Porvoo Cathedral was built in the middle of the 15th century on the site of an old church and was named in honour of Mary, the mother of Jesus Christ.
In 2008, the cathedral was last restored after the arson and re-lit, and services were restored. The temple can accommodate up to 800 people. Wedding ceremonies and christenings are held in it. The interior of the church is made in the form of a tall ship.
It received the status of a cathedral in 1723 after Vyborg was ceded to Russia after the Great Northern War.
For Finland this church has a special significance, because here in March 1809, the Russian Emperor Alexander I announced the accession of Finland to Russia as an autonomous Grand Duchy. From that day Finnish statehood began.
Porvoo Cathedral hosts summer music concerts on Thursdays at 8 p.m., short organ music talks at noon on Tuesdays and Thursdays, and a celebration - "Night of Music" - on 25 August.
