A competition for the design of the “new Evangelical Church in the city of Tampere” was announced on November 7, 1899, with the final date for submission of works set as October 31 of the following year.
Sonka's project under the motto “Eternitas” (aeternitas (lat.) - eternity) received the first prize. A total of 23 projects were submitted, 2nd and 3rd places were taken by projects from the bureaus of Gran, Hedman and Vasasherna.
The winning project was distinguished by its picturesque silhouette and well-thought-out plan - for example, the benches for parishioners are located so that the priest can be seen and heard from any place, two massive columns do not obscure the view of the altar, since diagonal passages radiate from them.
The project was ready by December 1901. It envisaged, in addition to the church, the construction of several other small buildings, in the vicinity of which, in the author’s opinion, the church building should have looked better. The planned ensemble was not realized; only a church with a fence was built.
Construction began in April 1902. On Sonck's recommendation, engineer Heikki Kaartinen from Helsinki was appointed as the construction foreman, and Birger Federlei, who had previously worked with Sonck, was appointed as the construction supervision architect.
The granite was ordered from the Kivilouhimo company from Uusikaupunki. The stone was transported from Messikülle and Kuru on barges, and the largest blocks, weighing 10-15 tons, were transported on horses from Pinsiyo. The granite was processed in different ways: the walls were made of roughly chopped stone, the portals, steps and plinth were made of sawn stone, only some details of the altar were polished, in particular the railings.
In the spring of 1904, roofing work began. The steel frame for the main spire was manufactured by Tampereen Rautateollisuus (Tampere Metal Industry). The height of the main spire is 64 m, the middle one is 43 m, the smaller one is 38 m. Special tiles were ordered in Ylistaro to cover the roof.
Work on the interiors began with the installation of granite columns and laying out a 16x16m vault, the construction of which involved overcoming considerable difficulties.
The interior of the church is decorated with frescoes and paintings. Frescoes and paintings on the theme of the Apocalypse (the church is dedicated to St. John the Evangelist) were made by the artist Hugo Simberg. The author of the altar fresco “Resurrection” and the stained glass window in the altar window is the painter Magnus Enckel.
The woodwork (doors, benches) was carried out by JSC Tampereen Höyuryuppuuseppää, the stone carving was carried out by craftsmen from Estonia Nikolay Andreev and Lambert Kaivanto, the handles and other copper fittings were cast by the blacksmith Taavi Malin.
The organ with 50 stops was made in Lahti by master Albanus Jurva. In 1929, the Kangasala organ workshop added 18 registers. This instrument is considered the best “romantic” organ in Finland.
The architect Joseph Steinbeck bought three copper bells for the belfry in Germany, in the foundry of Franz Schilling.
The author of the church utensils is Eric O.V. Ernström; ornaments carved on wood and engraved on copper - Walter Jung; lamps – Max Freelander; furniture in the sacristy and in the basement meeting room - Lars Sonck.
The temple impresses not only with its architecture, but also with all its decoration. Not only vision, but also hearing is involved in this impression - the building has wonderful acoustics. As Paula Kivinen writes, “In this church, the message of Christ definitely reaches the listener.”
Construction, which lasted five years and three and a half months, was completed in the spring of 1907. The church was consecrated on May 19 of the same year by Bishop Herman Roberg from the diocese of Porvoo.
In 1924, when the diocese of Tampere and the Church of St. St. John's became a cathedral.
The five-year work of the country's best masters embodied the most valuable things that national romanticism absorbed from the past or rediscovered. Cathedral of St. Joanna is not only the pride of Tampere, but also, according to popular opinion, the main monument of this style in Finland.
Material taken from the Internet resource: http://finmodern.narod.ru
Tampere is located in Western Finland between two picturesque lakes – Näsijärvi in the north and Pyhäjärvi in the south. The city is an excellent example of how a large industrial center, through the efforts of architects, designers and ecologists, as if by magic, acquired an attractive appearance and turned into a popular center of tourism and recreation.
Walking along its streets, you will certainly be amazed at the ingenuity of local architects, who have built museum and entertainment complexes, restaurant “conglomerates” and simply places for relaxation in the buildings of former industrial enterprises. The city has a reddish tint because red brick was used to build factories, and even modern buildings are now built from the same material or in the same factory style.
