1917 год: Торнео — дорога в Россию
1917: Torneo —Way to Russia

Summary/Abstract: The article studies the question about return of Russian political emigrants to Russia after February 1917 Revolution. The sources used for this work are the lists of the emigrants made on the border entry point in Tornio from March, 16, to October, 15, 1917 and now stored in Finland National archive. Political emigrants returned to Petrograd via Tornio mostly. The questions of border control organization and departure of emigrants to Petrograd are considered. The border entry point to Tornio was not ready to take up numerous migrants. So emigrants were departed to Petrograd in the day of arrival. The emigrants were controlled formally. The heads of the border entry point were replaced very often. It affected the work of the border entry point. In March–July 1917 more than 6000 emigrants passed via Tornio, including about 1000 political emigrants, more than 1000 person eligible for compulsory military service (deserters). Commandant of Tornio station and the head of the border entry point had sent the lists of emigrants to Petrograd skiimilitary district, to the head counter-intelligence and to the commandant of Finlyandskii station by telegraph. Political emigrants were of 20–40 years old. National minorities were about half of them. A lot of Finns were among emigrants. A part of Finns served in German Army. The leaders of socialist parties returned to Petrograd, among them G. V. Plekhanov, V. I. Lenin, G. E. Zinoviev, L. D. Trotskii, A. V. Lunacharskii, P. B. Aksel’rod, I. O. Martov, B. V. Savinkov, V. M. Chernov, P. A. Kropotkin and others. So all the leaders of illegal opposition returned to Russia.

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