Published in: Helsingin Sanomat, 9th of June, 2003

- THE RUSSIANS FORTIFIED HELSINKI DURING THE FIRST WORLD WAR

- THE FORTIFICATIONS AT LÄNSIMÄKI ARE INSPECTED CAREFULLY

- A little over 87 years ago Länsimäki in Vantaa was a busy place. Hundreds of workers, men and women were clearing the woods and the ground and demolishing the rocks. To the shafts that were exploded into rocks, concrete was poured and mould into a trenches and bunkers. The foreground of these positions, was covered with a barbed wire. The Russian army was afraid, that the Germans might try to land near Helsinki and they decided to surround Helsinki with a fortification chain. At the end of the First World War, the whole city was wrapped into a barbed wire, tells the archeologist. 

- Two archeologist are doing an research of the fortifications build in Länsimäki, during the years 1916 and 1917. A total of three fortification chains were build around Helsinki. Most of these positions, have been overrun by a residential areas and roads. Fortification positions in Länsimäki, are among the best preserved places. Archeologists made an unique discovery here. At the bottom of an oasis, now almost overrun by woods, the old barbed wire line is still visible. In other parts of the fortification, only earthworks have been found, built to protect the barbed wire line. Only small stubs are what remains from this barbed wire line, but still you can get a some kind of picture, that how massive the obstacle has been. It had a seven separate lines and the height was from half a meter to one and a half meter. In addition to this, there was a machine gun bunker at the left side of the barbed wire, where the soldiers of the Tsar, would have been able to fire the Germans, attempting to cut the wire.

- But with only barbed wire, no army can stop the enemy. About a hundred meters from the barbed wire line, goes the trenches and bunkers. During the time when the fortification chain was build, the trees were cut down and the positions, dug into a rock, had a perfect and cruel position to fire the enemy coming to the barbed wire line. The defenders had also a good protection from the enemy fire, as the trenches are deep and the bunkers had a concrete roof. After the First World War, the bunkers lost their roofs and scrap iron was collected from the roofs. The archeologist assumes, that with the iron collected from Krepost Sveaborg, they probably build the railway line to Hanko and perhaps even further. There is only one bunker in Länsimäki, that has remained intact. Even when the construction looks huge from the outside, the interior is quite cramped. The walls and ceiling are made out of concrete, one meter thick. Positions in Länsimäki, have been inspected quite thoroughly. The two archeologist working here, have measured the location and height of every bunker. Even every remains of those barbed wire poles have been measured. This research is a part of the Urban-program, belonging to the Living City-project. It is funded by the city of Vantaa and the European Union. The intention is to clean up and renovate the fortification chain, if the funding can be arranged. The research and measurements are still under way, so the job will begin during the next summer, at the earliest

INFORMATION CORNER

- Fortification chain around the capital, was built to protect St. Petersburg. It was feared, that the Germans might land at the west coast and advance to St. Petersburg.

- Fortifying job around Helsinki, continued all through the First World War. Meaning the years 1914 to 1918. Fortifications were built to the land and to the sea.

- Around 10 000 to 15 000 people participated to the construction work. 

- Most of the workers were Finnish, but 2 000 to 3 000 prisoners were brought from Far East for a short while.

- The Russian troops were started to demobilize from Helsinki during the end of the year 1917, after the October Revolution. 

- The only real combat actions the fortification chain saw, was during the Finnish civil war. The German division that had landed in Hanko, attacked from the direction of Espoo in the April of 1918, towards Helsinki, which at that time was in the control of Red's. Most of the fortification surrendered without a fight.