Vyborg Castle
Swedish medieval fortress on the Karelian Isthmus, now a regional museum.
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Where it is
Coordinates: 60°42′58″N 28°43′44″E (60.7160, 28.7290) · Open in OpenStreetMap
Coordinates and connected clubs: the infobox of Wikipedia: Vyborg Castle (CC BY-SA 4.0). Map: drawn by Codexery from OpenStreetMap tiles.
Vyborg Castle, located in Vyborg, Russia, is a fortress built by the Swedes in the Middle Ages, and the town of Vyborg grew up around it. It served as the Swedish realm’s stronghold in the Karelian region and, for centuries, was the kingdom’s first line of defense against the Russians. In the late Middle Ages, its military and strategic importance was surpassed only by the fortified capital of Stockholm. Today, the castle houses the Vyborg Regional Museum.
Lore & Background
Vyborg Castle was one of the three major castles of Finland, the three being the castles of Turku and Hämeenlinna, and Vyborg. It was built as the easternmost outpost of the medieval Kingdom of Sweden.
It was originally constructed in the 1290s on the site of a Karelian fortress after the Third Swedish Crusade to Finland. The town was originally located inside the outer fortifications of the castle, at the fortress island, but had to be moved to its present location off of the island because of lack of space. In the 17th century, the castle was allowed to decay, as Russian danger was lessened and the border was further eastwards.
Reader's Guide
The main castle, located in the eastern part of the islet on its highest hill, has an irregular four-cornered layout, with the immense tower of St. Olav as its biggest section. It is 3–4 storeys tall, varying in places. Outer defensive works surround the main castle, following the islet's coastlines.
Did You Know?
- Excavations in the 1980s indicated that a Karelian fortress pre-dated the castle built by the Swedes in 1293.
- The first mention of firearms in Finland relates to Vyborg Castle in 1429.
- During the Middle Ages the Russians repeatedly besieged the castle, most famously in 1495 during the Russo-Swedish War (1495–97).
- The castle owes its present appearance to extensive restorations undertaken in the 1890s.
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Sources
Compiled from Wikipedia and the sources listed below. Text from Wikipedia is available under CC BY-SA 4.0; this entry is adapted from it.
- Wikipedia: Vyborg Castle (CC BY-SA 4.0).
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