Hamina

• Total area - 1.155 sq. Km.
• Located near the E18 motorway Vaalimaa - St. Petersburg .
• Distance from city to:
  • border with the Russian Federation 40 km
  • to St. Petersburg 240 km.
  • Helsinki 150 km.
  • Kouvola 50 km

Sweden

In 1653, during the governorship in Finland of Pera Brahe the Younger, the village of Vehkalahti received the status of a city called Veckelax Nystad ( Swede. Veckelax Nystad ) or Vechkalahden Uusikaupunki ( Fin. Vehkalahden Uusikaupunki ) ^[2] - New city of Vehkalahti . However, at that time the city was nothing special - a settlement of several hundred people. Most of the people lived in the countryside, in the villages.

In 1710, during the Northern War, the Russian army launched military operations in the Baltic States and Finland. In the same year, Vyborg was busy. Wehkalahti ^[3] was destroyed in 1712 , and Helsingfors and Abo were taken in 1713 . The war ended in 1721 with the Nishtadt Peace Treaty , according to which Russia returned to Sweden the Grand Duchy of Finland , except for part of Karelia (the so-called Old Finland ) ^[4] . Vekhkalahti ended up in the territory left behind Sweden ( Swede. Kymmenegårds och Nyslotts län ), and began to rebuild as a border city - a new border lay very close by.

Two years later, in 1723 , the city was renamed Fredrikshamn ( Swede. Fredrikshamn , "harbor of Fredrik" ) in honor of the newly elected king of Sweden Fredrik I. The population began to increase and soon the Swedish-speaking bourgeoisie was inspired by the idea of ​​creating their own Swedish-speaking church parish.

In 1741, a new Russian-Swedish war began . At the end of June 1742, Russian troops under the command of Peter Lassi approached Mendolax . Swedish troops retreated to Friedrichsgam. Following the retreating enemy, Russian troops approached Friedrichsham. As soon as the Swedes became aware of Lassi's intentions, Karl Emil Lowenhaupt hastily retreated to Helsingfors. The retreating Swedes burned Friedrichsham ^[5] . The war ended in 1743 with the Abo Peace , according to which Russia left Neyshlot with the Olafsborg fortress and Kyumenigord flax , on whose territory Friedrichsgam was located. The conquered territories became part of the Vyborg province .

Russia

Vyborg Province

In the summer of 1783, at the initiative of the Swedish King Gustav III , in Friedrichsham, he met with the Russian Empress Catherine II . A trip to Friedrichsham was undertaken by Gustav in order to ascertain the intentions of Catherine II regarding the Ottoman Empire and the Crimea , as well as her relationship to Sweden’s plans to capture Norway . For its part, Catherine II sought at that time rapprochement with Sweden in connection with the preparation of Russia for the war with Turkey . ^[6]

After the two - year Russian-Swedish war of 1788-1790 , the main events of which took place at sea, Alexander Suvorov, by order of Catherine II, began in 1791 the restoration of the castle and castle fortifications of Friedrichsham.

By the beginning of 1808, between Friedrichsham and Neyshlot , along the border, Russian troops were located. In February, a war broke out between Russia and Sweden , also known as the Finnish War. It lasted until September 1809 , when a peace treaty was concluded in Friedrichsham.

Grand Duchy of Finland

According to the decree of Emperor Alexander I of December 11, 1811 “On the Accession to Finland of the Vyborg Province”, the Vyborg Province (including Friedrichsgam) was annexed to the Grand Duchy of Finland . ^[7]

After the Patriotic War of 1812, Alexander I ordered to securely strengthen all the borders near the border with Sweden. And from all over the north-west of the empire, former recruits convicted of self-mutilation were sent not to Siberia, but to “eternal serfdom” in the Vyborg province, in the Friedrichgam fortress. ^[8]

In 1821, the city was significantly damaged by a fire, which burned out up to 90% of the center of Friedrichsham.

In 1855, the city's population was 3.5 thousand people, but in the next two decades it decreased to 2.7 thousand. In 1900, the Swedish-speaking population was approximately 18% or 503 people. Since 1903, the official languages ​​of the city are Finnish and Swedish .

Independent Finland

• In 1918, the names of streets in Russian were removed in the city.
• In 1931 , the municipality of Hamina began to work.
• During the war years 1939 - 1944 as a result of bombing, more than 60 buildings were destroyed.
• In 1945 - 49 years. More than 500 new homes have been built.
• In 1953 , as a result of the creation of a territorial association, which included, in addition to Hamin, Poytsila ( Fin. Poitsila ), Hillo ( Fin. Hillo ) and Pitäyansaari ( Fin. Pitäjänsaari ), the number of inhabitants of Hamina amounted to more than 9000 people.
• In 1960 , an oil port was built in Hamina.
• In 1988 , the cargo turnover of the seaport of Hamina exceeded 5 million tons.
• In 2002 , the union of Hamina and Vekhkalahti ( Fin. Vehkalahti ) took place.
• In 2003 , 350 years have passed since the founding of Hamina.

In 2009, the American company Google , having bought the building of the former paper mill, opened a data center in the city, which began its work in September 2011. In 2012, during the expansion of the center, the company invested 150 million euros in it, and the number of permanent employees was 125 people. In total, over four years, Google has invested in the data center about 350 million euros. In 2014, new investments amounted to 450 million euros ^[9] . In 2019, an agreement was reached on additional investments in the amount of 600 million euros. Thus, Google’s total investment in Hamina will exceed two billion euros ^[10] .

In 2014, it is planned to open a factory of the Russian pharmaceutical company Pharmbiotech Oy in a production building near the port of Hamina. The total investment will be about 2 million euros ^[11] .

• The number of inhabitants (as of December 31, 2005) is 22.0 thousand people.

• • Major industries - 5.3%
  • Processing industry and consumer goods production - 26.8%
  • Service industry - 66.2%
  • Others - 1.7%

• In the city:
  • More than 30 different hotels, campsites and home hotels. Prices depending on the hotel from 30 to 150 euros per night.
  • more than 50 museums and historical sites
  • in the city approx. 40 restaurants, cafes, bars and other catering points
  • In and around the city there are more than 40 beautiful fishing organizations, the cost of a fishing permit is from 6 (for 7 days) to 27 euros (for a season), people under 18 and over 65 do not need permission.

• Church of Peter and Paul
• Town Hall
• Church of St. Mary
• Church of St. John
• Hamina Fortress

•   Falun , Sweden
•   Roros , Norway
•   Vordinborg , Denmark
•   Paide , Estonia

• Russian-language site of the city of Hamina
• Hamina. Photoreport.
• The official website of the city of Hamina
• Hamina