Organization of defense of the Russian northern borders in the Russo-Swedish war (1788-1790)

The authors analyze the level of readiness of the northern territories of Russia for defense on the eve of and during the Russo-Swedish War of 1788-1790 on the basis of official and clerical documents. The purpose of the study is to find out how the strengthening of the defense of the country’s northern borders was carried out at the time under study and to assess the timeliness of its implementation. The research novelty of the article is that it presents the comprehensive study of the measures taken to strengthen the defense of the northern territories of Russia, determines the reasons for Sweden’s failure to carry out an attack on northwestern Karelia and the White Sea, and assesses the activities of central and local authorities to solve defense problems in the north of the country. The relevance of the study is to demonstrate the need for timely formulation and completion of defense tasks by the Russian government. The authors conclude that the North of Russia, despite the importance of these territories for the industrial development of the country, the development of the navy, the provision of the army and navy with weapons, remained poorly protected, and only the unpreparedness of the enemy for simultaneous actions on the Baltic Sea, in Karelia and the White Sea region saved the territories of the Arkhangelsk and Olonets governorate from ruin. During the war, all the main tasks of strengthening the defense of the northern borders were completed.