Rail in Finland During Transition and Civil War (1917-1918)
In 1917 Vladimir Ilyich Lenin made his famous journey out of exile and travelled from Helsinki to St. Petersburg arriving at the Finland Station on 16 April 1917, by July he had to flee again, returning to Helsinki this time disguised as the fireman of the train (driven by Hugo Jalava) - he only got as far as Lahti railway station by rail as the wax used in the disguise was starting to melt. In September he returned to Russia again in another disguise; this time he was more successful: As a consequence of the Russian revolution Finland was able to gain its independence in peace from Russia, and on 6 December 1917 Finland's Declaration of Independence was made.
During the Finnish Civil War the rail network was sufficiently well developed to play a significant role in the conflict, a train from Russia, the so-called "weapons train" arrived in January 1918 bringing 15,000 rifles, 30 machineguns, 76mm guns, two armoured cars and ammunition. Much of the fighting took place on or around the railways, or for control of vital railway points. Armoured trains were also used during the war, and were effective.
Read more about this topic: History Of Rail Transport In Finland
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“The god or hero of the sculptor is always represented in a transition from that which is representable to the senses, to that which is not.”
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