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Kajaani Castle
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Kajaani Castle
The Kajaani Castle (Finnish: Kajaanin linna, Swedish: Kajaneborg, Kajaneborgs slott, older spelling Cajanaborg) is a ruined fortress built of granite in Kajaani. The castle was built in the early 17th century on an islet in the Kajaani River, between the Ämmäkoski and Koivukoski rapids in Kainuu, present-day Finland. It was the last medieval-style stone castle constructed in Sweden.
The castle was built at a strategically valuable site to protect the region of Kainuu which had been ceded to Sweden in the Treaty of Teusina in 1595. Construction was started by king Charles IX of Sweden in 1604. Construction progressed slowly, and king Gustav II Adolf ordered its interruption in 1619. The incomplete castle was first used as a prison.
The castle experienced its peak during the tenure of Count Per Brahe the Younger from 1650s to 1670s. The town of Kajaani was founded in 1651 next to the castle, and plans were made to transform the castle into a noble residence. However, in 1681, the fief was abolished during the Great Reduction, and the castle reverted to serving as a simple administrative center for Sweden's northernmost territories. During the Great Northern War, Russian forces besieged the castle and destroyed it with explosives in 1716. Today, only its roofless ruins remain.
The castle's military significance was lost in 1809 when Finland became part of the Russian Empire. However, the island of Linnasaari and the bridge over it remained as an important crossing point of the Kajaani River. Archeological interest in the castle awoke in the 1930s when old objects were discovered during the construction of the new bridge made of steel-reinforced concrete. After this the castle was restored many times, and during the 1930s the brick patches installed during its earlier restoration in the 1890s were replaced with granite.
Construction of the Kajaani castle was started by Clemens Eriksson by order from king Charles IX of Sweden in 1604. The foundation was started in 1604 at a natural nodal point of various passageways, and actual construction was started in 1605. The small islet that was chosen for the foundation proved to be far too small to support a castle, so it was enlarged by piling and embankment. The original walls of the castle rose up directly from the rapids.
In the early 17th century, King Charles IX founded both the city of Oulu and the Kajaani Castle in northern Finland. He wanted to strengthen the position of power of Sweden in the Kainuu region which had been ceded to Sweden at the Treaty of Teusina in 1595. In addition, the castle would protect both existing and new inhabitants of Kainuu from Russian raids. Upon completion, the Kajaani Castle became the northernmost stone castle in Europe. There was discussion in the late 20th century about whether there had previously been any castle or other building at the site before the 17th century. An argument towards the view that there had been previous buildings was that the location was strategically important. There has been no evidence of prior buildings, and so the researcher Heikki Rytkölä from the Museum of Kainuu thinks of the view that there had been prior buildings as too daring.
The castle was constructed on an island on the rapids of the Kajaani River to the east of lake Oulujärvi. In 1606 the king gave an order to admiral Isak Behm that the castle should be surrounded by a wall. A The castle had to be able to defend itself against any possible siege, and because of that king Charles IX appointed the master builder Isak Rasmusson and two journeymen to oversee its construction. Construction progressed slowly as there was a shortage of labour and material at the site. To lessen the shortage of labour the king ordered the peasants living in the area to help with the construction on six work days per year.
In 1610, King Charles IX ordered Isak Behm to be detained because he had refused to obey the king's order to attack and occupy the Russian border outpost Soma. Erich Persson Hare replaced him as the castle's commander, and construction of the castle was slowed down again. After five years of work Rasmusson resigned from his post as the master builder "because of blindness" and returned to Sweden in 1615. In reality, Rasmusson had been almost completely blind for several years, and his journeyman Lars Thomasson had been in charge of the construction since 1613. Because of this, the construction took a long time.
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Kajaani Castle
The Kajaani Castle (Finnish: Kajaanin linna, Swedish: Kajaneborg, Kajaneborgs slott, older spelling Cajanaborg) is a ruined fortress built of granite in Kajaani. The castle was built in the early 17th century on an islet in the Kajaani River, between the Ämmäkoski and Koivukoski rapids in Kainuu, present-day Finland. It was the last medieval-style stone castle constructed in Sweden.
The castle was built at a strategically valuable site to protect the region of Kainuu which had been ceded to Sweden in the Treaty of Teusina in 1595. Construction was started by king Charles IX of Sweden in 1604. Construction progressed slowly, and king Gustav II Adolf ordered its interruption in 1619. The incomplete castle was first used as a prison.
The castle experienced its peak during the tenure of Count Per Brahe the Younger from 1650s to 1670s. The town of Kajaani was founded in 1651 next to the castle, and plans were made to transform the castle into a noble residence. However, in 1681, the fief was abolished during the Great Reduction, and the castle reverted to serving as a simple administrative center for Sweden's northernmost territories. During the Great Northern War, Russian forces besieged the castle and destroyed it with explosives in 1716. Today, only its roofless ruins remain.
The castle's military significance was lost in 1809 when Finland became part of the Russian Empire. However, the island of Linnasaari and the bridge over it remained as an important crossing point of the Kajaani River. Archeological interest in the castle awoke in the 1930s when old objects were discovered during the construction of the new bridge made of steel-reinforced concrete. After this the castle was restored many times, and during the 1930s the brick patches installed during its earlier restoration in the 1890s were replaced with granite.
Construction of the Kajaani castle was started by Clemens Eriksson by order from king Charles IX of Sweden in 1604. The foundation was started in 1604 at a natural nodal point of various passageways, and actual construction was started in 1605. The small islet that was chosen for the foundation proved to be far too small to support a castle, so it was enlarged by piling and embankment. The original walls of the castle rose up directly from the rapids.
In the early 17th century, King Charles IX founded both the city of Oulu and the Kajaani Castle in northern Finland. He wanted to strengthen the position of power of Sweden in the Kainuu region which had been ceded to Sweden at the Treaty of Teusina in 1595. In addition, the castle would protect both existing and new inhabitants of Kainuu from Russian raids. Upon completion, the Kajaani Castle became the northernmost stone castle in Europe. There was discussion in the late 20th century about whether there had previously been any castle or other building at the site before the 17th century. An argument towards the view that there had been previous buildings was that the location was strategically important. There has been no evidence of prior buildings, and so the researcher Heikki Rytkölä from the Museum of Kainuu thinks of the view that there had been prior buildings as too daring.
The castle was constructed on an island on the rapids of the Kajaani River to the east of lake Oulujärvi. In 1606 the king gave an order to admiral Isak Behm that the castle should be surrounded by a wall. A The castle had to be able to defend itself against any possible siege, and because of that king Charles IX appointed the master builder Isak Rasmusson and two journeymen to oversee its construction. Construction progressed slowly as there was a shortage of labour and material at the site. To lessen the shortage of labour the king ordered the peasants living in the area to help with the construction on six work days per year.
In 1610, King Charles IX ordered Isak Behm to be detained because he had refused to obey the king's order to attack and occupy the Russian border outpost Soma. Erich Persson Hare replaced him as the castle's commander, and construction of the castle was slowed down again. After five years of work Rasmusson resigned from his post as the master builder "because of blindness" and returned to Sweden in 1615. In reality, Rasmusson had been almost completely blind for several years, and his journeyman Lars Thomasson had been in charge of the construction since 1613. Because of this, the construction took a long time.
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