The third postcard that I received from Finland shows the same building as the second one, namely Helsinki Cathedral, about that I wrote already. The cathedral was captured from the same angle, but this time the photographer was placed in the Senate Square, so can be seen the colonnade and the pediment of the main entrance (actually the building has a Greek-cross plan and is symmetrical in each of the four cardinal directions). I would add that it was designed by German-born architect Carl Ludvig Engel (as Hilkka also says) as part of the XIXth century reconstruction of Helsinki, destroyed by a fire after the Finland's annexation by the Russian Empire.
On the left can see the statue of Tsar Alexander II (also King of Poland and Grand Duke of Finland), known as Alexander the Liberator for reforms that he adopted in attempt to modernize the feudal Tsarist Empire. The statue was erected în 1894, 13 years after the assassination of Tsar, to commemorate his reforms that increased Finland's autonomy from Russia. The pedestal is surrounded by figures representing the Law (Lex), the Light (Lux), the Work (Labour) and the Peace (Pax).
The stamp belongs to the Mail Boxes set, issued on January 24, 2011, designed by Päivi Vainionpää and illustrating "5 different kind of mailboxes typical for Finns". The five stamps have the same denomination, 2nd class € - Euro.
Sender: Hilkka Sandberg (postcrossing)
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