Government Palace – Helsinki, Finland
On our walking tour through Helsinki, we passed this stately yellow facade of the Government Palace. This building has been at the center of Finnish government for over two centuries.
Designed in the early 1800s, the building was originally constructed when Finland was under Russian rule. It was first used by the Imperial Senate of Finland, making it one of the buildings that has transitioned through empire to independence without ever losing its role.
Today, it houses the Prime Minister’s Office, meaning that decisions shaping Finland today are being made within walls that once served a completely different political power. Here is a place where Finland’s story shifted from being ruled, to ruling itself.
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