The tip of the Hanko Peninsula is the southernmost point of mainland Finland, located at the entrance to the Gulf of Finland, from where it is easy to control traffic in the Gulf. Hanko has been a militarily significant location since the 17th century, when Sweden built a fortification there known as the Bruneskär redoubt, which formed part of the Swedish-Finnish coastal defense system.
After the Winter War, the town was forced to lease the area to the Soviet Union for a period of 30 years, although the Hanko Peninsula served as a Soviet military base for just under two years. As a result, the interiors of many villas fell into very poor condition. For example, holes were made in the walls of some villas to accommodate Soviet-era stoves.
Villa Havssmak, commissioned by a bishop from Saint Petersburg and designed by a master builder from Hanko, served as some kind of base for the Soviet occupying forces. Evidence of that period can also be found in printed notices discovered among scrap in one of the buildings: one warns of the danger of mines, while another announces that the building has been cleaned and is ready for use.
At its peak, there were as many as 10,000 Soviet soldiers stationed on the Hanko Peninsula.
After the Soviet troops withdrew, soldiers from another great power began moving through the area, as leave transports for German soldiers were routed via Tulliniemi in Hanko. Even today, structures dating from both the Soviet and German periods can still be found in Hanko.
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