2012/5th International Conference on Russian America &1st Åland/Finland International Conference on Russian America held in celebration of the Åland Islands 90th Year of Autonomy at Mariehamn, Capital of Autonomous Åland Islands, Finland 2012 August 20-25 “Those Other Russians”

Dear Participants

In resent decades we in the Åland Islands have come to pay attention and emphasize our Russian heritage. During several decades the visible as well as the invisible memories of our Russian past was forgotten and minimalized. We did not pay much attention to the ruins of the Russian Bomarsund fortress in the 50s when the road was built cross the fortress area. But today it is a symbol of our demilitarization and neutralization, and of the Islands of Peace.

Up to 1854 the Russian presence in the Åland mainly took the shape of the construction of the fortress as a huge logistic apparatus was needed. We know that Åland experienced an economic boom during the construction of the Bomarsund fortress and we know that during this time many Ålanders got strong economic or emotional relations to the Russian garrison that was stationed in Bomarsund, a garrison that included soldiers from whole of the Russian empire, which easily can be confirmed by just paying a visit to the Russian cemetery close to the fortress on Prestö.

In St Petersburg soon a community of 30.000 Finlanders was built up, including many Ålanders. But as we will see during this conference, Ålanders and Finns also went as far as Russian America. Finland was conquered from Sweden in 1809 and soon after became the autonomous Grand Duchy of Finland. The coast of Finland and the Åland Islands was since time immemorial inhabited by people that had a long tradition of seamanship, so these highly esteemed seafarers and their merchant fleet soon became the building blocks of the empire’s own merchant fleet. An important trading rout from Finland to Alaska was established and many Ålanders sailed on merchant ships from Finland to the Russian-American settlement Sitka. These people were true adventurers and round-the world sailors that had courage to embrace the unknown, as so many Ålanders before and after them.

It is therefore very much welcome that this seminar will be held in the Åland Islands, with so many different distinguished speakers who will present different views on the history of the people who left to work in Alaska, as well as the history of Åland and its autonomy. The fact that Finland was an autonomous part of Russia, and has experience of how to work with a central government as counterpart has undoubtedly affected the relation between Finland and the Åland authorities. An aspect that I find extremely interesting.

I would also like to congratulate the Åland Islands Emigrant Institute for their work. I will conclude by sharing a memory from 2003 with you. The Institute was located in the same building as the Åland Peace Institute at this time, and the Peace Institute had somewhat controversially reported George W. Bush to the International Criminal Court (ICC) because of the war in Iraq. This of course deeply upset the American Embassy in Helsinki. The ambassador did not pay a visit to the Åland Islands, but sent his deputy to visit the two institutes. The atmosphere was quite tense when we entered the Peace Institute and met with Mr Robert Jansson. Of course we left the first discussion with no hard feelings, but still with very different views on the US politics.

We continued to the Emigrant Institute and met with the Santa Clause, of the Ålander Haddon Sundblom. The who guided us had fulfilled her dreams when she in her youths was able to move to the U.S. and work, and she over and over repeated the sentence. “America has been so good to me, God Bless America”. When we left the house the diplomat said “So much in just one house!”

We here in the Åland Islands have a critical mindset, but we also know when to appreciate, and we do appreciate you coming here for this Conference.