Suomeen sijoitetun venäläisen sotaväen edustautuminen juhlatilaisuuksissa Hämeenlinnassa 1900–1917

Abstract

This article investigates the ceremonial representation of the Russian military stationed in Finland during the years 1900–1917, focusing on the Hämeenlinna garrison as a case study. It explores how state power was performatively enacted through rituals such as church parades that asserted spatial dominance. My aim is to reconstruct the structure of these events and to assess their impact on Hämeenlinna’s urban space. Attention is also paid to the local population’s responses to these imperial celebrations during a politically volatile era. My primary sources consist of materials from the collection of Russian military documents at the Finnish National Archives. These are complemented by materials from the Hämeenlinna branch of the National Archives, oral history material from the Finnish Literature Society, and newspaper sources. Military celebrations during the research period encompassed dynastic anniversaries, Orthodox festivities, imperial commemorative dates, and wartime celebrations of victories. The garrison could mobilise thousands of troops for the largest of these events, rendering them highly visible in the small town. Approximately twenty notable events were organised annually, underscoring their importance as performances of military presence. The symbolic significance of these occasions was also evident to the civilian population. Keywords: Hämeenlinna, garrison, ceremonial events, parades