Emperor Alexander I ordered Finland's capital transferred from Turku to Helsinki on 8 April 1812, to curb Swedish influence and move the capital nearer St Petersburg.

On 8 April 1812, Emperor Alexander I of Russia moved the capital of Finland from Turku to Helsinki. The decision was motivated by a desire to reduce Swedish influence in Finland and to bring the capital closer to St Petersburg. The transfer occurred within the Grand Duchy of Finland, the autonomous state under Russian rule created after Russia defeated Sweden in the Finnish War and annexed Finland in 1809. Helsinki subsequently replaced Turku as the grand duchy's capital and experienced strong growth from the 1810s onward.

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