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Consulate of Russia, Åland

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The Consulate of the Russian Federation in Åland is a Russian diplomatic mission in Finland's autonomous Åland region. The consulate is located in Åland's capital, Mariehamn, and is subordinate to the Russian Embassy in Helsinki. The current consul is Alexander Rogov.[1]

Consulate of the Russian Federation in Åland
Консульство Российской Федерации на Аландских островах в Финляндии
Address11 Norra Esplanadgatan, AX-22100 Mariehamn, Åland Islands
Opened1940
JurisdictionÅland
Consul GeneralAlexander Rogov
Websitehttps://konsaland.mid.ru/ru/

History

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Soviet era (1940–1992)

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Following the conclusion of the Winter War in 1940, The Soviet Union and Finland signed a treaty concerning the status of the Åland Islands. The treaty requires Finland to demilitarize Åland and ensure no Finnish or foreign military presence is ever established on the islands. Article 3 of this treaty granted the Soviet Union the right to maintain a diplomatic office in Åland to monitor Finland's treaty obligation to keep Åland demilitarized.[2]

According to the treaty, if a Soviet consular representative believes the demilitarization of Åland is being violated, he has the right to notify the Finnish authorities to perform a joint investigation. The results of any investigation will be published in Finnish and Russian.[2]

Following the dissolution of the Soviet Union, Russia inherited the Soviet treaty with Finland on the Åland Islands, and the treaty is still in force today.[3]

In 1961 the consulate helped arrange a sister city agreement between Lomonosov and Mariehamn.[4]

In October 1987 the consulate assisted with the defection of Swedish citizen Stig Bergling, who spied for the Soviet Union. Stig Berling had managed to escape Swedish custody after being imprisoned for espionage and made his way to the Soviet consulate in the Åland Islands. The consulate directed Berling to the Soviet embassy in Helsinki, which ultimately allowed him to make it to the Soviet Union and defect.[5]

Russian Federation

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After the dissolution of the Soviet Union, the Russian Federation inherited the consulate property in Åland. Due to financial constraints in the 1990s, the Russian government considered permanently closing the consulate, but ultimately chose to keep it open with considerably less staff.[4]Today, the only known occupants of the consulate are Consul Alexander Rogov and his wife.[6]

In June 2021, the consulate opened its doors to the public for a photo presentation titled "Endless Spaces of Russia".[7]

2022 invasion of Ukraine

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Following Russia's 2022 invasion of Ukraine, the consulate has come under increased scrutiny by the Finnish government and society.

The Russian Ministry of Foreign Affairs claimed that on May 1, 2023, an "explosive noise device" and other objects were thrown on the property of the consulate, which allegedly damaged the property. The Russian Embassy in Helsinki sent a diplomatic note to the Finnish Ministry for Foreign Affairs, demanding the culprits be prosecuted and asked for more security to be provided to the attacked consulate.[8]

An ongoing petition requesting the closure of the consulate was launched by Finnish citizens in April 2023,[9] and it has received more than the required 50,000 signatures, but very probably it cannot be taken up by the Parliament of Finland because the law does not permit citizens’ initiatives concerning international treaties.[10]

On June 1, 2023, the Prime Minister of Finland, Petteri Orpo, stated the consulate is a "historical relic".[11] In a tweet on June 6, 2023, Finnish Foreign Minister Elina Valtonen wrote: “A legal investigation is underway regarding the consulate in Åland.”[12] Also the President Sauli Niinistö has referred to an ongoing investigation by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.[10]

In response to Russia forcing the closure of multiple Finnish diplomatic offices, former Finnish ambassador to Moscow, Hannu Himanen, has suggested Finland should close the Russian Åland consulate in the name of diplomatic reciprocity. Himanen stated, "If we want to correct this anomaly of 1940, now would be a very good opportunity" and "Finland could say that the foundations of the 1940 treaty have disappeared and that the Russian consulate has no legitimate role in Mariehamn".[13]

See also

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References

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  1. ^ konsaland.mid.ru https://konsaland.mid.ru/ru/consulate/other-contacts/. Retrieved 2023-08-28. {{cite web}}: Missing or empty |title= (help)
  2. ^ a b "Sopimus Suomen ja Sosialististen Neuvostotasavaltain Liiton välillä Ahvenanmaan saarista". Finlex (in Finnish). 1940. Retrieved 2023-08-29.
  3. ^ "Nyt on aika sulkea Venäjän Ahvenanmaan-konsulaatti, sanoo entinen suurlähettiläs". Yle Uutiset (in Finnish). 2023-06-01. Retrieved 2023-08-29.
  4. ^ a b "История международных отношений" [History of international relations]. konsaland.mid.ru (in Russian). Retrieved 2023-08-29.
  5. ^ Johnsson, Fredrik; Hansson, Kristofer (2005-06-06). "Stig Bergling – P3 Dokumentär". Sveriges radio (in Swedish). Retrieved 2023-08-29.
  6. ^ "Keskellä suomalaista idylliä on kiusallinen venäläinen talo: "Emme halua tänne tuollaista"". Iltalehti (in Finnish). Retrieved 2023-08-29.
  7. ^ "New exhibition "Endless spaces of Russia" of photographer Boris Katorgin has opened in Russian Consulate in Åland🇷🇺🇦🇽 to celebrate the Russian Day, 12 June". www.instagram.com. Retrieved 2023-08-29.
  8. ^ "Comment by Foreign Ministry Spokeswoman Maria Zakharova on the attack on the Russian Consulate in Mariehamn". mid.ru. Retrieved 2023-08-28.
  9. ^ "Venäjän konsulaatin lakkauttaminen Ahvenanmaalla". Kansalaisaloitepalvelu (in Finnish). Retrieved 2023-08-28.
  10. ^ a b Gestrin-Hagner, Maria (29 September 2023). "Motvind för initiativet om att sparka ut ryska konsulatet på Åland". Hufvudstadsbladet (in Swedish). Helsingfors. p. 9.
  11. ^ "Petteri Orpo Venäjän Ahvenanmaan-konsulaatista: "Historiallinen jäänne" – pitää ulkoministeri Blinkenin vierailua erittäin tärkeänä" (in Finnish). MTV Uutiset. 2023-06-01. Retrieved 2023-08-28.
  12. ^ Valtonen, Elina [@elinavaltonen] (July 6, 2023). "Venäjän tänään ilmoittamat toimenpiteet ovat ylimitoitettu vastaus Suomen kesäkuun karkotuspäätöksiin. Pietarin pääkonsulaatin vastinpari Suomessa on Venäjän Turun pääkonsulaatti. Ahvenanmaan konsulaatin osalta on käynnissä oikeudellinen selvitys. Suomi tulee reagoimaan" (Tweet) (in Finnish). Retrieved 2023-08-28 – via Twitter.
  13. ^ "Former ambassador to Moscow urges Finland to close Russia's Åland consulate". News. 2023-06-01. Retrieved 2023-08-28.
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