Snellman Park

About

The Snellman Park (Finnish: Snellmaninpuisto) is the oldest park in the city of Kuopio, Finland, located at the Vahtivuori district in the city center between the Kauppakatu and Minna Canthin katu streets, in the adjacent block of Kuopio Cathedral. The park covers an area of 1.4 hectares. Today, the park and its surroundings are part of the larger Kuopio National City Park, established in late 2017. The park is named after J. V. Snellman (1806–1881), the senator and the Fennoman, who influenced the affairs of the Grand Duchy from Kuopio, among other places.

Prior to the park phase, the first main market in the city, known as Kustaantori ("Gustav Square"), Suurtori ("Grand Square") or Kirkkotori ("Church Square"), was located in the Snellman Park area. From 1842, trees were planted in the area and around the cathedral, initially aspens. In the 1850s, the old market square was moved to the site of the current Kuopio Market Square, and the former market square began to be converted more widely into a park. The park was known as Kirkkopuisto ("Church Park") for its close location to the cathedral. In the middle of the park, a bust of J. V. Snellman sculpted by Johannes Takanen was unveiled...