Porkkala Was a Soviet Naval Base Just 30 Kilometres West of the Finnish Capital

[Jopa79]

A Finnish Air Force submarine search patrol over Porkkala archipelago during the Continuation War. Photo: SA-kuva.

According to the Moscow Armistance signed in 1944 Finland was enforced to lease the Porkkala peninsula and its archipelago for the Soviet purposes. The pact included a Soviet exclusive rental right at Porkkala for 50 years during 1944-1994. In 1944 the local population at Porkkala were given 10 days for the evacuation, until the 29th of September when the area would be occupied by the Soviet Union. Porkkala-treaty was ratified during the Paris Peace Treaties 1947 and Porkkala replaced the earlier Soviet Hanko Naval Base which Finland had ceded after the Winter War. In 1955 an agreement was reached between Finland and the Soviet Union and Porkkala was returned to Finland in 1956. Having a propaganda value, the Soviet Union used the event as an example about its peaceful intentions with foreign neighbors.

During the Soviet era some 30 000 of Soviet soldiers were stationed at Porkkala. The Soviet 55th Rifle Division was converted into the 1st Mozyr Red Banner Naval Infantry Division of the Baltic Fleet and formed a garrison at Porkkala Naval Base. The garrison included also one Soviet tank regiment and two Soviet airbases were built for MiG-15 jet aircraft. Porkkala was proclaimed as a Soviet military area, all kind of civil staying and living was forbidden and access to the area was denied. The Soviet attitude towards the trespasser varied - sometimes they were just thrown out, but sometimes intruders were sent to the Gulag-system. The Porkkala-treaty included also a Soviet transit right through the Finnish soil for supply and the rental- and transit right as a whole raised concerns, the Finnish President noting, - It's not suitable according to the rules and norms set by the international law.

The Soviet Union allowed a Finnish railway transit right through Porkkala peninsula in 1947, however under heavy control and surveillance.

"Porkkalan Tunneli" - "Porkkala Tunnel" described and narrated the Finnish railway transit right through the Soviet area between Kauklahti-Tähtelä railway stations. Steel plates were inserted onto every window in the passenger cars to prevent people from seeing to the military area and a Soviet-made locomotive was set to pull the train. Soviet soldiers got on board the train to monitor the order in the train cars. This rare opportunity to experience the living set by the Iron Curtain attracted especially American tourists.

Soldiers of the Finnish Army (and probably two former locals in the middle) crossing the barbed wire border zone in January 1956 when Porkkala was returned for Finland. The soldiers are equipped with bolt-cutters and a Finnish flag.

From its founding, the Porkkala Naval Base and military area, it had been expensive to maintain and difficult to supply in the Soviet view. While approaching the last years of the occupation, Soviet exposure, discipline problems and inactivity appeared. The Soviet Union started preparing abandoning the base already in early 1955 practicing scorched-earth-tactics. The Soviet officials arranged a tour for the Finnish- and foreign media in the area and civil population were granted with a permission to return to their homes after 12 years. The restoration also aroused conversation and rumors about the Soviet Union returning all the Finnish lost territories, but it didn't come to a realization. The Porkkala restoration had a deep and significant impact for the Finnish policies and mentality. In the western world, the Soviet concession was experienced as a propaganda trick while it held strict order among the European people democracies.

 

[Gordy]

Were there any drinking songs though?

Could get a bit tricky singing "porkkala" after a few beers. Vowels have been known to shift.

 

[Cavalry]

Well it looks like the whole article try to avoid the main reason the base get return: coastal guns lost its important because there are new long range anti ship missiles.

 

[Fulmen]

Well it looks like the whole article try to avoid the main reason the base get return: coastal guns lost its important because there are new long range anti ship missiles.

I think Porkkala, like Hanko before it, was more about geopolitical goals, rather than any actual military concern, as the Russian bases in the Baltic States already secured Leningrad against all threats coming from the sea. The fact they switched Hanko for Porkkala is also indicative of this; both served the nominal purpose of naval defence (even though the forces the Russians stationed in Hanko were more suited for ground offensives, instead of defence against threats coming from the sea), but Porkkala was in artillery range of the Finnish capital, Helsinki, while Hanko was not. Porkkala, similar to Hanko, was also stationed with units more equipped for supporting ground offensives into the rest of Finland, rather than naval defence, such as field artillery and T-54 and MiG-15 regiments, and at times the forces stationed there amounted to as many men as the entire Finnish peacetime military had combined.

 

[Cavalry]

On the Porkala vs Hanko, Porkala was the Tsarist Russia forward base for WW1 naval mining warfare, founded in 1911. It is much better than Hanko, mining plan and artillery cover plan was already prepared and work together. But it is too close to Finnish capital so in 1940 it is hard to demand it.

The lease is 5 million Finnish mark per year and Porkkala was returned early by Khruschev, a questionable Soviet leader that denounce Stalin. Khrushev was forced out of position later. (That guy also the one that transferred Crimea from Russia to Ukraina)

 

[Jopa79]

On the Porkala vs Hanko, Porkala was the Tsarist Russia forward base for WW1 naval mining warfare, founded in 1911. It is much better than Hanko, mining plan and artillery cover plan was already prepared and work together.

Peter the Great's Naval Fortress - also known as the Tallinn-Porkkala defence station was a Russian fortification line aiming to block the enemy access via Gulf of Finland to the Russian capital Saint Petersburg. The plan included heavy coastal artillery pieces along the northern and southern shores at the narrowest point of the gulf - between Tallinn and Porkkala.

The Russian decision to send the Baltic Fleet to the Pacific Ocean during the Russo-Japanese War resulted the destruction of the Russian Baltic Fleet in the Battle of Tsushima. The decision to build the Peter the Great's Naval Fortress emerged after the disastrous events in Tsushima while Saint Petersburg was left unprotected.

The construction of this defensive system was however slowed due to the WWI, Finland and Estonia declaring their independence following the Russian October Revolution. Only one major landing operation was performed during the era at the Gulf of Finland as the German Navy and the German Ostsee Division landed Hanko in 1918 participating the Finnish Civil War.

But it is too close to Finnish capital so in 1940 it is hard to demand it.

The Soviets included Hanko-demand in connexion with the Winter War peace-terms largely because Hanko military base was already a Soviet regional exchange claim during the negotiations in 1939.

If the Soviet claim would had been Porkkala instead of Hanko in 1940, Finland would had probably accepted, beacuse the Finnish status and position was very weak after fighting alone against the Red Army for three months and two weeks and there was no sign of foreign support for the Finnish side at this point.