Frequently asked questions about the Castle

Why was the castle built in the middle of the river?

The site where the castle was built was the crossing point for old water and road routes. The river formed a ready obstacle, a kind of moat to protect the castle. The river also made it easy to transport the materials to build the castle.

 

Who built the castle?

In the 1600s, Finland was part of the Kingdom of Sweden. The order to build the castle was issued by King Charles IX of Sweden. The foremen for the work came from Sweden, as did the masons of old. The castle garrison and local peasants joined in the work. The peasants were duty bound to join in the work for six days a year.

 

What was the castle like before it became a ruin?

There is no exact information about how the castle looked at any stage of its history. The walls were much higher than they are now, and there was some kind of a roof. There was a tower above the north gateway. Later, embankments were built to the upper section of the castle.

 

Why did the castle become a ruin?

There was only ever one battle for the castle, and that was during the Great Northern War (1700-1721). The Russians had placed the castle under siege for five weeks and they eventually captured it. Finally, they blew up the castle so that it could no longer be used. Exploding the gunpowder barrels set the wooden structures in the castle on fire, which resulted in the upper sections of the walls and embankments collapsing.

 

Why does a road bridge pass over the ruins?

When it was still in use, it was possible to pass through the castle and go over wooden bridges to the other side of the river. The route remained in use even though the castle had become a ruin. A wooden bridge was built on top of the ruins at the beginning of the 1800s. There were so many travellers, and particularly cars, during the 1930s that the wooden bridge was torn down and replaced with a new concrete bridge.

There have often been calls to remove the road bridge from over the ruins, but it is not easy to find an alternative route because the banks of the Kajaaninjoki river have long constituted a valuable cultural landscape. However, the concrete bridge will soon have to be replaced and perhaps the matter will once more be raised.

 

Is a golden goat hidden in the castle inner courtyard?

The tale of the golden goat goes back to Ior Bock´s (Bock=goat) fabricated stories in the 1970s about his lineage. The tale has gained supporters in different parts of the world, and they have given their permission to dig up the goat from the courtyard in the ruins of Kajaani Castle. But the National Board of Antiquities has refused to take the move because the tale alone is not sufficient grounds. The Board´s excavations in the courtyard have only ever exposed untouched subsoil from beneath the layers dating back to when the castle was in use.