Seyn carried out and personally contributed to the Russification in Finland during his time as the Governor-General in 1909-1917. He had been in Finland many times before, starting his career as a staff officer in the Russian Military District of Finland up to acting as an aide to the Governor-General. He was appointed to the office by Prime Minister Stolypin, who especially desired a strong executor to the abolishment of Finland's special status within the Empire.
After the revolution the Provisional Government ordered on March 16th, 1917, Seyn to be arrested. The arrest was accomplished by Vice-Admiral Nepenin, Commander of the Baltic Fleet. The next day he himself was assassinated * at Sveaborg Naval Port, by a rebellious sailor. Later Seyn was released in Petrograd. During the turbulent times after the Bolshevik coup he, most likely, drowned near Kronstadt in summer 1918.
The summer residence of the Governor-General, situated in Meilahti (Swedish Mejlans) 3 km from the city center, is presently the official residence of the Prime Minister.
*) Andrian Nepenin (Андріанъ Ивановичъ Непенинъ) was born in 1871. His grave is in the Helsinki Orthodox Cemetery. An extensive account, based on original material, of events leading among others to Nepenin's death can be found in the book Norman E. Saul: "Sailors in Revolt. The Russian Baltic Fleet in 1917." Lawrence, Kansas, 1978.
Literature: Pertti Luntinen: F.A. Seyn. A Political Biography. Helsinki 1985. 342 p.(In English)
Picture: Seyn in the Russian military celebrations of the 200th anniversary of the conquest of the city of Viipuri (Vyborg) on the 12th of June, 1910.