Suomen kansalaismuseo

Eliel Saarinen’s Helsinki Central Railway Station has been a symbol of Finnish urban culture for over a century. Internationally recognised as a design classic, the station has served both as a gateway to the world and as part of Finland’s collective self-image. 

Now, the Finnish Civic Museum, located in the station’s western wing, opens a new chapter in this story. The exhibition space makes culture as accessible as public transport: it brings Finnish art and design into the everyday paths of people moving through the station. 

Welcome to a new platform for Finnish art — one that moves with the rhythm of the city and belongs to all of us. 

Free entry daily at 06:00–24:00 

The first-floor exhibition space is fully accessible. 
 

Windows and Carpets presents paintings by Uliana Novak in which classical masterpieces are reimagined through the lens of contemporary experience. Born in Russia and based in Finland since 2010, the self-taught artist brings together the two countries that shape her work: Russia and Finland.

Novak uses familiar images from the past to speak about present-day fears, uncertainty, memory, and human vulnerability. Alongside these themes, her works also carry a sense of humour and playfulness.

The western wing of Helsinki Central Railway Station is opening in a way that reveals its true scale and potential for new business. Its monumental, historically charged interiors offer a rare combination of architectural value, national visibility and a daily audience of thousands who pass by. 

The Civic Museum demonstrates what the western wing can become through culture — and what it can enable for an operator ready to bring a bold vision into the next century of the station’s life. 

Explore the spaces, get in touch, and secure your place in Finland’s most iconic and most frequented building >>