Bjarmia, a legendary Norse name for a trading region in medieval northern Russia (around the White Sea and Dvina River, near modern Arkhangelsk), wasn't conquered outright but gradually fell under Russian control during the 11th-13th centuries. Viking (Varangian) raids and expeditions for furs, walrus ivory, and silver from Bjarmians (likely Finnic or Permic peoples) peaked from the 9th-11th centuries. By the 12th century, as Kievan Rus' expanded northward under Rurikid princes, Slavic colonization and alliances absorbed the area. The Novgorod Republic's fur trade networks dominated by the 13th century, integrating it into Russian spheres without a single "fall"—more a shift from Viking to Rus' influence, as Norsemen assimilated into local elites. Archaeological finds show Viking presence faded post-1100s.
Hålogaland (modern Hålogaland, northern Norway) was a key Viking-Age region in Scandinavia, encompassing sites like Trondheim fjords. It relates to Viking history as a Norse homeland and staging ground for eastern expeditions, including to Russia via the Baltic. Norwegians from here raided Bjarmia and integrated into Varangian routes, blending with Rus' formation.
Was there any finnish vikings? Or were vikings purely a scandinavian thing?
Norway, denmark, sweden, faroes, icelandic and greenlandic
Vikings were primarily a Scandinavian phenomenon, originating from modern-day Norway, Denmark, and Sweden during the Viking Age (c. 793–1066 CE). They were Norse seafarers, traders, and raiders from Germanic-speaking populations in those regions, expanding to colonies in the Faroe Islands, Iceland, and Greenland.
Finland itself was not part of Viking Scandinavia; it's in the Finnic linguistic and cultural sphere, with inhabitants like the Sámi and Finns who were often raided or traded with by Vikings from Sweden, but not core participants. No "Finnish Vikings" as a distinct group—Vikings were a Norse cultural/expansionist identity, not including Finnic peoples, though some Finnic mercenaries or allies (e.g., in Varangian guards) might have joined Norse expeditions.
Which finnish Empires have existed before Finland became independent
Finland did not have independent "empires" before its 1917 independence, as the region was never a unified sovereign state during medieval or early modern times. Instead, it was incorporated into larger powers. Here's a brief overview of key historical entities involving Finnish territories:
Karelian Formation (c. 13th–14th centuries): A loose medieval entity in eastern Finland (Karelia) with Finnic peoples resisting Novgorod expansion. It wasn't an empire but a cultural-political unit that fragmented after conflicts.
Swedish Empire (1617–1721): Finland was the eastern province (as "Finland" or Österland) of the Swedish Empire, which peaked under Gustavus Adolphus. Finnish troops fought in Swedish wars, but it was Swedish-ruled, not Finnish-led.
Grand Duchy of Finland (1809–1917): Ceded from Sweden to Russia after the Finnish War, it became an autonomous grand duchy under the Russian Empire. Ruled by Russian tsars (who were grand dukes), it had its own diet and institutions but wasn't an independent empire.
Finnish identity grew during Russian rule, leading to independence. For more, see the History of Finland on Wikipedia.