Mikkelin maaseurakunnan kirkko ja hautausmaat

English translation (from the Finnish)

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Description

Mikkeli Parish Church is a striking interpretation by the Intendentinkonttori of the East Finnish double-cross church as built by vernacular builders.

The church stands on a broad mound rising from its surroundings, to the west of the Mikkeli grid plan area. The original approach road is still discernible in the landscape. Built in the 1810s, the church is the first double-cross church designed by the Intendentinkonttori that imitates academic architecture. The roofs are shallow, and above the crossing rises a low lantern with windows. The Empire-style exterior cladding has emphasised corners.

To the north of the church stands an octagonal bell tower of the East Finnish type, built in 1815 under the direction of Matti Salonen.

In the churchyard, southeast of the church, is a war heroes' grave area. The bronze hero statue Velvollisuus dates from 1959 (Kalervo Kallio).

Northwest of the church is the cemetery, which is still in use. To the southwest, the stone parish storehouse dating from 1848 was converted in 1959-1960 into the Suur-Savon museo. There is also a former pitäjäntupa on Kirkonmäki, which served as the municipal hall until 1912. East of the church is an old cemetery established in 1817, enclosed by a stone fence. In the park-like area of tall spruces, which also continues on the south side of Otavankatu (established 1869), several grave monuments have survived.

History

The previous church building of Mikkeli rural parish was the church of Savilahti parish, built in the 1750s under the direction of church builder August Sorsa. The church, which stood in the present-day Kirkkopuisto area of Mikkeli, was destroyed by a fire started by lightning in 1806.

The plan drawn up by Charles Bassi at the Intendentinkonttori, based on a proposal by church builder Matti Salonen, is dated 1811. The church was built under the direction of Matti Salonen in 1816-1817. The interior walls and vault of the church received the present board cladding, and the building components and windows referring to the Neo-Renaissance were enlarged to their present size in 1870. The repair was designed by architect Constantin Kiseleff. The organ gallery and organ façade were designed by architect Georg Wilenius. In 1928 the church was renovated under the direction of architect Rafael Blomstedt. The present appearance of the church dates from the restoration carried out in 1982 (architectural office Laiho, Pulkkinen, Raunio), and its starting point was the restoration and emphasis of the church's Neo-Renaissance appearance.