Near but far
Finnish and Estonian church architecture in the Middle Ages
Avainsanat:
Middle Ages, stone churchesAbstrakti
The article focuses on comparisons of medieval stone churches in Finland and Estonia. The starting point is a study tour of 40 Estonian churches undertaken by the author in the spring of 1990. The first section of the article reviews previous studies concerning connections between Finland and Estonia in church architecture. The literature shows that contacts have been stressed since the 1930s. In the second section, the author presents central features of churches: the order of construction, the chancel, the tower and other aspects. On the basis of these features, the author concludes that the medieval stone churches of Finland and Estonia have very few features in common. Similarities are limited to a few constructional details in the churches along the northern shore of the Gulf of Finland and in Finland Proper. Differences cannot be explained by chronological factors . In conclusion, the author suggests certain analogies, including coin finds from churches, and suggests possible reasons for differences.
