author
Pehr Evind Svinhufvud
1861–1944
A lawyer and judge who became one of the key figures in Finland’s break from Russian rule, he later served as the country’s third president. His career placed him at the center of some of the most decisive years in Finnish independence and state-building.
1 Audiobook
Svinhufvudin kertomukset Siperiasta
by Pehr Evind Svinhufvud
About the author
Born in 1861, Pehr Evind Svinhufvud was a Finnish statesman, lawyer, and judge who played a major part in the movement that led to Finland’s independence. During the years when Finland was an autonomous grand duchy under the Russian Empire, he became known for defending Finnish legality and constitutional government.
He was exiled to Siberia by the Russian authorities during the final years of imperial rule, but returned after the Russian Revolution. In 1917 he led the Finnish Senate and presented Finland’s declaration of independence to Parliament, making him one of the central political figures of the country’s founding moment.
Svinhufvud later served as president of Finland from 1931 to 1937. He is often remembered as a firm, conservative leader associated with the rule of law and the difficult early decades of Finnish nationhood.