The Summer Shop is located in an old log building which was constructed in 1876 and was used during the Russian era as storage for the fortress artillery’s housekeeping materials. The buildings ochre colouring and window shutters are typical of the buildings from the Russian era.

As the building was used as the horses’ fodder storage in the beginning of the Finnish independency, the local inhabitants called it the ”oats-storage”. Horse stables were located in the next door building as even in a maritime fortress horses played an important role: officers rode them and others were involved in the heavy building work.

During the decades both Russian and Finnish soldiers have carved their initials into the wooden walls of the Summer Shop building.

The building houses two separate shops: Suomenlinna Artisans Shop, in which local arts and crafts are sold, and the Summer Shop B34 maintained by the Ehrensvärd Society. The old log house is not insulated and so the shop is only open during the warmer summer months.