Helsinki (Helsingfors) in the mirror of imperial St. Petersburg

Abstract

This essay discusses three aspects related to the likeness between Helsinki and St Petersburg. Firstly, the centre of early 19th-century Helsinki became to look like miniature St Petersburg because its architect C.L. Engel admired the neoclassical architecture in St Petersburg. Secondly, Helsinki (Helsingfors in Swedish) suited the role Bely gave it in ‘Petersburg’ novel (1916) as it had the name familiar to his readers, and in 1905 the name was more modern that St. Petersburg. Thirdly, Cold War films with Helsinki as Petrograd/Leningrad and Moscow show that the line between the factual and fictional may get lost.

Keywords

• carl engel
• yakov grot
• faddei bulgarin
• elizabeth rigby
• xavier marmier
• louis léouzon le duc
• andrei bely
• the empire style
• well-planned cities