Grand Duchy of Finland

Administrative unit of the Russian Empire (1809–1917) and the Russian Republic (1917)

The Grand Duchy of Finland was the direct predecessor to modern Finland, existing from 1809 to 1917 as an autonomous region within the Russian Empire and briefly under the Russian Provisional Government. Originating in the 16th century as a titular grand duchy held by the King of Sweden, Finland was ceded to Russia following the Finnish War of 1808–1809. At the 1809 Diet of Porvoo, Emperor Alexander I pledged to uphold Finland's fundamental laws, Lutheran religion, and estate privileges.

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