“Imperial Space” of the Finland’s capital and symbols of the revolutionary time in the political culture of Russian servicemen in Helsingfors in the Spring 1917

The article considers the imperial topography of Helsingfors (Helsinki), the capital of the autonomous Grand Duchy of Finland, using the concept of "space" - an approach that attracts the attention of historians, sociologists, cultural scientists. The city of the XIX - early XX centuries is studied as an "imperial space" in which various forms of cultural identity intersect and come into conflict. On the materials of the Russian and Finnish archives, as well as published sources, it is shown that in the early days of the Russian revolution of 1917, the topographic text of the Finnish capital was filled with new symbolic content, took in the time-dictated symbolism of the transformation of reality. The author traces how the political coup in the spring of 1917 was accompanied by a symbolic coup, affecting the emotional sphere of the participants in the events. It was concluded that in the context of revolutionary shocks, much in the relationship between the inhabitants of Helsingfors and Russian servicemen was determined by the spontaneous moods of Baltic sailors and soldiers who descended from ships and left the barracks for the streets of the city.