Details
Founded: 13th centuryCategory: Religious sites in Estonia
Historical period: Danish and Livonian Order (Estonia)
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User Reviews
Maige Õunpuu (17 months ago)
Harri Kaert (5 years ago)
The oldest remaining parts of the Jaani (St. John’s) Church were built in the end of 13th century. It was enlarged in 1865 and partially reconstructed couple of years later. The interior is mainly from the 17th century and represents Renaissance and Baroque styles.
In the church graveyard is an old tombstone from the year 1621 with text “Sitta Kodt Matz”. The limestone tomb is oldest remaining in Estonia.
References: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.