The period during which Viapori served as a Russian stronghold (1808–1918) can be divided into two major parts: the period before the Crimean war fought in the 1850s and the time after that. After the Finnish War ended, peace lasting several decades reigned in the Gulf of Finland, ending only as the Crimean War broke out. During that time, the Russians thought that Viapori was capable of defending itself, and was developed primarily as a garrison.

 

Russians take over Viapori

 

In May 1808, the fortress surrendered without giving a battle as part of the military action of the Finnish War. As the Russians took over the fortress, they also gained possession of substantial number of vessels and weaponry. The Russians took stock of the fortifications, the naval port and artillery, finding them to be modern and relatively serviceable. The tsar visited the fortress soon after it had surrendered. The fortress was brought into use under its original name Sveaborg which the Russians decided to retain.

 

During the Swedish era, Viapori had been under construction for decades but remained still uncompleted compared to its original, fairly extensive plans. Initially, the Russians continued the construction of Viapori following the plans drawn up during the Swedish era, but, in the 1810s, decided to drop the plans for building fortifications in the mainland. The construction plan for Viapori’s principal islands were also brought up to date.

 

Construction activity by the Russian army in Helsinki in the 1820s and 1830s focused on the Vironniemi area. In the city of Helsinki, on the mainland, the Russians built two barracks, Kaartinkasarmi and Katajanokan Merikasarmi, for the needs of the army. Relatively few construction projects were carried out in the fortress of Viapori in the early 1800s. It was a period of deep peace, and the Russians thought that the fortress was sufficient as it was. The fortification and arming of Viapori was given relatively little attention, particularly after the Russians began to build a new fortress, Bomarsund, in the Åland Islands in the 1830s.

 

The garrison in Viapori

 

Several buildings serving the needs of the garrison, such as barracks, hospital, kitchen and supply buildings, were built in Viapori by the mid-1850s, During the period between the 1830s and the mid-1840s, a hospital known as Merihallinnon sairaala (“Hospital of the Maritime Administration”) and the barracks in Varuskuntakortteli (“Garrison Quarter”) were built. In the early 1850s, new hospital buildings and a barracks known as Vaasan kasarmi (“Vaasa Barracks”) were completed. The impressive garrison church of the fortress, Cathedral of Aleksander Nevsky, was inaugurated in 1854.

 

As the Crimean War spread to the Baltic Sea in 1854, the garrison in Viapori was put on a war footing, and it needed to take prompt action in order to make the fortress ready for battle. The events of the war was a new turning point in the history of the fortress.