RUSSIAN VIAPORI
Life in the fortress
The fortress of Viapori was protected with thick walls and earthworks which made it a safe place to live in compared to many other Russian fortresses. Within the walls of the fortress, diseases threatened Viapori’s residents. In addition to barracks and military buildings, the fortress contained private houses occupied by officers and officials of the Engineering Administration. The merchants’ quarter on the island of Iso-Mustasaari was a separate category of its own right. Houses were relatively poorly equipped. At the turn of the 20th century, only a few of the officers’ houses had a water pipe or a sewer, and electric lighting did not exist at the time. Harsh discipline was a prerequisite for order and peace in the community of the fortress.
Religion and traditions
Routines and duties related to the military life set the pace of those living in the fortress of Viapori. Religion adhered to by the residents, their habits and traditions both in everyday life and on the Sabbath, and festivals affected the everyday life of the residents. For the Christians, the Sabbath was Sunday, for the Jews, Saturday, and for the Muslims, Friday. The festivals of Orthodox Christians and Roman Catholics did not coincide, as the Russians in Viapori followed the Julian Calendar, in line with the Russian practice. In the 19th century, the difference between the Julian and Gregorian Calendar was 12 days.
Photo credits: MV
Photo credits: MV
A day in the life of an officer and a private
The era of Finnish autonomy included long periods when no troops needed to be sent to fronts; instead, troops were engaged in various duties related to the military life. Each day was initiated at 06:00 with a loud reveille sounded by a trumpeter. Officers and officials hastened to their duties, and the rank and file fell in by platoon. Some troops marched to the rifle range and drill grounds, others to laboratory, artillery and infantry companies or storages to carry out duties which continued until the evening.
Evenings were free, and soldiers had an opportunity to relax. Officers spent their evening at the officers’ club, engaging in a chess match or a game of billiards. In addition to tea, some also took a glass of vodka. When off duty, soldiers visited the soldiers’ tea house. Alcohol was also part of the free time of soldiers, available at the taverns of the fortified islands. Soldiers also became familiar with the establishments serving alcohol in Helsinki. Disagreements and brawls were not unheard of between locals and Russian soldiers.
The clergy of the church of Alexander Nevsky drew attention to the fact that soldiers were barely able to write their names, let alone read. For this reason, soldiers were given the opportunity to engage in school education, and voluntary study was encouraged. Opportunities to engage in sports were available, particularly in summer.
Soldiers even had their own small-scale market where they sold or swapped bric-a-brac. Furthermore, the fortress had several shops set up by merchants that had moved in with the Russian military. In winter, the residents of the fortress could walk to Helsinki over the ice in order to do shopping. Since 1860, there has been a regular boat service between Viapori and Helsinki.
The Russian army used to change the stationing of Russian units from one fortress to another at a few years’ intervals. In most cases, low-ranking solders interacted with the other soldiers adhering to the same confession in their own unit.
The permanent residents of the fortress – pilots and fishermen with their families – formed a close-knit community, the cohesion of which was strengthened by family ties.
Text: Maija-Liisa Tuomi
The Russian Viapori online exhibition
is part of the jubilee programme for
Finland’s 100 years of independence.