The ancient high-rise dominant feature of the city is. Contrary to tradition, it is located not on the central square (Keskustori), but to the side - on the opposite bank of the Tammerkoski River, in the Jussinkylä area. It is separated from the center no more than 15 minutes leisurely walk. If you don’t know that this is a church, at first you might think that in the middle of the square stands a Gothic castle with stone turrets and spiers covered with red tiles. The cathedral is very picturesque and is a real decoration of the city.
The temple was built in 1902-1907, and it received the status of a cathedral in 1923, when Tampere became the capital of the diocese. His appearance was created architect Lars Sonck, and decorated artists Hugo Simberg and Magnus Enckel. The church was designed in the style of Finnish national romanticism. You should definitely come here to see the famous altar fresco, as well as stained glass windows, which at first caused a real scandal, and have now become recognized masterpieces.
Walks along the edge of the choir fresco by Hugo Simberg, depicting twelve naked boys carrying a garland of roses, representing the hardships of life. Judging by the artist’s notes, he captured Jesus’ disciples in such an unusual way. On both sides, the fresco is bordered by a dark forest thicket, symbolizing the afterlife. No less impressive fresco "Garden of Death", where flowers are tended by skeletons. The image of a gardener who presses an unusual blue flower in a pot to his chest, looking at you with empty eye sockets, remains in your memory for a long time.
Fresco "Garden of Death"
Southern choirs decorate fresco "Wounded Angel". The painting depicts sullen boys carrying an angel with blood stains on his snow-white wings on a stretcher. You can read sadness and remorse on the faces of the porters. For this work the author received a state prize in the field of art. Very beautiful stained glass Simberg, created using the lead glaze method. The plots for them - the dove of the Holy Spirit, the Burning Bush, the Horsemen of the Apocalypse, the Pelican feeding its young with the blood of its heart - are taken from the Bible.
The central place in the temple is occupied by the altar fresco "Resurrection" works by Magnus Enckel. It depicts the classic biblical story of the resurrection of the dead. The unusualness of the picture lies in the original interpretation of the canonical plot - people with a completely modern appearance rise from their graves, and, moreover, representatives of different human races. This caused confusion in the church.
Fresco "Resurrection"
During the service in the cathedral you can hear the sound organ, having 68 registers. The first large instrument for the temple was made in the city of Kangasala. In 1982, a smaller organ was installed, better suited to Baroque music. The church is famous for its excellent acoustics, so not only services are held here, but also concerts. The hall can accommodate up to 2 thousand people.
In August you can see the procedure in the Cathedral confirmation- one of the Christian sacraments. It is performed on a person once in a lifetime, just like baptism. Unlike baptism, which can occur in infancy, confirmation is performed on adolescents aged 13-14 years, since it is believed that this sacrament means the final introduction of a Christian into the church community, and therefore should be carried out at a conscious age. This day is considered a big family holiday - children come to church in white robes, accompanied by their parents. Without going through the confirmation procedure, it will be impossible to get married in a church in the future.
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The Evangelical Church of St. John the Evangelist (Tuomiokirkonkatu, 3A) was built in 1902-1907 according to the design of Lars Sonck.
A competition for the design of a new evangelical church in the industrial city of Tammerfors (Tampere) was announced on November 7, 1899. A total of 23 projects were submitted, among which Lars Sonck's project under the motto "Aeternitas" (Latin - "eternity, immortality") received the first prize. During this period, the architect begins to actively work with untreated granite surfaces, which he uses to decorate his facades. In his project, he crosses medieval Gothic with motifs of Finnish national romanticism. The result was a rather interesting and picturesque exterior of the church. Sonck also pays attention to the thoughtfulness of the construction plan. For example, the benches for parishioners are located so that the priest can be seen from any place. And the supporting columns that support the vault did not obscure the view of the altar.
The project was finally ready by December 1901, and in April 1902, construction of the church began. Lars Sonck himself did not participate in the supervision, and on his recommendation Birger Federley, who was actively working in those years in Tampere, was appointed as the architect for construction supervision.
