Kokemäki Church was built between 1780-1786 and named after Gustav III, the King of Sweden. It was designed by J. Sytti an C. F. Adercrantz. The original church was expanded to the present cruciform shape in 1886. The altarpiece is painted by S. Tvoroschnikoff and it’s based on Rafael’s (1483-1520) masterpiece with the same name.
On Christmas eve 1882 Kokemäki church was full of people when suddenly all were frightened that the church is on fire. Three people died in panic and several injured.
Towering 52 meters above the sea, Bengtskär lighthouse is the tallest one in Scandinavia. The building started in in 1905 after the shipwreck of S/S Helsingfors and was completed in 1906. The lighthouse was designed by architect Florentin Granholm. On December a special petrol lantern, designed and built in Paris, was brought to Bengtskär and installed atop the tower.
German fleet bombarded Bengstkär in the First World War in 1914. Since the Gulf of Finland was heavily mined, it was not until 1919 that the surrounding seas were declared safe for shipping, that the light was lit again.
After the war the military value of Bengtskär increased as part of the defence system of independent Finland. In Second World War (1941) Soviet Union made a suprise attack to island. After a bloody battle, the small Finnish garrison emerged victorious. Intermittent repairs to the facility continued during the post-war period.