Soiniitty Manor
Soiniitty Manor's history and today
The history of Soiniitty Manor and its estate is full of lived experiences, events, farm work, joyful celebrations, people, and even a few horses.
The story begins in the 17th century, during one of the most devastating wars in the world. King Charles IX and cavalry commander Henrik Wrede rode together into the battles of the Thirty Years’ War, during which the king’s horse died. Wrede gave his own horse to the king but was left without a horse under the enemy and lost his life in the battle. In gratitude for Wrede’s sacrifice, King Charles IX granted land to the Wrede family, which included the area of Soiniitty Manor. The gatekeeper’s cottage, which once guarded the western boundary of Wrede’s lands, can still be found across Highway 6, opposite Soinity Manor.
Over time, some of the Wrede family’s lands changed ownership as descendants sold them.
The Mustila tax-exempt estate, which included the lands of Soiniitty, was sold to the af Forsselles family in 1867. One of the af Forsselles daughters married a man from the Tigerstedt family, and the lands then passed into Tigerstedt ownership. Around this time, the current main building of Soiniitty Manor was constructed. In 1928, Örnulf Tigerstedt inherited about a thousand hectares of Soinity Manor’s lands. Örnulf later sold his inheritance to Nils Borup, the owner of Pukaro Manor in Lapinjärvi, who is the grandfather of the estate’s current owner, Tomas Nordenswan.
Nils, his wife Ebba, and their children Anita and Hakon lived at Pukaro Manor. At that time, Soinity Manor was primarily home to the estate’s workers and the steward. During the 1940s, most of Soinitty’s thousand hectares were parceled out to Karelian settlers.
In the 1950s, the manor’s headship passed to a mistress when Nils’s daughter Anita moved to Soiniitty with her husband, Henrik Nordenswan.
The manor was renovated in 1952, and in 1953 Anita and Henrik moved onto the estate. They had four sons, each born four years apart. Henrik pursued a career in the paper industry and was passionate about flying. Anita was hardworking and took excellent care of the estate. She cultivated the land and occasionally traveled the world with her husband Henrik. In raising their four children, Anita received help from her mother Ebba, who split her time between Soiniitty one week and Pukaro Manor the next.
Anita was over 70 years old when she stepped back from managing the estate, handing responsibility to her son Tomas. Tomas, his wife Elina, and their three children moved to Soiniitty in the late 1990s. Tomas and Elina built a private house on the estate, while Anita and Henrik remained in the main building. Gradually, the estate’s animals were phased out, but the cultivation of crops continued.
Over the years, much has changed, but much has also remained. Today, Soiniitty Manor grows grain, produces high-quality hay for horses, and hosts travelers from around the world. The manor’s owners, Tomas and Elina Nordenswan, have revived the estate in a new way. When you arrive at Soiniitty, you experience peace, traditional rural scenery, and personalized service. Highlighting and preserving history is close to the heart of Elina, who manages the accommodation; each room at Soiniitty is named after notable figures from its past.
