RUSSIAN VIAPORI
Officers’ barracks
The Russian garrison area was a miniature society where all social classes were represented. The quarters of higher ranking officers were placed in the more prestigious locations, in accordance with the hierarchy. In Viapori, such a location was the Great Courtyard on the island of Susisaari. Soldiers lived in cramped quarters, and in many cases, the life of officers was not dissimilar to that of the rank and file. By contrast, the families of high-ranking officers lived in fairly comfortable conditions.
The Blue House was built in the Great Courtyard between 1881 and 1882 to provide quarters for officers and to replace Bastion Ekeblad which had been damaged during the Crimean War. This house was drawn by Pjotr Petrovitsh Benard, an engineering officer and Chief of the Engineering Administration of the fortress, who had also drawn the plans for the Helsinki Alexander Theatre. For assistance in design, Benard used standard drawings for barracks buildings produced by the Nikolay Academy, work on which had been initiated after the Crimean War. The name “Blue House” derives from the fact that the house was initially painted light blue and, later, in a darker blue shade. Today, the house is painted yellow.
Communal kitchen behind an impressive exterior
Traditionally, the Russian officer corps was recruited from the upper classes, but, over the course of the 19th century, the officer career had become more middle class in nature and had lost some its former appeal. Officers used to having an upper class lifestyle in garrisons had now to content themselves with a more modest life in Viapori. Only the highest ranking officers had apartments of their own. In most cases, officers had to share their kitchen with several other officer families, as was the case with the Blue House.
The quarters had no sewer and no running water. Water was transported to the staircase and poured into tubes, with hot water being available after it had been heated in cauldrons. People visited the outhouse and used the pot at night. It was not until 1990 that radiators, water pipes and sewers were installed in the Blue House.
In the 19th century, the facade of the officer quarters distinguished them from other barracks. Such buildings represented the Neo-Renaissance style and rendered surfaces, in resemblance with those of the wealthy bourgeoisie.
High-ranking officers and the officials of the Engineering Administration in particular had their families in Viapori. Leisure comprised pleasurable social life and parties, while military servants carried out all the menial work and maids took care of household chores. The wives of officers and merchants participated in charity events, such as helping poor children via the Viapori Chapter of the Russian Charity Association. The life of young women of the higher estates included private teaching in languages and the piano, walks, parties and balls. Participating in household chores provided mostly just exciting variation for them.
Officer’s barracks. Phote credits: SLHK
Vaasa Barracks was completed in 1853. Photo credits: SLHK
Text: Netta Böök and Maija-Liisa Tuomi
The Russian Viapori online exhibition
is part of the jubilee programme for
Finland’s 100 years of independence.
