Русские в Финляндии / Финские русские Venäläiset Suomessa / Suomen venäläiset Ryssar i Finland / Finlandsryssar | |
|---|---|
| Total population | |
| 35,172 Russian citizens; 102,487 Russian speakers (2024)[1] | |
| Regions with significant populations | |
| Helsinki,Turku andTampere regions &South Karelia andNorth Karelia | |
| Languages | |
| Finnish,Russian | |
| Religion | |
| predominantlyFinnish Orthodox Church,Russian Orthodox Church,Atheism | |
| Related ethnic groups | |
| Russian people,Jews in Finland |
Russians in Finland orFinnish Russians are alinguistic andethnic minority inFinland. As of 2024[update], there were 102,487 Russian speakers in Finland, or 1.8% of the population. It is the second largest linguistic minority in the country.[1] However, many of the Russian-speaking immigrants are ethnicallyIngrian Finns and otherFinno-Ugric peoples.[2] In addition, a significant minority ofEstonians,Ukrainians and people from the formerSoviet Union speak Russian as their mother tongue.
As of 2024[update], there were 35,172 people, or 0.6% of population, who holdRussian citizenship residing in Finland –dual citizens included. Thedissolution of the Soviet Union has influenced howStatistics 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 otherPost-Soviet states, are considered to have been born in theSoviet Union. 20,499 people were born in Russia and whereas 63,885 people come from the former Soviet Union.[3]
Furthermore, there are people with Russian-background who have received only Finnish citizenship, andEstonian Russians. Two common reasons for immigration were marriage, and descendant from Ingrian Finns.[4]
Russian citizens who moved before theSecond World War are called "Old Russians". The next immigration wave happened after thedissolution of the Soviet Union, asIngrian Finns re-migrated to Finland. At present, marriage and family ties are two other common reasons for Russians to immigrate to Finland.[5]
| Year | Pop. | ±% p.a. |
|---|---|---|
| 1890 | 5,795 | — |
| 1900 | 5,939 | +0.25% |
| 1910 | 7,339 | +2.14% |
| 1922 | 15,161 | +6.23% |
| 1990 | 3,884 | −1.98% |
| 1995 | 15,872 | +32.52% |
| 2000 | 28,205 | +12.19% |
| 2005 | 39,653 | +7.05% |
| 2010 | 54,559 | +6.59% |
| 2015 | 72,436 | +5.83% |
| 2020 | 84,190 | +3.05% |
| 2024 | 102,487 | +5.04% |
| Russian speakers. Source: 1890-1922,[6] 1990-Statistics Finland | ||
The first migratory wave of Russians began in the early 18th century, when Finland was part of theSwedish Empire.[5] About 40,000 Russian soldiers, civilian workers, and about 600 businessmen moved to theGrand Duchy of Finland, which became an autonomous state in personal union with the Russian Empire in 1809. WhenFinland becamefully independent in 1917, many soldiers returned to Russia. Many businessmen stayed, including theSinebrychoff family. During theRussian 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 hadNansen passports for many years. During theKronstadt rebellion about 1,600 officers fled to Finland.[citation needed] Russian citizens who moved in these three waves are called "Old Russians", whose 3,000–5,000 descendants live in Finland today.[5] During World War II, there were about 69,700Soviet prisoners of war in Finland, and200–300 children were born to them and Finnish women.[7][8][9]
A second major wave of immigration occurred after thefall 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 fromIngrian Finns immigrated to Finland. In the 2000s, manynouveaux riche Russians have bought estates inEastern Finland.
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.
Russian language newspaperSpektr was founded in 1998, andradio channelRadio Sputnik (Russkoje Radio Helsinki) broadcast in the Russian language until 2018.[10]Many smallRussian Orthodox Churches have been founded in Finland.
In a 2012 poll, 12% of Russians in Finland reported that they had experienced aracially 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, theEuropean 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.
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| FormerRussian Empire or theUSSR |
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