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and the Petersburg economic region had a considerable influence on the development of
economic and trade and industrial ties between Russia and Finland during the early 20th
century. Prior to the Revolution, thousands of Finns worked in various capacities,
especially in Saint Petersburg, and actively engaged in trade in various regions of
Russia. Overall, more than two thirds of the
capacity of Finland's paper, metallurgy, textile, glass and tanning industries worked to
satisfy the demands of the Russian market during the latter half of the 19th century.
Finland's weaker customs defenses were used to help West European capital enter the
Russian market through Finland, thus circumventing the imperial customs regime. Russia's
foreign trade policy had an indirect influence on Finland, which had its own customs and
state branch offices and thus enjoyed economic independence.
At the same time, Finland had its own customs regime, its
own state finances and thus enjoyed economic independence. The share of Finnish export was
great in Saint Petersburg. Almost half of the paper exported to Russia went to Saint
Petersburg. Agricultural produce flowed to Saint Petersburg even from Finland's farther
reaches, but mainly from the Karelian Isthmus. The interruption of Finnish trade with
Petrograd after 1917 was a serious blow to Finland's agriculture and industrial sectors.
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