Finland was an eastern province of the Kingdom of Sweden for more than 600 years, until it was annexed to Russia as an autonomous grand-duchy at the Diet of Porvoo in 1809. Tsar Alexander I announced that “Finland had been raised to the status of a nation among nations”.
As promised by the Tsar, Finland retained its Lutheran religion, Swedish as the official language and the Gustavian form and system of government. Finland also acquired her own central government and a four-state House of Representatives.
According to general opinion, the state of Finland was born at the Diet of Porvoo. This view has, however, also been contested. According to some opinions, it was only in hindsight and as a result of national awakening that the year 1809 came to be seen as the birth year of the state of Finland.
