Kými

Kymi lies at the mouth of the river of the same name, where its branches meet the Gulf of Finland among islands and channels. After the Treaty of Åbo in 1743 the river marked a frontier between Sweden and Russia. The waters off its mouth became the scene of major naval fighting during Gustav III's war, including the Swedish victory at Svensksund in July 1790.

After the war, Russia strengthened the approaches to its frontier. General Alexander Suvorov directed a system of land and sea fortifications: Kyminlinna was begun in 1791 on Hovinsaari to guard the coastal road and river crossings, while works on islands farther south protected the anchorage at Svensksund. Together they made the river mouth a strongly fortified gateway to the interior.