The Russian Pillage (Swedish: rysshärjningarna), is the name for the action of the Imperial Russian Fleet toward the Swedish civilian population along the Swedish east coast, as well as expeditions and the raids of single unit in the inland, during the finishing years of the Great Northern War in 1719–1721.
The purpose is to pillage, sack, and burn to force the Swedish regime to concessions during the peace negotiations on Åland.
The Swedish representative, Georg Heinrich von Görtz, is at this time stalling the negotiations in hope of military support from Great Britain.
Peter the Great, on the other hand, wishes for a swift end to the war, which will make it possible for him to focus on inner reform.
