Old Finland

As Altfinnland (Finnish Vanha Suomi) the formerly Swedish areas of the landscape are called Karelia, which fell after the Great Northern War in the Treaty of Nystad (1721 ) and in the course of the Austrian Succession War in the Treaty of Åbo ( 1743) in Russia.

In the Peace of Nystad Sweden joined the Kexholms County (Finnish Käkisalmen lääni ) and a good part of Viborg Nyslotts och län (Finnish Viipurin yes Savonlinnan lääni ) to the Tsarist Empire from 1743 some other areas in southern Finland, including the cities Nyslott / Savonlinna, Villmanstrand / Lappeenranta and Fredrikshamn / Hamina.

The Tsar guaranteed the residents Altfinnlands certain privileges such as religious freedom and the survival of Swedish laws. However, the Swedish land law reform in 1734 occurred only in the still to 1743 Swedish territories in force, was already in the Russian areas on the old law; so there was within Altfinnlands to 1812 different jurisdictions. The Tsarist Empire managed Altfinnland like its Baltic provinces, and so the areas could enjoy a degree of autonomy.

1809 fell across Finland to Russia and was elevated to the rank of a Grand Duchy with extensive autonomy. As a sign of his good will reunified Tsar Alexander I in 1812 Altfinnland as Viipuri Province with the Grand Duchy of Finland.

• Finnish history
• Historical Territory (Russia)