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Open house at the Government Palace and House of the Estates on Sunday 25 September

Government Communications Department
Publication date 9.9.2022 10.20
Press release
Government Palace and House of the Estates

Members of the public will have a rare opportunity to explore the Government Palace and House of the Estates at an open house event for the palace’s 200th anniversary on Sunday 25 September. The Government Palace and House of the Estates will open their doors to the public on 25 September at 9.00.

The Government Palace was originally built for the administration of the autonomous Grand Duchy of Finland. Its main building was taken into use on 27 September 1822. Since then, the governing body of Finland has occupied the same premises almost without interruption. Its facade and most valuable premises – the Presidential Room, the Government Session Hall and the main staircase – are largely preserved in their original form.

At the open house, members of the public will be able to explore these historical premises designed by architect Carl Ludwig Engel. This will be the last opportunity to visit the palace for a while, as the building will undergo an extensive renovation starting in the next few years. The renovation project aims to preserve the building’s 200-year history and ensure that it can continue to be used for its original purpose.

The House of the Estates, designed by architect Karl Gustaf Nyström, has become known to the public in recent years as a venue for numerous government negotiations. The House of the Estates was built in 1888–1890 in the Neo-Renaissance style. One of its most special treasures is the magnificent staircase, where natural light shines through coloured windowpanes.

Visitors can also delve deeper into the history of the 200-year-old Government Palace at a series of mini-lectures on Friday 23 and Saturday 24 September. Lectures will be held at the House of the Estates on Friday and at the National Archives on Saturday. Expert guides will shed light on the history of the Government Palace, the people who worked there, and the building’s art and architecture.

The lectures will also be streamed online. Participants are asked to register in advance for the lectures at the House of the Estates.

Programme and registration to the lectures at the House of the Estates (in Finnish)

Inquiries: Tiina-Kaisa Laakso-Liukkonen, Chief Specialist, Prime Minister’s Office, tel. +358 29 516 0220