Photos

Naval Museum

The calling of gulls and smell of tar add a genuine touch to the many exhibitions at the Forum Marinum maritime centre. Forum Marinum is a National Special Museum specialising in merchant shipping and naval history and also an active Maritime Centre.
It collects, maintains, researches and interprets objects, archive material and traditions relating to Southwestern Finlands merchant shipping and naval history. It mediates historical information through exhibitions, publications and events.

In summer the barque Sigyn and full-rigger Suomen Joutsen as well as the minelayer Keihässalmi, and the corvette Karjala and motor torpedo boat Taisto 3 are also open. Other services include a souvenir and bookstore and Café-Restaurant Daphne.
The highlight of the Café-Restaurant Daphne is the well-travelled ketch Daphne. The boat was formerly owned by author Göran Schildt, who wrote several well-known books about her voyages.
During the day, the restaurant is a museum café and popular lunch restaurant in addition to serving as a banqueting venue hired by companies and leisure groups. Daphne also arranges themed programmes and family celebrations, as well as catering services for the Suomen Joutsen sailing ship.

Suomen Joutsen ('Swan of Finland')- on the picture

The full-rigger Suomen Joutsen was built as a freighter in St. Nazaire in France in 1902.
Finland's government bought the ship to be used as a training ship for the Navy in 1930 and eight long ocean voyages were sailed before the second world war.

Altogether 656 students were trained during these voyages and the total number of crew members of these voyages was 1012 persons.
The ship carried with it a special trade exhibition of the Finnish industry on three of the voyages, and these efforts helped to make Finland better known.
During the winter and continuation wars the Suomen Joutsen was used as a depot ship for submarines and motor torpedo boats. After the wars the ship was used as a tender for minesweepers and it was based in the islands of the Gulf of Finland, near Utö and in the waters of Ahvenanmaa.

During 1949-1955 Suomen Joutsen was used as a training ship but also PR-sailings were made. It also acted as a tender during several naval exercises. Afterwards the ship was stationed to Upinniemi and acted as living quarters and warehouse.

During 1960 - 1988 the Seamans school maintained by the Finnish government operated on the ship. Altogether 3700 men and women studied on the ship during these years. In addition, several short supplementary training courses were arranged for sailors already in service.

The Ministry of Education handed over the ship to the City of Turku in 1991. The City of Turku is committed to maintain and repair the ship in such a way as to allow the ship to be used as a museumship. For this reason noteworthy repair work has been performed already for several years. (Source:forum-marinum.fi & turku.fi)