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 | |
| Address: | 11 Norra Esplanadgatan, AX-22100 Mariehamn, Åland Islands |
| Opened: | 1940 |
| Website: | https://konsaland.mid.ru/ru/ |
| Jurisdiction: | Åland |
| Consul: | Alexander Rogov |
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.
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]
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.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]
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.
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]