Consulate of Russia, Åland
The Consulate of the Russian Federation in Åland is a Russian diplomatic mission in Finland's autonomous Åland region. The consulate is located in Åland's capital, Mariehamn, and is subordinate to the Russian Embassy in Helsinki. The current consul is Alexander Rogov. History Soviet era (1940–1992) Following the conclusion of the Winter War in 1940, The Soviet Union and Finland signed a treaty concerning the status of the Åland Islands. The treaty requires Finland to demilitarize Åland and ensure no Finnish or foreign military presence is ever established on the islands. Article 3 of this treaty granted the Soviet Union the right to maintain a diplomatic office in Åland to monitor Finland's treaty obligation to keep Åland demilitarized. According to the treaty, if a Soviet consular representative believes the demilitarization of Åland is being violated, he has the right to notify the Finnish authorities to perform a joint investigation. The results of any investigation will be published in Finnish and Russian. Following the dissolution of the Soviet Union, Russia inherited the Soviet treaty with Finland on the Åland Islands, and the treaty is still in force today. In 1961 the consulate helped arrange a sister city agreement between Lomonosov and Mariehamn.