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Porkkala, Finland
be reached by arti llery from the base, which was also referred to
as a pistol against Finland’s head.
The Soviet army left the area 12 years later. The period is also
known as the Porkkala Parenthesis.
A military strategic location on the Gulf of Finland
The main objecti ve of the occupati on of Porkkala was to block
the Gulf of Finland at its narrowest point between Finland and
Estonia, a distance of only 36 kilometers. There were naval bases
and strong arti llery on both sides. A fort was also located south
of Porkkala on the island Makilo (not accessible today).
The plan to secure the Gulf of Finland and the entrance to
Leningrad was an old one. Such a plan had already been decided
following the Russian-Japanese war in 1905.
The evacuation of Porkkala’s inhabitants in 1944
The area of Porkkala covers 42.5 square kilometers of land. It
was shocking for the 7,000 residents to be given just nine days
to leave, along with all their belongings and 8,000 animals,
the potato and wheat crop and as much hay for the winter
as possible. 20,000 people assisted the inhabitants with the
evacuati on.
At least 30,000 people from the Soviet Union moved into the
area during the period of the lease, including 10,000 civilians.
Soviet society in Porkkala was totally cut off from the rest of
Finnish society.
Handed back to Finland in 1956
By 1955, the military importance of Porkkala had lessened
due to new weapons and a new, strong center for the Soviet
Navy in Kaliningrad. Furthermore, bilateral relati ons between
Finland and the Soviet Union were now improved. Porkkala
was therefore handed back to Finland in 1956. Most of the
former inhabitants returned to their old homes, but also to the
reconstructi on of a completely dilapidated area.
An historical view from the south coast of Finland.
In the foreground, a grave from the Bronze Age. This shows that
the coastal areas have been sett led in decades. The coast has
nearly always been an important route for goods and people.
One of the small islands that can be seen in the distance is
the military fort of Makilo, from where it was possible to control
the entrance to the Finnish Bay, together with arti llery from the
Estonian site.
In clear weather the Estonian side can someti mes also be
made out, only 36 kilometers away.
The mutual connecti on between southern Finland and
Estonia has always been a close one (by boat in summer and by
horses over the ice in winter). The southern part of Finland and
the northern part of Estonia used to more or less operate as one
country, with trade in goods, close links between the populati ons
(especially the fi shermen), mixed marriages etc. Aft er the Second
World War this longstanding mutual link was completely cut off .
Fugiti ves from the Soviet Union. The only signs of life “from
the other side” were fugiti ves from the Soviet Union who would
someti mes pass by in small boats trying to reach Sweden.
Finland was not a safe place for these people, as they were
frequently sent back to the Soviet Union.
The map shows the Gulf of Finland and the strategic locati on of
Porkkala on the narrowest point of the Gulf. Military installati ons
were also located on the Estonian side of the Gulf, in Naissaar,
opposite Porkkala. The Gulf formed the entrance to Leningrad
and the Soviet naval base in Kronstadt. Note the strategic
positi on of Karelia as a military buff er zone to Leningrad (St.
Petersburg), the second largest city in the Soviet Union.
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