Bastions of the Suomenlinna fortress

Suomenlinna Fortress (Swedish name Sveaborg) is not just a fortress, but a grand architectural ensemble, the pinnacle of 18th-century military engineering thought and a living witness to the turbulent history of Northern Europe. Its bastions, named after prominent Swedish statesmen, have for centuries guarded the sea approaches to the city like stone giants.

Construction, begun in 1748 under the direction of artillery colonel and talented engineer Augustin Ehrensvärd, became the work of his life and laid the foundations of a defensive system recognized today as a UNESCO World Heritage Site. These fortifications have passed through three eras – Swedish, Russian, and Finnish.

Key Bastions of the Main Islands

The defense system of Suomenlinna is a well-thought-out complex where each bastion played its own strategic role.

Bastion Zander (Kustaanmiekka) 
Location: Kustaanmiekka island. 
Historical role: This bastion held the honorary status of the "flag bastion". Throughout the fortress`s history, it was here, at the most visible spot, that the state flag of the ruling power was raised – first the Swedish, then the Russian imperial, and today the flag of Finland. It symbolized power and control over the entrance to the harbor. 
Features: Its powerful walls, facing the open sea, were designed to mount heavy artillery for repelling attacks from the fairway.

Bastion Lantinghausen (Susisaari) 
Location: Susisaari island, near the ceremonial King`s Gate. 
Historical role: Today, it is this bastion that has inherited the ceremonial function: the state flag of Finland flies permanently next to it. It greets most visitors arriving at the main ferry pier and is one of the most photographed objects. 
Construction: A prime example of a classic bastion system with characteristic sharp angles (bastion), allowing for crossfire.

Great Bastion Palmstierna (Susisaari) 
Location: Central part of Susisaari island. 
Historical role: The largest and most powerful single fortification in the entire fortress. Served as the main artillery redoubt and a key node in the defense of the inner waters. 
Features: Its scale is impressive. The bastion was designed as an independent fortress within a fortress, capable of holding a circular defense for a long time. Dozens of guns could be placed on its ramparts.

Bastions Bielke, Seth, Scheffer, and Höpken (Susisaari) 
Location: Various sections of the coastline of Susisaari island. 
Historical role: Formed a continuous, jagged line of land and sea defense of the main island. Their fire covered all possible directions of attack. 
Context: All of them, like most others, were named after members of the Swedish Council of State, emphasizing the national significance of this grand project.

Bastion Carpelan (Iso Mustasaari) 
Location: Iso Mustasaari island. 
Historical role: Protected the southwestern approaches to the fortress and covered an important shipping passage between the islands. 
Modern times: Today, near this bastion is the main summer terrace of the fortress, where cafes operate in the warm season and cultural events are held, creating a unique contrast between harsh history and modern life.

Specialized Fortifications and Defensive Lines

In addition to the bastions, the system included complex engineering structures, each solving its own tactical task.

Ehrensvärd Crownwork 
Essence: A crownwork is a separate external fortification in the shape of a crown (hence the name), advanced in front of the main fortress enclosure. 
Role in Suomenlinna: This fortification was the first serious obstacle on the way of an enemy storming the fortress from the sea. It took the first blow, exhausting the enemy and preventing them from immediately attacking the main bastions. Named after the founder of the fortress.

Hessenstein Hornwork 
Essence: A hornwork is similar to a bastion but usually smaller and often served to protect weak spots, such as gates or bends in walls. 
Role in Suomenlinna: Played the role of an important node in the system of forward fortifications, covering the flanks and providing an additional line of defense.

Tenailles von Fersen and Tenailles Kyhlenbeck 
Essence: A tenaille is a small field or permanent fortification, usually triangular in shape, located in the dry moat in front of the main rampart. 
Role in Suomenlinna: Their task was to keep the moat and the space in front of the main wall under fire, preventing the attacking enemy from gaining a foothold there and preparing for an assault. They were the "eyes and teeth" of close defense.

Suomenlinna Fortress represents a comprehensive defensive system, the central elements of which are bastions named after Swedish statesmen. Each fortification – Bastion Zander, Great Bastion Palmstierna, Bastion Lantinghausen, and others – performed a strictly defined tactical role in the overall defense scheme of the islands.