Celebrating 91 years of coast guard operations in Finland!
The 90th anniversary of coast guard operations in 2020 was celebrated more modestly than planned due to COVID-19, but in honour of the anniversary the Finnish Border Guard, Coast Guard Museum and Forum Marinum Maritime Centre created an exhibition on the different phases of coast guard operations. The contents of the small-scale exhibition consisting of text and image walls was created by non-fiction author Johanna Pakola.
Coast guard operations began in 1930 in independent Finland, when it became clear that the Customs Service was unable to control the continuously increasing alcohol smuggling caused by the Prohibition Act. To resolve the situation, the Coast Guard of Finland was established on a military basis. After the Continuation War, the coast guard operations became part of the operations of the Finnish Border Guard.
91 years ago, the task of coast guards was to prevent smuggling, to maintain order and to assist those in distress at sea. Although the operations have become more diverse and more extensive over the years, the basic tasks have remained almost the same.
Photo: VMV 11 patrol boat ready to head out to sea. Illustrations of the anniversary exhibition. Photo: Coast Guard Museum.