6 ms·

> we like them and we prefer to be friends with them. How true is this? Every Finnish person I've ever met has mistrusted and feared Russia.

EugeneOZ 10y ago
100%. Russia is multi-national country and we have some nations inside country that we don't like (sorry, but it's true), so I can say we like Finns even more than some russians :) They have awesome vodka (much, much better than any russian vodka), they are smart and friendly, not arrogant - awesome people. I highly doubt any russian leader, even Putler, will try to offend them.
- zzzcpan 10y ago
  Russia is like the only enemy Finland has at this point, it doesn't matter whether you, personally, like them or not.
  - EugeneOZ 10y ago
    Bullshit. Do not read Soviet newspapers until dinner. It's not "just me". Looks like you get your information from news portals which nobody read in Russia because they are owned by government.
    - geoka9 10y ago
      The Russian military has been skirting/violating the Finnish airspace lately. It's in the (Western) news.
      - EugeneOZ 10y ago
        They are violating somebody's airspace every week, nobody cares. It's just political games of the current moment, it's not whole nation's decisions. Or you think we call referendum before each airspace trespassing?
        geoka9 10y ago
        I guess when Russia tried to invade them back in 1939 there was no referendum and it wasn't a whole nation's decision either. Heck, you could even deem the Russian people friendly towards the Finns (they were trying to free their Finnish comrades from the capitalist yoke!). I don't think it made the Finns any happier though. What I CAN see is the glee on the Russian discussion boards whenever an incident like that is mentioned in the news. It's either that or outright denial blaming the Finns (British, Estonians, etc.) for making these claims up out of "russophobia".
        EugeneOZ 10y ago
        You will not believe, but yes! Putin is fan of Stalin and they both use internal and external propaganda. And it may sound wild or ridiculous for you, but there is official agency where people get salary for writing comments on forums, youtube, facebook and other well-known public services. There was even article about it in some western newspaper. And reaction of people: 2 guys threw molotov cocktails to the window of that agency - that's our real relation to Putin.
        lisivka 10y ago
        So, I assume, when our army will start to bomb Moscow to throw out Putin regime, you will be happy? You said you are OK with event, which can cause a war, and you dislike Putin.
- lisivka 10y ago
  Can you make full list of nations which are liked by Russians, please? It will be very short, I guess.
  - EugeneOZ 10y ago
    Maybe. Your tone and prejudice doesn't help to make it longer.
cryptarch 10y ago
Perhaps the difference is between "Russia the state" and "citizens of Russia"? Especially when they're almost neighbors, when you live near the border, I don't see why you'd fear any random Russian citizen just because they live in Russia. I'd be quite interested in their perspective on world politics. My impression is that Russia has a lot of propaganda and filtering of the media, and I assume it has a different character from the propaganda and filtering of the media in western countries (... where it happens just as well, but in a more decentralized, money-oriented fashion).
- EugeneOZ 10y ago
  Just as illustration: after November 8 a lot of russians were celebrating - just because of hope that relations with US will be warmer. Really, people don't want cold war or any other war.
  - rconti 10y ago
    Warmer and on their terms; attempts to have closer relations without Putin, and with other US leaders seem to have both been less well-received.
    - EugeneOZ 10y ago
      taxi drivers, making discounts for clients with Trump's photo, weren't thinking about their terms. They just want peace. To clarify: I'm not fan of Trump, but I glad to see such reaction.
ivan_gammel 10y ago
Night clubs of St.Petersburg are full of Finnish people, who drink even more than locals. Apparently, the mistrust is limited to subjects other than alcohol.
- wavefunction 10y ago
  iirc Finn's drink more per capita than any other nationalities...
strictnein 10y ago
Worked for a Finnish company and I concur. They frequently bring up how they beat the Germans and the Russians in WW2. And how Finnish vodka is the best. And how it sucks that the world's most popular sauna heater is made in Sweden, because Finnish sauna heaters are superior.
- EugeneOZ 10y ago
  Well, it doesn't prove that russians don't like Finns, maybe just Finns don't like russians. Sad to hear, but, looks like our government's propaganda works. And Finnish vodka is really the best ;)
  - pimeys 10y ago
    I have many Russian friends and they're intelligent and nice people in general. The info war and traumas from the winter war still exist though and we really don't like Russia as a country, except the neo-nazis who think Putin's actions against minorities should be supported and many of them think that Russia should conquer Finland so we wouldn't have such a liberal government. Of course after Trump, the general feeling about US is pretty close what we think about Russia...
    - EugeneOZ 10y ago
      See - we have idiots on both sides :)

