Finland has closed its oldest consulate general in St. Petersburg

The Consulate General of Finland in St. Petersburg has been closed since October because Moscow revoked the corresponding license. It was one of the largest consulates general in Russia and in general.

This was reported by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Finland.

The consulateʼs license was revoked from October 1, 2023, the corresponding decision was made on July 6, when Russia expelled nine Finnish diplomats. The consulate building itself remains the property of Finland.

Since September 1, the Embassy of Finland in Moscow has taken over all consular and migration issues.

The Consulate General in St. Petersburg played a particularly important role in immigration matters and was important because of its geographical proximity to the border with Finland. This consulate has actually existed since 1923, with a nearly 20-year hiatus due to pre- and post-World War II tensions.

Two other consulates in geographical proximity to Finland, operating since the 1990s, in Petrozavodsk and Murmansk, were closed by Finland by decision earlier in 2023, and later Russia announced their final closure.