South-Eastern Finland fortification system facts for kids
The South-Eastern Finland fortification system was a huge defense network built by Russia in the 1790s. It had three lines of fortresses, one inside the other, in what was then called South-East Finland. The main goal of this massive project was to protect Saint Petersburg, the capital city of the Russian Empire, from possible attacks by Sweden.
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Why Russia Built These Fortresses
Before these new defenses were built, Russia mostly used old fortresses they had taken from Sweden. These included castles in Vyborg and Korela, which Russia got in 1721. Later, in 1743, they also gained fortresses in Lappeenranta, Hamina, and the medieval Olavinlinna castle in Savonlinna. The only new fort Russia built in this area before the 1790s was the first part of the Taavetti fortress in Luumäki.
A war between Russia and Sweden from 1788 to 1790 showed Russia that their defenses were not strong enough. Even though no land changed hands in the war, the Swedish army's actions made Russia realize that their capital, Saint Petersburg, was too close to the border and could be in danger.
After the war, Russia decided to make its defenses much stronger. In 1791, Empress Catherine II put General Alexander Suvorov in charge of building a powerful new system of forts.
Three Lines of Fortresses
General Suvorov started building very quickly. The plan was to block all roads leading to Saint Petersburg through Old Finland with strong fortresses. New forts were built at important crossroads or in places that were hard to get around. Older fortresses were also updated with the newest defense technology. This resulted in a very strong system with three lines of fortresses.
The line closest to Saint Petersburg included the Shlisselburg fortress, Kronstadt fortress, and the castles of Vyborg and Korela.
The second line had the fortresses of Hamina, Taavetti, and Lappeenranta.
The newest forts were built in the outermost line, along with the old Olavinlinna castle. Some of these inland forts, like Kärnäkoski, Järvitaipale, Utti, and Liikkala, were quite small. However, the double fortress of Kyminlinna and the Ruotsinsalmi sea fortress on the coast were very strong.
Even the older fortresses were made much stronger. For example, the earth walls of Hamina and Lappeenranta were reinforced with stone. Taavetti fortress was made bigger, and the cannon towers of Olavinlinna were raised. New parts called bastions were added to medieval castles like Olavinlinna, Vyborg, and Korela to make them more resistant to attacks.
Besides the fortresses, Russia also improved how its navy could move on Saimaa Lake. They built four new open canals, known as the Suvorov Military Canals, between Lappeenranta and Savonlinna. These canals were important because Sweden could still control water travel in Saimaa at a narrow spot called Puumala. The canals, named Kutvele, Käyhkää, Kukonharju, and Telataipale, were built in different towns. Russian gunboats were based at Lappeenranta and Kärnäkoski fortresses, and Olavinlinna castle. This fleet had less than a hundred boats and about a thousand men.
Hard Work to Build the Forts
Building these fortresses took a huge amount of effort. The workers were mostly soldiers from the Vyborg Governorate (about 20,000 men) and a temporary army division (20,000–30,000 men). Prisoners were also used for labor. The smaller border forts were finished quickly, some in the early 1790s. Bigger projects, like the canals, took much longer.
Working conditions were very tough. The harsh weather, poor places to live, not enough food, and sickness caused many problems. Up to 10,000 men either died or became too sick to work. General Suvorov pushed the workers very hard, which also led to many deaths. Local Finnish people did not have to build the forts themselves, but they had to provide places for the large army to stay, food, and transportation.
What Happened to the Fortresses
All the hard work put into fortifying Old Finland ended up not being needed for its original purpose. In the Finnish War of 1808–1809, the border between Sweden and Russia moved much further west. The fortification system was never truly tested in this war because Swedish troops left the border area before the Russians attacked.
After the war, the inland fortresses were no longer used. Only the forts along the coast kept their military importance. The Ruotsinsalmi sea fortress was attacked by British and French ships during the Crimean War in 1855. However, the Russian soldiers had already left the fortress before the attack, and the enemy destroyed the empty fort.
Fortresses Today
Today, most of these old fortresses are popular places for tourists to visit. The fortresses located in modern Finland are looked after by the Finnish National Board of Antiquities. This organization has been working to restore them, especially in the 1990s. The Suvorov military canals, which are part of the system, are also being restored.
See also
- Kyminlinna
- Ruotsinsalmi sea fortress
Sources
- An information package of Aleksandr Suvorov and the fortresses in South-East Finland by the Museum of South Karelia (PDF) (retrieved 17.7.2009)
