Sibelius Monument

Jean Sibelius was born in 1865 and was a composer of classical music, his music is often credited with giving Finland a national identity as they struggled for independence from Russia. Sibelius’s image was on the 100 mark note before Finland adopted the euro and his national day is celebrated on his birthday, December 8th.

The Sibelius Monument was inaugurated in 1967 and since then has become one of the most popular tourist destinations in Helsinki. The monument is 8.5 meters high and 10.5 meters wide with 600 metal pipes making up its vast size. The monument also contains a likeness of Sibelius seen on the right.

During the summer the monument is crowded with tourists posing next to the metal pipes and even putting their heads inside. Another popular photograph is to take one pointed up to the sky through the pipes. On this autumn day the area was empty except for a lone woman sitting on a bench just out of frame to the left.

Sculpture of Helsinki #16

You can find almost 500 outdoor sculptures, pieces of environmental art and historical monuments in Helsinki and they are accessible to everyone. See more and search through the database at HAMhelsinki.fi.