№ 1463. Joint issue the Russian Federation - Aland Islands (Finland). The 150th anniversary of foundation of Mariehamn.

In 2011, the joint issue of the Russian Federation and the Aland Islands (Finland) is dedicated to the 150th anniversary of foundation of Mariehamn - the main town of the Åland Islands. It is the smallest of all the Scandinavian capitals, but the third largest port in Finland. It is the seat of the Government and Parliament of Åland. More than half of the total population of the archipelago lives in the city.
History of foundation of Mariehamn (the name translates from Swedish as “harbor of Mary”) is connected to the Crimean War, which determined the further fate of Åland as demilitarized islands. After the war, the local inhabitants moved a motion to Alexander II about the foundation of a port city on the main island, which was suggested to name in honor of Maria Alexandrovna, wife of the Russian emperor Alexander II. Tsar's manifesto from February 4, 1859, permitted the foundation of Mariehamn, a diploma signed on February 20, 1861, established the status of the city.
Souvenir sheet depicts portrait of Empress Maria Alexandrovna (1857) / F.K. Winterhalter from the collection of Hermitage against the background of ancient map of Mariehamn.