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For centuries, Finland belonged to the Swedish Empire. As a result of the Russo-Swedish War of 1808/09, the territory came under Russian rule and was incorporated into the Tsarist Empire as the Grand Duchy of Finland. It had its own institutions and a certain degree of internal self-government. Towards the end of the 19th century, however, the Russian government attempted to standardise administration and legislation more extensively. This policy, known as Russification, strengthened the Finnish national movement.

Language and culture also contributed to the development of a distinct national identity. Alongside Swedish, which had long predominated in administration and education, Finnish gained increasing public importance in the 19th century. Both languages remain official languages to this day. Literature, folk poetry and the visual arts enabled the national movement to present Finland as an independent cultural and political space.

The collapse of the Russian Empire in the revolutionary year of 1917 opened the way to state independence. Following the Bolshevik seizure of power in Russia, the Finnish Senate submitted a declaration of independence, which Parliament adopted on 6 December. This day has been observed as Finnish Independence Day ever since. The new government of Soviet Russia recognised the country’s independence shortly afterwards; other states followed.

The first months of the new state were marked by a civil war between the “Reds”, who emerged primarily from the workers’ movement, and the bourgeois-conservative “Whites”. After the Whites’ victory, Finland ultimately rejected a monarchy. The republican constitution of 1919 established the foundations of the political system.

The anniversary was the occasion for a nationwide commemorative programme in 2017, centred on the idea of shaping the future together. The commemorative coin formed part of these state and social commemorative activities. The mosaic can be understood as an indication that the state is composed of different people, regions, languages and experiences.