The article deals with the phenomenon – Fennoman movement. Fennoman movement – is the Finnish national movement that originated in the first half of the XIX century, and which later became a political struggle for the autonomy of Finland. The main feature of this movement was the formation of the Finnish national identity. A major role in this area played a prominent figures of Finnish culture Johan Wilhelm Snellman, the poet Johan Ludvig Runeberg, a collector of "Kalevala" Elias Lonnrot. For the awakening of national consciousness, according Y.V. Snellmana, it was not enough to only Finnish language and literacy. It is necessary to educate the people, to make the foundation of the nation's intelligentsia, and the Finnish state.