Russians in Finland
Russians in Finland or Finnish Russians are a linguistic and ethnic immigrant minority in Finland., there were 102,487 Russian speakers in Finland, or 1.8% of the population. It is the second largest linguistic minority in the country. However, many of the Russian-speaking immigrants are ethnically Ingrian Finns and other Finno-Ugric peoples. In addition, a significant minority of Estonians, Ukrainians and people from the former Soviet Union speak Russian as their mother tongue.
, there were 35,172 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, or in other Post-Soviet states, 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.
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.
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 re-migrated to Finland. At present, marriage and family ties are two other common reasons for Russians to immigrate to Finland.
History
The first migratory wave of Russians began in the early 18th century, when Finland was part of the Swedish Empire. About 40,000 Russian soldiers, civilian workers, and about 600 businessmen moved to the Grand Duchy of Finland, which became an autonomous state in personal union with the Russian Empire in 1809. When Finland became fully 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. During World War II, there were about 69,700 Soviet [prisoners of war in Finland|Soviet prisoners of war] in Finland, and 200–300 children were born to them and Finnish women.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 riche Russians have bought estates in Eastern Finland.
Population by municipalities
People born in Russia and living in Finland, according to Statistics Finland.People with Russia citizenship living in Finland according to Statistics Finland.
People with Russian as mother tongue living in Finland according to Statistics Finland.
Culture
newspaper Spektr was founded in 1998, and radio channel Radio Sputnik broadcast in the Russian language until 2018.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. 27% of Russians in Finland were victims of crimes the last 12 months, for example theft, attacks, frightening threats or harassment.In 2007, the European Commission against Racism and Intolerance reported in its Third report on Finland:
Notable people
- Georgij Alafuzoff, admiral
- Kirill Babitzin, musician
- Sammy Babitzin, musician
- Aleksander Barkov, hockey player
- Danila Bulgakov, footballer
- Alexei Eremenko, footballer
- Roman Eremenko, footballer
- George de Godzinsky, composer
- Pasha Pozdniakova, model and social media influencer
- Anton Popovitch, footballer
- Valeri Popovitch, former footballer
- Maria Guzenina, journalist, TV host and politician
- Viktor Klimenko, singer
- Leo Komarov, hockey player
- Adam Markhiyev, Ingushetia-born footballer
- Natalia Nordman, an author and the wife of Ilya Repin
- Ilya Repin, realist painter, moved in Finland in 1899, a naturalized Finnish citizen in 1918
- the Sinebrychoff family
- Boris Rotenberg, football player
- Roman Rotenberg, entrepreneur, manager and ice hockey executive
- Anna Vyrubova, former lady-in-waiting and confidante of the last Russian Empress Alexandra Fyodorovna.
- Inna Latiševa, writer
- Vladislav Nobel-Oleinik, Russian Activist