Suomenlinna Prison Camp Memorial

The prison camp on Suomenlinna was in operation at the beginning of independence, from 14 April 1918 until 14 March 1919. After the civil war, 10,000 arrested Red Guards and suspected sympathisers were interned here.

Every tenth prisoner died of starvation and disease. Those who perished in the Suomenlinna prison camp were taken to Santahamina to be buried.

The memorial consists of two rocks, one in natural condition and one quarried, and a rectangle cut in stone. The work of art was created by moulding and marking the environment. The years 1918 and 1919 have been cut into the rock, which is constantly worn by flowing water. The name and dates of the prison camp have been written on the slab attached to the work.

The work of environmental art was unveiled on 28 September 2004. The same year, the memorial was chosen as the environmental artwork of the year.

The artist Marja Kanervo describes the memorial thus: “The years cut in the broken bedrock will disappear as slowly as the marks of violence, stretching over generations. In addition to being a physical contact to the silent world of the dead, the rippling water is also a wearing tool, which, like time, shall finally do its task. Until then, the emotions and traumatic memories stirred by the artwork take place in the present.”

How to get there

The memorial is located on Iso Mustasaari island, close to the ferry. The Helsinki City Transport ferry operates to the main pier throughout the year, and from there the memorial is about 100 metres away. The waterbus stops at the Visitor Centre pier during summer. The memorial is about 400 metres from the pier.