The Finnish capital’s city-within-a-city has a church, a hockey rink, and stockpiles of life-saving supplies
Nearly 200 miles of tunnels snake beneath Helsinki, providing a weatherproof subterranean playground for the Finnish capital’s residents and visitors. Yet hidden behind the bright lights of the underground attractions—which include a museum, church, go-kart track, hockey rink, and more—are emergency shelters fitted with life-sustaining equipment: an air filtration system, an estimated two-week supply of food and water, and cots and other comforts. The shelters reflect a chilling geopolitical reality for a small country that shares an 833-mile border with Russia, its longtime nemesis.
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Below the bustling streets of Helsinki, Temppeliaukio Church is one of several subterranean sites that attract locals and tourists alike.
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At the Underground Formula Center beneath eastern Helsinki’s Myllypuro neighborhood, go-kart enthusiasts race around a course
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Russian troops march through Viipuri, Finland (now Vyborg, Russia) in 1939.
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The Itäkeskus swimming hall doubles as an emergency shelter beneath Helsinki.
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https://www.atlasobscura.com/article...rgency-shelter