Hamina - City of Finland

Hamina is a town and a municipality of Finland.

Hamina is located in the province of Southern Finland and is part of the Kymenlaakso region. The population of the main town is approximately 5,000. Hamina is unilingually Finnish speaking. Hamina is also one of the most important harbours of Finland. The port specialises in forest products and transit cargo to Russia.

Vehkalahti county was mentioned in the documents for the first time in 1336. At the proposal of Count Peter Brahe, the area surrounding the church of Vehkalahti was separated from rest of Vehkalahti in 1653 and it became a town called Vehkalahden Uusikaupunki . The town was destroyed during the Great Northern War in 1712.

As the important foreign trade town of Viipuri was surrendered to Russians in 1721, this town was intended to replace it. The town, thus far a small domestic trade port with restricted trade, was granted extensive privileges including foreign trade. Finnish people soon shortened the name to Hamina. The rebuilding of the town took place in 1722–1724. The star-shaped fortress and the circular town plan are based on an Italian renaissance fortress concept from the 16th century. Fortress towns like this are quite rare, another example is Palmanova in Italy.

The Treaty of Fredrikshamn , by which Sweden ceded Finland, along with parts of the provinces of Lappland and Västerbotten and the Åland Islands, was signed in Hamina. Thus Sweden was split and the eastern half, along with previously conquered territories including Hamina , was formed into the Grand Duchy of Finland, an autonomous part of the Russian Empire.

Hamina Cadet School was founded in 1819 and it was in function until 1903. In 1920 the Reserve Officer School began in the same facilities.

Because the town was once founded next to the Vehkalahti Church, the municipal center had always been inside the town borders. Vehkalahti and Hamina were consolidated in 2003, and the old coat of arms was replaced with Vehkalahti's coat of arms.

St. Mary's church. Originally medieval, damaged in fire in 1821 and renovated by Carl Ludvig Engel in 1828. It's the oldest building in Kymenlaakso.

St. John's Church, Carl Ludvig Engel, 1843.

Fortress. The fortress was built in the 18th century. The corners of the fortress form six bastions, named after towns in Finland. The Central Bastion was added at the end of the 18th century, and is currently used for cultural events.