During the last decades of the 16th century, Finland and Karelia were the scene of restless and brutal disputes between the Swedish and Russian Empires. Small bands of local Finns and Karelians, would launch devastating raids deep into the territories of the Empires. During the summer of 1589, the town of Kandalaksha was burning, in the distance, a column of rugged Finns were marching towards their next target, the city of Kem, at its head was the soon-to-be legend, Pekka Vesainen.

The Long Wrath – 25 years of devastation

The Kingdom of Sweden and the Tsardom of Russia, as well as their predecessors and successors, found themselves in various conflicts over the territories that now make up Finland, Estonia, Latvia and Russia.

The Treaty of Nöteborg, signed in 1326, originally defined the borders between the two powers. However, as the population grew and the balance of power shifted, the treaty became outdated. Swedish settlements in Ostrobothnia and Savonia began to expand northeast, encouraged by Swedish authorities, which led to frequent clashes with the Karelians in the region.

When King John III ascended to the Swedish throne in 1569, he initiated a 25-year war with Russia aimed at conquering Livonia and Karelia. While the conflict in the South was conventional, the fighting in the North took on a brutal guerrilla nature.

As Russia struggled under the pressure of a Swedish and Polish-Lithuanian alliance, the Tsar was compelled to negotiate a truce in 1583. Despite this truce, fierce tribal conflicts continued in the northern forests. Karelians, with support from Russia, would raid into Kainuu and North Ostrobothnia, while the settlers of Ostrobothnia and Savonia retaliated by launching incursions deep into Karelia.

For 25 years, both sides engaged in pillaging and destruction, leaving the regions devastated. Eventually, as Sweden allocated more resources to Finland, the Treaty of Teusina was signed in 1595. Although peace was restored, tensions would linger for centuries to come.

Who was Pekka Vesainen

Due to the times and area, not much is known about Pekka Vesainen. There is little doubt of his existence as he does appear in Swedish documents (Finland was part of the Swedish empire at this time) from 1563 under the name Petr Vesa. There are conflicts though as to where he was born, with some claiming he was born in Utajärvi, while the more popular theory is that he was born in Vesala, in what was then part of Ii. His family is also a mystery, but the legends state he had a wife and 7 children. In the 1571 tax lists, he is known to have one horse, four cows, four bulls and four sheep, a modest holding for those in the same area but it is thought (due to Swedish Crown Accounts) that he was an assistant Lay Judge in the Municipality of Ii.

It is thought he died in 1627 in the same house that he had lived in his whole life. However, in some retellings of his legend, he died at the hands of one of his Karelian captives as he retreated from Kola.

Vesainen’s Expedition

As Swedish and Russian forces rested in the wake of the signing of the Truce of Plussa, the various bands of tribesmen in the forests of the North still clashed. Russian forces made up chiefly of Karelians, burnt and ravaged the areas of Kainuu and North Ostrobothnia during the 1580s. The Swedish Crown was too concerned with the situation in the south of the Empire to give any resources to the sparse settlements. In the aftermath of one of these raids, a wealthy peasant rose to become the leader of an armed militia. Pekka Vesainen, a well-respected man in his community, would lead between 90-100 village men (Russian sources state as many as 900) to the White Sea, attacking several Russian and Karelian settlements along the way. Using the numerous rivers, they made their way to the town of Kandalaksha. Arriving on the Feast of St. Peter, the inhabitants were inebriated from their celebrations, oblivious to what was about to occur. Striking in the early hours of the morning, Vesainen led his band in razing the town and killing hundreds. Satisfied with their assault, the raiders moved south, looting and sacking as they went. Arriving at the small fishing village of Kem, they ransacked it before deciding to return home.

The party, burdened by their spoils, were slow to return home. In response to the attacks, the Russians and Karelians immediately retaliated. A force drove deep into Ostrobothnia, destroying any settlement in its way. Vesainen returned to find his wife had been captured and two of his children dead. Fuelled by the loss of his children and wife, Vesainen then gathered another expedition which swiftly reached the coast of the Arctic Sea. The guerrillas would attack the Petsamo Monastery on Christmas Eve 1589. The raiders were brutal in their revenge, dismembering and burning the monks and laymen present at the Christmas worship, putting over 100 to the sword and burning down the entire complex before heading to the important trading town of Kola. Falling upon the town, they plundered and pillaged. Either blinded by rage or success they attempted to capture the fort in the area. However the Russian forces, under the command of a Voivode (warlord), held out against the more lightly equipped Finns and soon Vesainen was forced to call a retreat. He returned in early 1590, having freed his wife along the way (but the stories aren’t clear where or when), and settled back into a peaceful country life.

Later in 1590, legend says he was visited by King Johan III and presented with gifts for his services. However, Vesainen’s life wasn’t to remain peaceful for long, for another raid by Russians hit the Ii and Kiiminki areas. Vesainen’s family lost three more children to these raiders, breaking Pekka’s spirit.

The Growing of the Legend

Due to his spot in antiquity, as well as his residing in the wild areas of Swedish rule, not many official documents can support much of the life of Pekka Vesainen. Outside of a couple of official tax documents, the majority of what we know comes from oral tradition. While oral tradition is an accepted part of historiography and helps us understand the importance of events within the context of anthropology, it can be highly questionable to rely solely upon it. This is due to oral transmissions within societies being subject to embellishments, twistings, and reflections of the current societal trends. But it shouldn’t be wholly dismissed due to the faults, but used in conjunction with the more confirmable information we have.

Pekka Vesainen’s legend sees more input from oral tradition. Thanks to a tax record of the Ostrobothnia bailiff in 1589, in which he collected some of the spoils from Vesainen’s expedition, we can at least confirm that he was involved in the incidents at Kandalaksha and Kem. The second expedition to Kola is one that has come under more scrutiny. Due to the closeness of the events and lack of corroborating sources, most modern historians believe that Vesainen wasn’t involved in this event. Still, regardless of the truth, the legend has grown up around it.

The rise of Finnish nationalism (Fennoman movement) in the 18th century, saw a rise of National Heroes from Finland’s past. These characters were romanticised in literature and used as examples of Finnishness and bravery against the invader. Vesainen’s story was elevated to the national stage in 1894 with the publication of ‘Juho Vesainen’ by Finnish Nationalist Historical writer Santeri Ivalo. From this point, Vesainen’s life became a symbol of the determination and drive of the Ostrobothnian people and in 1936 a large statue was placed at Vesala depicting the Militia leader’s head. A road in the village was also named after him, and in 1940 a lifesized statute of Vesainen was erected at Ii’s parish church.

Sources

Muhos. (n.d.). https://www.tiedonportailla.fi/muhoksenhistoriaa/pitkaviha.htm
Pekka Vesaisen legenda on totta ja tarua. (n.d.). http://kirjastolinkit.ouka.fi/kaleva/elo12/pekkavesaisen.htm
Biografiasampo. (n.d.). Biografiasampo. https://biografiasampo.fi/henkilo/p5888
Enbuske, Matti: Pekka Vesaisen historia: myyttinen sissipäällikkö, kovaluonteinen talonpoika 1500-luvulta. Faravid, 2013, 37. vsk, s. 35–57. Oulu: Pohjois-Suomen historiallinen yhdistys. ISSN 0356-5629
Muraina, M. B. (2015). Oral Tradition as a Reliable Source of Historical Writing: Arguments for and Against and Implications for Historical Writing in Education. Historical Research Letter, 22, 17–20. https://www.iiste.org/Journals/index.php/HRL/article/download/23884/24455