The hidden city beneath Helsinki, built for the nuclear apocalypse: The Finnish city has 500 bunkers where the entire population of 600,000 people can find shelter from the consequences of nuclear war for months
- Over 500 shelters 25m below the capital can accommodate 900,000, a third more than the city as a whole
- Facilities include cafes, softball courts, go-kart tracks, parking lots and dormitories
- Their doors are so thick that a nuclear blast wouldn’t leave a dent, officials claim
- The city has excavated 9 million cubic meters of bedrock – 50,000 double-decker buses
- Built during the Cold War, the bunkers store enough food and water for two weeks
- Helsinki’s 25 metro stations can also be converted into urgent escape routes
- Bunkers get renewed attention as Finland’s NATO bid meets tough talk in Moscow
- The Kremlin announced “retaliatory moves” including moving nuclear weapons closer to Europe
- But officials at Helsinki’s emergency room say Finns are unperturbed by Putin’s threats
- City Rescue Department spokeswoman Anna Lehtiranta told MailOnline: “As a neutral country, we have always felt the need to protect ourselves – and we do.”
New images reveal the incredible scale and complexity of Finland’s extensive network of nuclear shelters.
More than 500 underground temporary shelters, carved into the bedrock of the capital Helsinki, can accommodate 900,000 people – a third more than the city’s total population.
And as Finland’s bid to join NATO prompts the Kremlin to engage in tough talks, including vows to take “retaliatory moves” against Helsinki, officials are bracing for any eventuality.
Anna Lehtiranta, head of communications at Helsinki City Rescue, said Finns were unperturbed by Putin’s threats.
A softball field is being built in one of Helsinki’s hundreds of underground shelters
A go-kart track is located in one of Helsinki’s fully equipped bunkers, which also have cafes
She told MailOnline: “As a neutral country, we’ve always felt we had to protect ourselves – and we do.
“The underground bunkers built in the bedrock of Finland stem from our experience in the Winter War and during World War II. We all have relatives who have suffered from this trauma.’
Finland’s underground habitats include cafes, softball fields, go-kart tracks, parking lots and thousands of bunk beds.
First built in the 1960s, successive governments have excavated more than 9 million cubic meters of bedrock beneath Finland.
Stairs lead Finns and visitors to the country 25m underground to the safe underground hideaways
That’s enough space to accommodate 50,000 double-decker buses.
The shelters’ front doors, carefully placed above ground, are so thick that a nuclear blast would not dent them, officials claim.
The historically neutral Nordic country’s entry into NATO has sparked outrage in Moscow, which has accused the Western military alliance of encircling its borders.
Kremlin officials have promised “retaliation” including moving nuclear weapons closer to Europe.
Finland would become the sixth NATO member to share a land border with Russia.
The shelters can accommodate hundreds of cars, so residents don’t have to rush through the front doors
Narrow bunk beds and a locked storage cupboard are shown in a bunker corridor
NATO leader Jens Stoltenberg said the nation was “welcomed warmly with open arms” by its member states, who must sign off on Finland’s accession before it joins.
The offer has sparked renewed interest among Finns in the country’s network of underground emergency shelters – and new urgency among civil defense officials to ensure they are ready when – or when – they are needed.
Ms Lehtiranta said: “We have documents with lists of jobs that people will do underground if they are forced to stay for two weeks or more.
“There will be an administrative department, doctors and nurses, people who will take care of the children while the parents are at work and much more.
“People will use the skills they learned in the shelters above ground.”
Archery can still take place in this capital city shelter, regardless of the outside conditions
Helsinki Ambulance Service official Anna Lehtiranta said Finns were ready to protect themselves
In addition to the hundreds of temporary shelters, Helsinki’s 25 metro stations can also be converted into underground bunkers that can house people for weeks.
Official guidelines state that “everyone staying in Finland”, including hotel guests, will have a place in the bunkers.
But the rules also state: “Alcohol, drugs, weapons, appliances that generate heat or anything that smells bad are not allowed in an emergency shelter.”
Ms Lehtiranta explained that the shelters are also protected from potential cyber attacks.
The Finnish president has warned that Russia could step up its technological warfare against the country if its NATO bid gets the green light from allies.
But Ms Lehtiranta said: “Although there will be a phone signal underground, our reduced reliance on technology in the shelters means we are completely safe from cyberattacks.”