Old Finland

The 1743 border between Sweden and Russia was determined by strategic considerations more than anything else. Russia wanted the fortresses in Hamina, Lappeenranta and Savonlinna. In reality, the border was invisible because several split boroughs were created as a result of the border survey proceedings, with part of the population lived on the Swedish and another part on the Russian side.

Normally, no passport or other document was required to cross the border. Traffic was controlled by means of guard posts set up along the roads. Frequently, the border was crossed by boat or using forest paths. As the border was easy to cross, it encouraged smuggling which flourished up until the outbreak of the Finnish War. Butter and furs were delivered from Sweden to Old Finland and forwarded to St. Petersburg, whereas the goods passing in the opposite direction consisted of spirits.

The unification of Old Finland with the rest of the country had already figured in Sprengtporten’s plans for a complete Finland. The Emperor thought that the unification could offer a number of benefits. Speransky and Minister David Alopaeus, originally from Old Finland, supported the idea. At the time when the Committee on Finnish Affairs was established, Armfelt already had a plan at hand. The manifesto of re-unification was implemented on 23 December 1811. While the people living in the province of Vyborg were pleased, the Russians thought that the Emperor had overstepped his authority. The Russians had believed that they had conquered Finland but now it looked as if Finland had conquered part of Russia.