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Grand Duchy of Finland | |||||||||||||||
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1809–1917 | |||||||||||||||
![]() The Grand Duchy of Finland in 1914 | |||||||||||||||
Status | Autonomous grand duchy within the Russian Empire | ||||||||||||||
Capital | Turku (1809–1812) Helsinki (1812–1917) | ||||||||||||||
Common languages | |||||||||||||||
Religion | Official religions: Evangelical Lutheran (until 1867) Russian Orthodox (until 1917) | ||||||||||||||
Demonym(s) | Finnish, Finn | ||||||||||||||
Government | Monarchy | ||||||||||||||
Grand Duke | |||||||||||||||
• 1809–1825 | Alexander I | ||||||||||||||
• 1825–1855 | Nicholas I | ||||||||||||||
• 1855–1881 | Alexander II | ||||||||||||||
• 1881–1894 | Alexander III | ||||||||||||||
• 1894–1917 | Nicholas II | ||||||||||||||
Governor-General | |||||||||||||||
• 1809 (first) | Georg Sprengtporten | ||||||||||||||
• 1917 (last) | Nikolai Nekrasov | ||||||||||||||
Vice Chairman | |||||||||||||||
• 1822–1826 (first) | Carl Erik Mannerheim | ||||||||||||||
• 1917 (last) | Anders Wirenius | ||||||||||||||
Legislature | Diet (1809–1906) Parliament (1906–1917) | ||||||||||||||
History | |||||||||||||||
29 March 1809 | |||||||||||||||
17 September 1809 | |||||||||||||||
6 December 1917 | |||||||||||||||
Currency | Swedish riksdaler (1809–1840) Russian ruble (1840–1860) Finnish markka (1860–1917) | ||||||||||||||
ISO 3166 code | FI | ||||||||||||||
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Today part of | Finland Russia |
The Grand Duchy of Finland, officially and also translated as the Grand Principality of Finland,[a] was the predecessor state of modern Finland. It existed between 1809 and 1917 as an autonomous state within the Russian Empire.[1]
Originating in the 16th century as a titular grand duchy held by the King of Sweden, the country became autonomous after its annexation by Russia in the Finnish War of 1808–1809. The Grand Duke of Finland was the Romanov Emperor of Russia, represented by the Governor-General. Due to the governmental structure of the Russian Empire and Finnish initiative, the Grand Duchy's autonomy expanded until the end of the 19th century. The Senate of Finland, founded in 1809, became the most important governmental organ and the precursor to the modern Government of Finland, the Supreme Court of Finland, and the Supreme Administrative Court of Finland.[2]
Economic, social and political changes in the Grand Duchy of Finland paralleled those in the Russian Empire and the rest of Europe. The economy grew slowly during the first half of the 19th century. The reign of Alexander II (1855–1881) saw significant cultural, social and intellectual progress, and an industrializing economy. Tensions increased after Saint Petersburg adopted Russification policies in 1898; the new circumstances saw the reduction of Finnish autonomy and cultural expression. Unrest in Russia and Finland during the First World War (1914–1918) and the subsequent collapse of the Russian Empire in 1917 resulted in the Finnish Declaration of Independence and the end of the Grand Duchy.[3]
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