The Russian Fortress of Bomarsund – A Cursed Ruin
The unfinished fortress of Bomarsund, built by Russia between 1832 and 1854, is one of Åland's most evocative historical sites. Local folklore holds that the fortress was cursed from the start — built on ground that was never meant to be fortified. Thousands of laborers, prisoners, and soldiers worked on the project, which was to be the largest construction in Åland's history. But in August 1854, during the Crimean War, an Anglo-French fleet destroyed the fortress in just three and a half days. The defeat led to the demilitarization of Åland (which remains in effect today). Folk tradition spea