Senate Square

This neoclassical square was laid out after 1812, when Helsinki became the capital of the Grand Duchy of Finland under Russian rule, and the ensemble was designed by Carl Ludwig Engel. The square is flanked by the cathedral, the Government Palace, the main building of the University, and Sederholm House from 1757, the oldest stone building in the city centre. At its centre stands a statue of Tsar Alexander II, erected in 1894.