Gustaf Mauritz Armfelt

The stamp on the card is that of Gustaf Mauritz Armfelt (1757 –1814), who was one of the most colourful characters of Finnish history. A set of stamps “Building a Nation”, commemorating the Year 1809 when Tsar Alexander I was in Poorvoo. This stamp is part of that sheet. Unfortunately, my scanner has not been able to adequately appreciate the bright golden epaulettes of Armfelt, and has shown them as dull green. Please excuse this unintentional techno-slipup. GM Armfelt contributed more than anyone else towards Finnish Independence, with his plan to turn the Grand Duchy of Finland into an autonomous state within the Russian Empire. He was one of the Father’s of Finnish Independence. His fate led him from the battlefields and courts of Europe to a dismal small town in Southern Russia. Armfelt was also one of the best-known Finns of his time, whose achievements were noted in the newspapers of Stockholm and Paris alike. He had an exceptional role as the guest of royalty and princely hosts in Europe. During his lifetime, he met or was personally acquainted with a stunning number of heads of state and other leading personages of the period. He was a handsome guy, and is believed to have been a favourite of many, mainly of the fairer sex ;-)) This nice card was sent to me by Juha.