Museums
Military Museum’s Manege
In Suomenlinna, the Military Museum has three main attractions: the Manege of the Military Museum, the Artillery Manege, and the submarine Vesikko. The exhibitions at the Manege and Artillery Manege showcase Finland’s wars during its period of independence, frontline illustrations, and the life of soldiers in Finland and elsewhere. The submarine Vesikko is an authentic and rare memorial from World War II.
Exhibitions
Altered by War
This exhibition features works by the illustrators of the Information Company (TK Company) from the Continuation War. The Continuation War began in the summer of 1941 and ended in the fall of 1944. As the frontlines advanced deep into the lost territories of Karelia, the Information Company illustrators captured the land and its people shaped by battles. The artworks provide a glimpse into the everyday life and moments that were a reality for wartime Finns. The trajectory of people’s own lives and those close to them changed in ways they could not have foreseen just a few years earlier. The Military Museum’s collections include hundreds of Information Company drawings, trench art and artworks describing wartimes. The selection on display represents only a fraction of this unique collection, unmatched by any other Finnish museum.
Military life in Finland and elsewhere
The interactive exhibition ‘Soldier’s Life Here and Elsewhere’ presents topics and themes related to soldiers’ daily lives, based on their own experiences. Visitors can explore what it’s like to be a soldier during both peacetime and war. They can try out aspects of a soldier’s life and contemplate whether they could meet the mental and physical demands placed on soldiers.
Repairing the Irreparable – Empathy with Ukraine (May 8 – September 30, 2024)
Artist Alexander Reichstein has created an installation featuring wounded human figures and destroyed houses assembled from fragments. The artworks represent a desperate and futile attempt to repair what cannot be healed. The installation reminds us how fragile and vulnerable human life is.
Life on a Finnish Submarine
The miniature exhibition depicts the everyday life of men who served on Finnish submarines. Finland’s Submarine Flotilla comprised of five submarines during the Winter and Continuation Wars. The largest, 63.5 metres long Vetehinen – class submarines Vetehinen, Vesihiisi and Iku-Turso were manufactured in Turku in the early 1930s. From 1930 to 1944, a total of 400 men served on Finnish submarines.
Finland at War
The exhibition section located in the Manege of the Military Museum covers four wars during Finland’s period of independence: the Finnish Civil War of 1918, the Winter War of 1939–1940, the Continuation War of 1941–1944, and the Lapland War of 1944–1945.
Tickets
- Free entry for persons under 18 years.
- Adults: 7 €
- Students (18–), pensioners 4 €
- You can visit also Submarine Vesikko with the same entrance ticket.
Admission is free with a Museum Card and with a Helsinki Card.
Accessibility
The front of the entrance is slanting, with small differences in level which are difficult to cross with a wheelchair. The doors are rather large and heavy to open, but the museum staff will be happy to assist you as best they can. The exhibition is on one floor and the exhibition space is equipped with seats where you can sit and rest. The museum has accessible toilet facilities.