Czar Alexander II
This statue depicts the Czar of Russia,…read moreAlexander II. In case you're not counting, he was the kind, benevolent czar that everybody loved. He was czar over Finland too, since that was once part of Russia.
This statue is huge- it sits in the middle of Senate Square, a large plaza with the church on one end, and the governmental offices on the other. At the base of the statue, it depicts the different studies and things that the Czar believed in, like law and agriculture.
This statue features a QR code that you can scan with your smart phone, and learn a bit more about it. However, when I tried, it wasn't functioning properly on the website.
The statue is quite old, commemorated in 1894, built by Walter Runeberg. Finland still has longstanding ties with Russia, since St. Petersburg is just up the bay from Helsinki. I'm thankful that they're friendly! The statue is a symbol of quiet resistance against any Russians trying to take over Finland, and says more about their history than I'll ever know.
It's a nice piece of public art, prominently placed in one of the most important squares in the city. Check it!