The Swedish Theatre is the place where the first theater stage in Finland was built. It is one of the country's most important historical and cultural landmarks.
The current theater was built in 1866 by the Russian architect Nikolai Benois to replace the very first wooden one. Despite several reconstructions, the theater's interior has preserved its original style for a century and a half: tall columns, white balconies with gold decor, and red velvet seats. The auditorium looks royally magnificent and solemn, as befits a proper theater.
The appearance of the building, located at the end of the Esplanade, has changed several times since it was built, and now it has an understated Scandinavian look. The somewhat severe simplicity of the clean light-colored walls is softened by the rounded shape of the facade and the semicircular arches of the theater's windows.
Most residents of Helsinki speak Swedish, so there is nothing surprising about the popularity of the Swedish Theatre among the population of Finland's capital. However, works by Finnish authors also receive plenty of attention. The theater's talented troupe works with both the works of classical authors - both international and local - and the plays of contemporary dramatists.
The Swedish Theatre also stages performances for children. Young audiences and their parents especially love productions based on the famous books by Finnish writer Tove Jansson about the sweet and funny Moomins.
