The oldest stone building in Helsinki, a reminder of the hundreds of years of association with Sweden, stands right by the Senate Square. Sederholm House was built by merchant and ship-owner Johan Sederholm in 1757. When Finland became the autonomous Grand Duchy of Russia in 1809, the long connection with Sweden was cut. In 1812, Czar Alexander I declared Helsinki the capital of the Grand Duchy. The Czar's intent was to make Helsinki an impressive administrative centre, with the Senate Square being a secular and ecclesiastical hub formed by the Senate, the University  and the Cathedral.

Helsinki City Museum
Bank of Finland Museum