Russian Emperor riding to Porvoo saluted with cannon fire and tolling of church bells

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By Anna-Riitta Sippola and Kristiina Markkanen
     
      When Alexander I, the Emperor of Russia, was riding to Porvoo on March 27th 1809, two hundred years ago to the day, he was saluted with cannon fire while the church bells tolled.
      A guard of uniformed officers were waiting at the triumphal gate, specially built to honour the Emperor, while a military band was playing music at the market square.
     
During the Finnish War between Sweden and Russia (1808-1809), Alexander I decided to convene the Estates of Finland in Porvoo even though the war was still raging.
      The convention was later called the Diet, and the opening ceremony was held on March 28th in the Porvoo Cathedral. After the service, the Estates moved to the State Hall in Porvoo’s Gymnasium building [a secondary school, not a venue for gymnastics].
     
The central event during the Porvoo Diet was the sovereign pledge and the oaths of the Estates in the Porvoo Cathedral, delivered on March 29th.
      The purpose of the series of ceremonies that followed was to confirm the Czar’s promise to govern Finland in accordance with its existing laws.
      The first Grand Duke of Finland allowed the country to enjoy a high degree of autonomy as a part of the Russian Empire.
     
The Estates swore their oaths of allegiance on behalf of the entire people, committing themselves to accepting the Emperor and Grand Duke of Finland as the true authority, and to keeping the Constitution and the form of government unchanged. Alexander I subsequently promised to govern Finland in accordance with Finnish laws.
      Czar Alexander I took the pledge in French, while Georg Magnus Sprengtporten, the first Russian Governor-General of Finland, read the translation in Swedish.
      A Finnish translation of the sovereign pledge was posted in churches the following day.
      Following the Swedish defeat in the war and the signing of the Treaty of Fredrikshamn [Hamina] on September 17th, 1809, Finland became a true autonomous Grand Duchy as a part of the Russian Empire, which ended the period of 600 years of Finland's being a part of the Kingdom of Sweden.
     
Even at that time, ceremonies such as this were an important part of the exercise of power, through which new subjects were bound to new authorities.
      Moreover, the solemn ceremonies were used to emphasize continuity.
      Even in the Swedish era, the new king and the estates had assembled to swear allegiance to each other.
     
The venues for the ceremonies, the Porvoo Cathedral, Porvoo’s Gymnasium, and other related buildings, all still exist.
      The choice of Porvoo as the venue was largely attributable to the fact that the town had a large cathedral and a number of buildings suitable for such ceremonies and for the accommodation of guests. In addition, Porvoo was relatively close to the then Russian border.
     
The Estates were assembled in Porvoo between March 25th and July 19th, 1809.
      However, all 134 representatives of Nobility, Clergy, Burghers, and Peasants were not present all the time.
      Alexander I was also present in July when the Diet was closed.
      In his closing address he said that Finland had now been promoted to a nation among nations.
      This particular speech was found to be quite useful a bit later on when Finland started to write its own national history.
     
The importance of the events in Porvoo has changed depending on the era - starting from the name.
      Initially the assemblies of the sovereign and the Estates were called lantdag (in Finnish maapäivät).
      In the 19th century, the Finnish language adopted the word valtio (”state”) and hence maapäivät, the Finnish word for a Diet, was replaced by valtiopäivät.
      The Russian Emperor used the French word Diéte or Diet when he addressed the Estates.
     
During the rise of Finnish nationalism later in the 19th century, it was claimed that the Diet implied that a treaty between the two States had been signed at the Diet, between Finland and Russia.
      Contemporary historians again speak about maapäivät. However, the bicentennial commemoration programme uses the name diet or valtiopäivät.
     
The Diet of Porvoo (in Finnish ”Porvoon maapäivät”, in Swedish ”Borgå landtdag”) was an important milestone in the history of Finland.
      The country was no longer under rule from Stockholm; it became an autonomous Grand Duchy, obtained its own central administration, and was allowed to keep its Lutheran religion and its justice system dating from the Swedish area.
      As some historians say, in March 1809 Finland was given a unique opportunity to build a nation within the Russian realm.
      For the most part, the Grand Duchy enjoyed a high degree of autonomy over the next 100 years, which in turn provided the maturity for independence when the opportunity arose.
      That was a century later, on December 6, 1917, shortly after the October Revolution in Russia, when Finland declared its independence amid the upheavals of World War I.
     
     
Dr. Henrika Tandefelt’s book Porvoo 1809, Juhlamenoja ja tanssiaisia (”Ceremonies and Balls”), published by the Finnish Literature Society, gives a description of the Diet of Porvoo.
     
Helsingin Sanomat / First published in print 27.3.2009


Previously in HS International Edition:
  Swedish PM says Finland and Sweden do not need to apologise to each other over common history (16.1.2009)

See also:
  War of Finland 1808-1809 (26.2.2008)
  EDITORIAL Finland and Sweden - closer than ever on bicentenary of separation (20.1.2009)

Links:
  Emanuel Thelning (1767-1831): Alexander I opens the Diet of Porvoo in 1809 [from 1812] (Wikipedia)
  History of the Finnish Parliament
  Diet of Porvoo (Wikipedia)
  1809 - Building a Nation

KRISTIINA MARKKANEN AND ANNA-RIITTA SIPPOLA / Helsingin Sanomat
kristiina.markkanen@hs.fi, anna-riitta.sippola@hs.fi