The Moscow Peace Treaty
March 12th, 1940
The Treaty of Peace between The Republic
of Finland and The Union of Soviet Socialist Republics
The government of the Republic of Finland on the one hand and The
Presidium of the Supreme Soviet of the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics
on the other hand,
Desiring to put an end to the hostilities which have arisen between
the two countries and to create lasting peaceful relations between
And being convinced that the creation of precise conditions for reciprocal
security, including the security of the cities of Leningrad and Murmansk
and the Murmansk Railway, corresponds to the interest of both contracting
Have to this end found it necessary to conclude a peace treaty and
have appointed as their representatives for this purpose
The government of the Republic of Finland:
- Risto Ryti, Prime Minister of the Republic of Finland
- Juho Kusti Paasikivi, Minister
- General Rudolf Walden
- Professor Väinö Voionmaa
The Presidium of the Supreme Soviet of the Soviet Socialist Republics:
- Vyacheslav Mikhailovich Molotov, chairman of the Council of People's
Commissars of the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics and People's
Commissar for Foreign Affairs
- Andrei Aleksandrovich Zhdanov, member of the Presidium of the Supreme
Soviet of the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics
- Aleksandr Mikhailovich Vasilevski, Brigade Commander
The above-mentioned representatives, after exchange of credentials
which were found to be in due form and good order, have agreed upon
Hostilities between Finland and the U.S.S.R. shall cease immediately
in accordance with procedure laid down in the protocol appended to
The national frontier between the Republic of Finland and the U.S.S.R.
shall run along a new line in such fashion that there shall be included
in the territory of the U.S.S.R. the entire Karelian Isthmus with
the city of Viipuri and Viipuri Bay with its islands, the western
and northern shores of Lake Ladoga with the cities of Kexholm and
Sortavala and the town of Suojärvi, a number of islands in the
Gulf of Finland, the area east of Märkäjärvi with the
town of Kuolajärvi, and part of the Rybachi and Sredni peninsulas,
all in accordance with the map appended to this treaty.
A more detailed determination and establishment of the frontier line
shall be carried out by a mixed commission made up of representatives
of the contracting powers, which commission shall be named within
ten days from the date of the signing of this treaty.
Both contracting parties undertake each to refrain from any attack
upon the other and to make no alliance and to participate in no coalition
directed against either of the contracting parties.
The Republic of Finland agrees to lease to the Soviet Union for thirty
years, against an annual rental of eight million Finnish marks to
be paid by the Soviet Union, Hanko Cape and the waters surrounding
it in a radius of five miles to the south and east and three miles
to the north and west, and also the several islands falling within
that area, in accordance with the map appended to this treaty, for
the establishment of a naval base capable of defending the mouth of
the Gulf of Finland against attack; in addition to which, for the
purpose of protecting the naval base, the Soviet Union is granted
the right of maintaining there at its own expense the necessary number
of armed land and air forces.
Within the days from the date this treaty enters into effect, the
government of Finland shall withdraw all its military forces from
Hanko Cape, which together with its adjoining islands shall be transferred
to the jurisdiction of the U.S.S.R. in accordance with this article
of the treaty.
The U.S.S.R. undertakes to withdraw it troops from the Petsamo area
which the Soviet state voluntarily ceded to Finland under the peace
treaty of 1920.
Finland undertakes, as provided in the peace treaty of 1920, to refrain
from maintaining in the waters running along its coast of the Arctic
Ocean warships and other armed ships, excluding armed ships of less
than one hundred tons displacement, which Finland shall be entitled
to maintain without restriction, and also at most fifteen warships
or other armed ships, the displacement of none of which shall exceed
four hundred tons.
Finland undertakes, as was provided in the same treaty, not to maintain
in the said waters any submarines or armed aircraft.
Finland similarly undertakes, as was provided in the same treaty,
not to establish on that coast military ports, naval bases, or naval
repair shops of greater capacity than is necessary for the above-mentioned
ships and their armament.
As provided in the treaty of 1920, the Soviet Union and its citizens
are granted the right of free transit across the Petsamo area to Norway
and back, in addition to which the Soviet Union is granted the right
to establish a consulate in the Petsamo area.
Merchandise shipped through the Petsamo area from the Soviet Union
to Norway, and likewise merchandise shipped through the same area
from Norway to the Soviet Union, is exempted from inspection and control,
with the exception of such control as is necessary for the regulation
of transit traffic; neither customs duties nor transit or other charges
shall be assessed.
The above-mentioned control of transit merchandise shall be permitted
only in the form usual in such cases in accordance with established
practice in international communications.
