The Embassy of the Republic of Finland in Moscow is the chief diplomatic mission of Finland in the Russian Federation. It is located at 15-17 Kropotkinsky Lane () in the Khamovniki District of Moscow.
Embassy building The current building of the embassy has been in use since December 6, 1948; Finland's independence day. It is the first building that Finland built specifically as a diplomatic mission. It was also the first foreign mission to be built in the Soviet capital of MoscowJussi Niemeläinen, Suomen valkoinen talo. Helsingin Sanomat 1.12.2013 s. C 10–11 and it remains one of the few functionalist buildings in the city.
The building's large balcony is called "Paasikiven komentosilta"; "The command bridge of Paasikivi". Inside, in the decorative hall between the dining hall and the great hall, there are two paintings by Ilya Repin and gilded furniture from the beginning of the 20th century. According to legend, the furniture originates from the minister-secretary of state's residence during the Grand Duchy of Finland. The great hall features modern furniture and the dining hall has furniture designed by Elli Ruuth.
When the building was completed, the staff lived in the embassy area. During the Winter War, the building was vacant and under Swedish surveillance. Swedish diplomats lived in the building during the Continuation War. U.S. diplomat George F. Kennan moved in once the war was over.
There were allotments, as well as chickens and pigs, in the embassy yard from the late 1940s until the 1960s, when apartments for the staff began to be rented from elsewhere in the city.
The construction for the additional building for the embassy began once the Soviet Union dissolved and was completed in 1996.
Ambassadors Soviet Union RepresentativeYearTitleAnders Ahonen1921RepresentativeEero Järnefelt1921Chargé d'Affaires Karl Gyllenbögel1921–1922Eero Järnefelt1922–1923Antti Hackzell1922–1927EnvoyPontus Artti1927–1930Aarno Yrjö-Koskinen1931–1939Juho Kusti Paasikivi1940–1941Cay Sundström1945–1953Åke Gartz1953–1954Åke Gartz1954–1955AmbassadorEero A. Wuori1955–1963Jorma Vanamo1963–1967Jaakko Hallama1967–1970Björn-Olof Alholm1970–1974Jaakko Hallama1974–1982Aarno Karhilo1983–1988Heikki Talvitie1988–1992
Russia RepresentativeYearTitleHeikki Talvitie1991–1992AmbassadorArto Mansala1993–1996Markus Lyra1996–2000René Nyberg2000–2004Harry Helenius2004–2008Matti Anttonen2008–2012Hannu Himanen2012–2016Mikko Hautala2016–2020Antti Helanterä2020-2024Marja Liivala2024-
See also Embassy of Russia, Helsinki Finland–Russia relations Diplomatic missions in Russia Moscow Finnish School
References
External links Embassy of Finland in Moscow