Russians in Finland

Russians in Finland or Russian Finns are a linguistic and ethnic minority in Finland. As of 2022, there are 93,535 Russian-speaking people, or 1.7% of population, in Finland. It is the largest linguistic minority in the country.[1] However, many of Russian-speaking immigrants are Ingrian Finns and other Finnic peoples.[2]

Russians in Finland
Русские в Финляндии
Suomen venäläiset
Finlandsryssar
Total population
up to 93,535 depending on the definition (2022) (1.7% of the population)[1]
Regions with significant populations
Helsinki, Eastern Finland, Southern Finland
Languages
Finnish, Swedish, Russian
Religion
predominantly Finnish Orthodox Church, Russian Orthodox Church
Related ethnic groups
Russian people, Jews in Finland

There are 33,428 people, or 0.6% of population, who hold Russian citizenship residing in Finland – dual citizens included. The dissolution of the Soviet Union has influenced how Statistics Finland defines a person's country of birth in their statistical data. Before 1991, individuals born in what is now Russia, Latvia, Belarus, Ukraine, etc. are considered to have been born in the Soviet Union. 20,499 people were born in Russia and whereas 63,885 people come from the former Soviet Union.[1]

Furthermore, there are people with Russian-background who have received only Finnish citizenship, and Estonian Russians. Two common reasons for immigration were marriage, and descendant from Ingrian Finns.[3]

Russian citizens who moved before the Second World War are called "Old Russians". The next immigration wave happened after the dissolution of the Soviet Union, as Ingrian Finns remigrated to Finland. At present, marriage and family ties are two other common reasons for Russians to immigrate to Finland.[4]

History

The first migratory wave of Russians began in the early 18th century, when Finland was part of the Swedish Empire.[4] About 40,000 Russian soldiers, civilian workers, and about 600 businessmen moved to the Grand Duchy of Finland, which became an autonomous state within the Russian Empire in 1809. When Finland became independent in 1917, many soldiers returned to Russia. Many businessmen stayed, including the Sinebrychoff family. During the Russian Revolution many aristocrats and officers fled to Finland as refugees. The biggest refugee wave was in 1922 when about 33,500 people came to Finland. Many of them had Nansen passports for many years. During the Kronstadt rebellion about 1,600 officers fled to Finland. Russian citizens who moved in these three waves are called "Old Russians", whose 3,000–5,000 descendants live in Finland today.[4] During World War II, there were about 69,700 Soviet prisoners of war in Finland, and 200–300 children were born to them and Finnish women.[5][6][7]

A second major wave of immigration occurred after the fall of the Soviet Union. Many Russian guest workers came to Finland, working low-paying jobs. In the 1990s, immigration to Finland grew, and a Russian-speaking population descended from Ingrian Finns immigrated to Finland. In the 2000s, many nouveaux riches Russians have bought estates in Eastern Finland.

Population
Historical population
YearPop.±%
18905,795—    
19005,939+2.5%
19107,339+23.6%
192215,161+106.6%
19903,884−74.4%
199515,872+308.7%
200028,205+77.7%
200539,653+40.6%
201054,559+37.6%
201572,436+32.8%
201675,444+4.2%
201777,177+2.3%
201879,225+2.7%
201981,606+3.0%
202084,190+3.2%
202187,552+4.0%
Russian speakers. Source: 1890-1922,[8] 1990-2021 Statistics Finland
Russian speakers by region[9]
Region Population %
Uusimaa 43,566 2.54%
Finland Proper 5,557 1.15%
Kymenlaakso 5,080 3.15%
South Karelia 5,037 3.99%
Pirkanmaa 4,656 0.88%
North Karelia 3,949 2.42%
Päijät-Häme 3,801 1.85%
North Savo 2,521 1.02%
North Ostrobothnia 2,375 0.57%
Central Finland 2,304 0.84%
South Savo 1,694 1.29%
Satakunta 1,453 0.68%
Kainuu 1,125 1.58%
Kanta-Häme 1,038 0.61%
Ostrobothnia 1,017 0.58%
Lapland 969 0.55%
Southern Ostrobothnia 932 0.49%
Central Ostrobothnia 317 0.47%
Åland 161 0.53%
 Finland 87,552 1.58%

Culture

Russian language newspaper Spektr was founded in 1998, and radio channel Radio Sputnik (Russkoje Radio Helsinki) broadcast in the Russian language until 2018.[10] Many small Russian Orthodox Churches have been founded in Finland.

Manifestations of intolerance

In a 2012 poll, 12% of Russians in Finland reported that they had experienced a racially motivated hate crime (as compared to an average of 5% of Russians in all EU countries).[11] 27% of Russians in Finland were victims of crimes the last 12 months, for example theft, attacks, frightening threats or harassment (as compared to 17% of Russians in EU).[12]

In 2007 the European Commission against Racism and Intolerance reported in its Third report on Finland:[13]

In its second report, ECRI recommended that action be taken to combat negative societal attitudes and manifestations of intolerance towards the members of Russian-speaking communities. However, representatives of these communities have indicated to ECRI that lack of determined action on the part of the Finnish authorities has allowed these attitudes and manifestations to intensify since ECRI's second report. ECRI is concerned at reports indicating that Russian-speakers have been the targets of violence, in at least one case resulting in death, and that the racist motivation of these acts has not always been adequately dealt with by the police. Racial harassment of Russian-speakers and racist bullying of Russian-speaking children at school have also been frequently reported. In addition, ECRI's attention has been drawn to the presence of anti-Russian material on the Internet inciting to racial hatred, and to the use of derogatory expressions to designate Russian-speakers as well as negative portrayal of these persons in the media.

Notable Russians in Finland

See also

References
  1. "Number of foreign-language speakers grew by nearly 38,000 persons". Statistics Finland. 31 May 2023. Retrieved 19 October 2023.
  2. "Uusi tutkimus Suomen venäläisväestöstä". 19 December 2013. Retrieved 28 November 2017.
  3. Turun kulttuurikeskus in Finnish
  4. "Socmag: Russian Immigrants in Finnish Society" Archived 24 July 2011 at the Wayback Machine 18 November 2007
  5. Suikkanen, Päivi (25 May 2016). "Dokumenttiprojekti: Matka isän luo" (in Finnish). Yle. Retrieved 25 October 2020.
  6. Wilms, Noora (January 2010). ""Ryssän heilat ja pikku-Iivanat"" (PDF) (in Finnish). University of Eastern Finland. Retrieved 25 October 2020.
  7. Westerlund, Lars [in Finnish] (2011). "The Children of Foreign Soldiers in Finland, Norway, Denmark, Austria, Poland and Occupied Soviet Karelia" (PDF). National Archives of Finland. Retrieved 25 October 2020.
  8. "VENÄLÄISET JA VENÄLÄINEN KULTTUURI SUOMESSA". Finnish Foreign Ministry. Retrieved 8 September 2022.
  9. "11rl -- Language according to age and sex by region, 1990-2021". Statistics Finland. Retrieved 8 September 2022.
  10. "Finland: Ryskspråkig station nedlagd". Radionytt (in Swedish). Radionytt.se. 13 June 2018.
  11. Pressrelase and Fact sheet for the study "Hate crime in the European Union" by EU Fundamental Rights Agency November 2012
  12. Minorities as Victims of Crime by EU Fundamental Rights Agency November 2012
  13. "Third report on Finland" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on 31 March 2009.
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