The stone was transported on barges, and the largest blocks weighing 10-15 tons were transported on horses. All granite had different processing: the walls were made of roughly chopped stone, and the platbands, portals, steps, individual decorative elements and the base were made of sawn granite blocks.
The height of the main spire is 64 meters. The steel frame of the roof and spire is covered with ceramic tiles.
In 1924, a diocese was established in Tampere, and the church received the status of Tampere Cathedral. Now this building has become not only a landmark of the city, but also a prominent representative of Finnish national romanticism.
Cathedral bell tower:
Window decor on the side facade:
Fern leaves in decoration are a favorite theme of Finnish national romanticism.
The side portal of the cathedral is interestingly decorated.
The keystone is decorated with the image of a flying owl.
The doors are decorated quite interestingly.
A later, but stylized lamp hangs next to the portal.
Next to the portal there are decorative inserts with the start and completion date of construction, as well as the name of the architect.
Main portal:
This type of decoration was used by various architects who worked in the style of Northern Art Nouveau.
Door handle:
Portal in the narthex:
Side staircase leading to the choir (on the left is a model of the cathedral):
A surviving chandelier from the same period in the narthex:
Of no less interest are the interiors, for the design of which Finnish symbolist artists Magnus Enckell and Hugo Simberg were invited.
In the altar chapel there is a painting by Magnus Enkel “The Resurrection from the Dead and the Ascension into Heaven”.
Above the canvas is a stained glass window by Hugo Simberg.
The same artist designed the vault, depicting a snake there, which, according to the Bible, personifies sin or the human heart, sinful from birth.
The snake is surrounded by a ring of countless small wings, symbolizing the protection of the angels under which the soul lies. Among church leaders who visited the church shortly before the opening ceremony, this mural raised questions and opposition. After the opening of the cathedral, a special commission was created. According to its conclusion, in May 1907 it was decided to leave the fresco.
The church pulpit is decorated with thorn branches and wings entangled in these branches.
One very interesting effect can be observed in the cathedral: in clear weather, in the rays of the setting sun that pass through the blue stained glass windows, this decor begins to look more voluminous and turns blue. This creates a twilight blue background.
Almost along the entire perimeter of the cathedral there is a fresco “Garland of Life” by Hugo Simberg, depicting 12 boys carrying a garland of roses. The woven roses represent the Garland of Life, and the boys symbolize how each of us carries our own burdens in life. It is believed that the artist saw the twelve apostles – disciples of Jesus – in the boys. On both sides the fresco ends with a mysterious forest, representing a symbol of the underworld.
On the western wall there is a fresco based on one of Hugo Simberg's most famous works, "The Wounded Angel" ("Haavoittunut enkeli"). Gloomy Finnish boys, in whose faces one can read sadness and repentance, carry on a stretcher an angel with a damaged wing, symbolizing heavenly purity. Simberg painted this picture in 1903, recovering from a serious illness. The original painting, for which the artist received a state art prize, is now in the Athenaeum Art Museum in Helsinki. This is what the painting in the museum looks like:
In the cathedral fresco, Simberg added factory chimneys to the background of the landscape, which are still an integral part of the formerly industrial city.
The vaults of the side naves of the cathedral are supported by massive concrete pillars, which are decorated with rather original lamps of the same time with open lamps. Unfortunately, new energy-saving lamps slightly distort the original effect.
The windows are decorated with stained glass.
On the east wall there is a fresco by Hugo Simberg "Garden of Death" ("Kuoleman puutarha"). The artist executed this work in several versions, of which the most famous are the watercolor of 1896 and the fresco in the cathedral in Tampere. Three skeletons in black robes, deliberately flat, are busy sorting human souls depicted as plants in purgatory. Human souls are depicted as plants in need of constant care, and the garden is presented as a place where death can express its feelings. The fresco is deliberately made in a primitive manner. The subject of the fresco goes back to the medieval tradition, and the primitive style should be reminiscent of the works of the Gothic masters.
The organ with 50 registers was made in the city of Lahti by master Albanus Jurva. In 1929, 18 more registers were added. This is one of the best organs in Finland. To the right of the organ is a stained glass window by Hugo Simberg called “A Pelican Feeding its Chick with Its Blood.”
The cathedral regularly hosts organ concerts.