the order of Eric Tott in case of a war with the Grand Duchy of Moscow, which had just annexed the Novgorod lands. The castle was built on a lake surrounded by an intricate network of channels and bodies of water. This was supposed to complicate siege measures. Initially, the fortress received the Swedish name Nyuslott.
By the 16th century, the castle garrison had grown and amounted to about 200 people. This made it a formidable outpost of Swedish rule in the east. The castle withstood the siege of Russian troops during the wars of 1495-1497 and 1554-1557. After the departure of Sweden from the Kalmar Union, the fortress remained for the Swedes. Gradually, a settlement was formed around the castle, called Savonlinna. Trade was actively developing here. In 1639 the settlement became a city.
During the Northern War, the Olafsborg fortress became the main obstacle on the way of the Russian troops. However, in 1714 the castle's garrison surrendered to the Russian troops. In 1721, under the terms of the Nystadt peace treaty, the fortress was given to Sweden. During the next Russian-Swedish war, Russian troops again attacked Olafsborg. The castle surrendered two days later. In 1743, the Abo peace treaty was concluded, according to which the fortress was given to Russia.
Today Olafsborg Fortress is one of the largest tourist centers in Finland as the northernmost stone castle of the Middle Ages. There are museums in the fortress, expositions of which tell about the history of the castle and Orthodox icon painting. Since 1912, the Savonlinna Opera Festival, which is very popular today, has been held in the fortress.
     We also recommend reading Tank Museum in Finland Topic: Olafsborg Fortress (Olavinlinna) in Finland. |
