Standing on Market Square, this red granite obelisk, known in English as the Empress's Stone, is Helsinki's oldest public monument. Designed by Carl Ludvig Engel, it marks Empress Alexandra's first visit to the city in summer 1833 and stands where the imperial couple came ashore from the steamship Ischora. A bronze globe on top carries a double-headed eagle bearing the Finnish coat of arms.
It was unveiled on 18 December 1835. Russian sailors pulled down the top in 1917, and it was put back only in 1971; the rusted cast-iron friezes were recast and reinstalled in 2025. The monument belongs to the city art collection managed by HAM and has step-free access.
