Topic: Alexander III
When Alexander III, the future Emperor of Russia, visited the Langinkoski salmon fishing site for the first time, he was immediately enchanted by the place, and made a pledge to return. He visited Langinkoski as an Emperor for the first time in the summer of 1887, accompanied by his Danish-born wife Marie. In conjunction with this visit, the Emperor and Empress expressed a wish to have a fishing lodge beside the rapids. The Finns soon brought his Majesty’s desire to fruition, and the festive inauguration of the Imperial fishing lodge took place in the summer of 1889.
Emperor Alexander III and Empress Marie Feodorovna
The lodge was designed and built by Finns. The objects in the lodge are original, and almost all of them were made by Finnish craftsmen. The fishing lodge has been restored to the appearance it had when it was used by the Imperial family. The fishing lodge of Alexander III and Empress Marie at the Langinkoski nature reserve is the only building outside Russia which was once owned by the Emperor of Russia and which has been preserved to the present day. Adjacent to the fishing lodge are also a cottage which the Emperor had built for his fishermen, and a small chapel, built by the monks of the Valamo monastery, which existed before the fishing lodge.
The Imperial family visited the fishing lodge during many summers. There, they were allowed to spend relaxed holidays away from the shackles of the stringent court etiquette. At Langinkoski, the Emperor chopped wood and the Empress would cook. Being an avid fisherman, Alexander liked to follow salmon fishing and go fishing himself. He also took his smallest children Mikhail and Olga to pick berries and mushrooms. The entire Langinkoski area reflects history, and the lodge still accommodates an Imperial atmosphere.
© Royal Russia. 10 July, 2012
Updated: Wednesday, 11 July 2012 4:58 PM EDT
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