The mutiny in Viapori is related to widespread dissatisfaction with the government and the rule by the Emperor which had erupted in Russia. Bitterness was intensified after Russia lost the Russo-Japanese war, fought between 1904 and 1905 The Russians found the peace concluded after the war especially humiliating. General dissatisfaction that had spread in the ranks of the army manifested itself as strikes and demonstrations. Part of the Russian troops stationed in Viapori mutinied in late July 1906.

 

Outbreak of mutiny in Viapori

 

In Finland, revolutionary unrest found most support in Viapori. Poor food, cuts made to the pay and cases of bullying raised demands for improvements in the conditions. Revolutionaries had prepared a plan of a military mutiny that would have been initiated simultaneously in the fortresses of Viapori and Kronstadt and that would have developed into an uprising of workers in the whole of Russia.

 

In Viapori, the situation culminated in late July 1906. Viapori’s commandant got wind of the mutiny plan, ordering mines to be laid around Viapori in order to prevent mutineers from entering the fortress. Mine layers refused to obey the order, and they were detained. Initially, three companies of the Viapori fortification artillery joined the mutiny. They attempted to free the detained mine layers and occupy the house of Viapori’s commandant on the island of Iso-Mustasaari. Mutinous gunners retreated with their arms via Santahamina to the island of Kuninkaansaari, where they set up their headquarters. The leader of the mutineers attempted to appeal to the gunners, pleading with them not to start the mutiny without news of the situation in Kronstedt, to no avail. The mutineers totalled around 2,000 men, but the infantry in Viapori and Santahamina remained loyal to their officers.

 

Bombardment begins

 

Fighting broke out on the last day of July. The mutineers subjected the Commandant’s House on the island of Iso-Mustasaari to heavy bombardment. On the cliffs in the Kaisaniemi park, residents of Helsinki watched the events in Viapori. The rumble of cannons, rifle fire and the rattle of machine guns was heard from the fortress throughout the day. Rumour had it the dead and wounded numbered hundreds. The fortress was flying a red flag instead of the national flag. A shell fired by the government troops caused a gunpowder magazine in Kuninkaansaari to explode. The explosion was so violent that Helsinki resident thought that a bomb had fallen in the city, and the blast blew some people off their feet.