EugeneOZ 10y ago

100%. Russia is multi-national country and we have some nations inside country that we don't like (sorry, but it's true), so I can say we like Finns even more than some russians :) They have awesome vodka (much, much better than any russian vodka), they are smart and friendly, not arrogant - awesome people. I highly doubt any russian leader, even Putler, will try to offend them.

zzzcpan 10y ago
Russia is like the only enemy Finland has at this point, it doesn't matter whether you, personally, like them or not.
- EugeneOZ 10y ago
  Bullshit. Do not read Soviet newspapers until dinner. It's not "just me". Looks like you get your information from news portals which nobody read in Russia because they are owned by government.
  - geoka9 10y ago
    The Russian military has been skirting/violating the Finnish airspace lately. It's in the (Western) news.
    - EugeneOZ 10y ago
      They are violating somebody's airspace every week, nobody cares. It's just political games of the current moment, it's not whole nation's decisions. Or you think we call referendum before each airspace trespassing?
      - geoka9 10y ago
        I guess when Russia tried to invade them back in 1939 there was no referendum and it wasn't a whole nation's decision either. Heck, you could even deem the Russian people friendly towards the Finns (they were trying to free their Finnish comrades from the capitalist yoke!). I don't think it made the Finns any happier though. What I CAN see is the glee on the Russian discussion boards whenever an incident like that is mentioned in the news. It's either that or outright denial blaming the Finns (British, Estonians, etc.) for making these claims up out of "russophobia".
        EugeneOZ 10y ago
        You will not believe, but yes! Putin is fan of Stalin and they both use internal and external propaganda. And it may sound wild or ridiculous for you, but there is official agency where people get salary for writing comments on forums, youtube, facebook and other well-known public services. There was even article about it in some western newspaper. And reaction of people: 2 guys threw molotov cocktails to the window of that agency - that's our real relation to Putin.
        lisivka 10y ago
        So, I assume, when our army will start to bomb Moscow to throw out Putin regime, you will be happy? You said you are OK with event, which can cause a war, and you dislike Putin.
lisivka 10y ago
Can you make full list of nations which are liked by Russians, please? It will be very short, I guess.
- EugeneOZ 10y ago
  Maybe. Your tone and prejudice doesn't help to make it longer.

cryptarch 10y ago

Perhaps the difference is between "Russia the state" and "citizens of Russia"? Especially when they're almost neighbors, when you live near the border, I don't see why you'd fear any random Russian citizen just because they live in Russia. I'd be quite interested in their perspective on world politics. My impression is that Russia has a lot of propaganda and filtering of the media, and I assume it has a different character from the propaganda and filtering of the media in western countries (... where it happens just as well, but in a more decentralized, money-oriented fashion).

EugeneOZ 10y ago
Just as illustration: after November 8 a lot of russians were celebrating - just because of hope that relations with US will be warmer. Really, people don't want cold war or any other war.
- rconti 10y ago
  Warmer and on their terms; attempts to have closer relations without Putin, and with other US leaders seem to have both been less well-received.
  - EugeneOZ 10y ago
    taxi drivers, making discounts for clients with Trump's photo, weren't thinking about their terms. They just want peace. To clarify: I'm not fan of Trump, but I glad to see such reaction.

ivan_gammel 10y ago

Night clubs of St.Petersburg are full of Finnish people, who drink even more than locals. Apparently, the mistrust is limited to subjects other than alcohol.

wavefunction 10y ago
iirc Finn's drink more per capita than any other nationalities...

strictnein 10y ago

Worked for a Finnish company and I concur. They frequently bring up how they beat the Germans and the Russians in WW2. And how Finnish vodka is the best. And how it sucks that the world's most popular sauna heater is made in Sweden, because Finnish sauna heaters are superior.

EugeneOZ 10y ago
Well, it doesn't prove that russians don't like Finns, maybe just Finns don't like russians. Sad to hear, but, looks like our government's propaganda works. And Finnish vodka is really the best ;)
- pimeys 10y ago
  I have many Russian friends and they're intelligent and nice people in general. The info war and traumas from the winter war still exist though and we really don't like Russia as a country, except the neo-nazis who think Putin's actions against minorities should be supported and many of them think that Russia should conquer Finland so we wouldn't have such a liberal government. Of course after Trump, the general feeling about US is pretty close what we think about Russia...
  - EugeneOZ 10y ago
    See - we have idiots on both sides :)