Citizens of the Soviet Union who travel through the Petsamo area to
Norway and from Norway back to the Soviet Union shall be entitled
to free transit passage on the basis of passports issued by the appropriate
officials of the Soviet Union.
Observing general directives in effect, unarmed Soviet aircraft shall
be entitled to maintain air service between the Soviet Union and Norway
via the Petsamo area.
The government of Finland grants to the Soviet Union the right of
transit for goods between the Soviet Union and Sweden, and, with a
view to developing this traffic along the shortest railway route,
the Soviet Union and Finland consider it necessary to build, each
upon its own territory and insofar as possible in the year 1940, a
railway which shall connect Kantalahti (Kandalaksha) with Kemijärvi.
Upon the coming into force of this treaty economic relations between
the contracting parties shall be restored, and with this end in view
the contracting parties shall enter into negotiations for the conclusion
of a trade agreement.
This treaty of peace shall enter into effect immediately upon being
signed, and shall be subject to subsequent ratification.
The exchange of instruments of ratification shall take place within
ten days in the city of Moscow.
This treaty has been prepared in two original instruments, in the
Finnish and Swedish languages and in Russian, at Moscow this twelfth
day of March, 1940.
Protocol appended to the treaty of peace
concluded between Finland and The Union of Soviet Socialist Republics
on March 12, 1940
The contracting parties confirm the following arrangement for cessation
of hostilities and the withdrawal of troops beyond the national boundary
established by the peace treaty:
1. Both sides shall cease hostilities on March 13, 1940, at 12:00
noon Leningrad time.
2. As from the hour fixed for the cessation of hostilities there
shall be established a neutral zone, one kilometer in depth, between
the positions of advanced units, whereupon within the course of the
first day forces of that party to the treaty which under the new national
boundary find themselves in territory pertaining to the other party
to the treaty shall withdraw one kilometer's distance.
3. Withdrawal of troops beyond the new national boundary and advance
of the troops of the other party to this national boundary shall commence
on March 15 from 10:00 A.M. along the whole frontier from the Gulf
of Finland to Lieksa, and on March 16 from 10:00 A.M. at points north
of Lieksa. Withdrawal shall be effected through daily marches of not
less than seven kilometers, the advance of troops of the other party
taking place in such fashion that there shall be maintained between
the rear guard of the withdrawing troops and the advance units of
the other party to the treaty an interval of not less than seven kilometers.
4. The following time limits are established for withdrawal, on various
sectors of the national boundary, in accordance with Paragraph 3:
a) In the sector compromising the upper course of the Tuntsajoki River,
Kuolajärvi, Takala, and the eastern shore of Lake Joukamojärvi
the movement of troops of both parties to the treaty shall be completed
on March 20, 1940, at 8:00 P.M.
b) In the Latva sector south of Kuhmonniemi, troops movements shall
be completed on March 22, 1940, at 8:00 P.M.
c) In the Lonkavaara, Värtsilä and Matkaselkä station
sector, troop movements of both parties shall be completed on March
22, at 8:00 P.M.
d) In the Koitsanlahti sector at Matkaselkä station, troop movements
shall be completed on March 25, 1940, at 8:00 P.M.
e) In the Esno station sector at Koitsanlahti, troop movements shall
be completed on March 25, 1940, at 8:00 P.M.
f) In the Paationsaari sector at Esno station, troop movements shall
be completed on March 19, 1940, at 8:00 P.M.
5. Evacuation of troops of the Red Army from the Petsamo area shall
be completed by April 10, 1940.
6. The command of each party to the treaty undertakes, while troops
are withdrawing to the other side of the national boundary, to put
into effect in the cities and localities to be ceded to the other
party necessary measures for their preservation undamaged, and to
put into effect measures necessary to the end that cities, localities,
and establishments of defensive and economic importance (bridges,
dams, airfields, barracks, storehouses, railway communications, industrial
plants, telegraphs, electric power plants) shall be preserved from
damage and destruction.
7. All questions which may arise upon the cession by one contracting
party to the other of the areas, localities, cities, or other objectives
referred to in Paragraph 6 of this protocol shall be settled on the
spot by representatives of both parties to the treaty, for which purpose
the command shall appoint special delegates for each main route of
movement of both armies.
8. The exchange of prisoners of war shall be carried out in the briefest
possible time after the cessation of hostilities on the basis of a
March 12, 1940
Source: Max Jakobson;"Finland Survived,
An Account of the Finnish-Soviet Winter War 1939-1940", second edition,
1984, the Otava Publishing Co., Finland