Tag: Winter War
President of the Republic Sauli Niinistö’s New Year’s speech on January 1, 2023
The past year suddenly took us back to the past. To something that we had started to consider generation after generation more and more distant and almost impossible in its absurdity. The horrors of the Great War returned to Europe. Many problems that directly affect our daily lives make our burden of worry even more […]
Niinistö NY’s speech invokes the winter war, Putin’s mistakes resemble Stalin’s mistakes
The President’s New Year’s address was broadcast at noon. He discussed, among other things, the war in Ukraine and Finland’s aspiration to join NATO.
Finland, Sweden Offer NATO an edge as rivalry heats up in the north
Washington – The first surprise, for the Finnish conscripts and officers taking part in a military exercise in the Arctic this spring organized by NATO: the sudden roar of a US Navy helicopter attack force that landed in a field right next to the Finns’ well-hidden command post. The second surprise: Finnish Signal Corps communications […]
The US Senate ratified Finland’s NATO application
The US Senate voted to admit Finland and Sweden to NATO by a vote of 95 to one in Wednesday’s session, with one senator voting “present” and three abstaining from the vote. Ratification requires that at least two-thirds of the Senate, or 67 senators, had to vote for it. "Welcoming Sweden and Finland to NATO […]
Sleeping in the switch?
In Helsinki, I wear a mask on the tram. It’s a lonely experience because even though the tram is full, I’m one of the few wearing a mask. During the initial COVID lockdown and later in response to the recommendation to use masks in crowded spaces, Finns followed official recommendations. In a country where almost […]
By throwing their ties with Russia, Sweden and Finland’s leaders are taking their people on a dangerous path
Neutrality has been abandoned without any objective reason other than American-driven Russophobia Sweden and Finland have broken their neutrality status and are seeking NATO membership in response to Russia’s military operation in Ukraine. It is the latest sign that entire countries are falling for the media’s anti-Russian games. After years of relatively calm relations with […]
The Swedes in the Finnish Winter War
A documentary by: Simon Moser. Executive Producer: Amanda Rydman. Published: 2012. This is a slightly abbreviated version from 2022.
Finland wants to join NATO “without delay” in a major political shift
Finland has announced that it is in favor of joining NATO, a major political shift triggered by Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. Its neighbor, Sweden, is expected to decide to join the military alliance in the coming days. “Finland must apply for NATO membership without delay,” President Sauli Niinisto and Prime Minister Sanna Marin said in […]
Podcasts & programs
Finnish Winter War – “the frozen hell”
Finland’s last statue of Lenin is a heated debate
A larger-than-life bust of Lenin stands in a hidden park in the southeastern city of Kotka – but after the Russian invasion of Ukraine, the monument is suddenly at the center of a national debate. The sculpture was given as a gift in 1979 from the Estonian twin city of Kotka in Tallinn, which was […]
Finland was preparing for tougher sanctions against Russia, the Prime Minister says in his veteran speech
Finland’s National Veterans Day was celebrated on Wednesday, and the main celebration was held in Lappeenranta on the west side of the Russian border. The Prime Minister raised the issue of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine Sanna Marin (SDP) spoke at the event and suggested, among other things, that Finland be ready to impose tougher sanctions […]
Russian media: Kremlin may terminate Saimaa canal agreement if Finland joins NATO
Russia may decide to terminate Finland’s 50-year lease on the Saimaa canal if the Nordic country decides to join NATO, the Russian broadcaster Izvestia said. "As Russia’s relations with any country deteriorate, the agreements reached during better relations and then sensible can be revised. That would be quite natural," Dmitry Novikovthe vice-chairman of the Duma’s […]
The war in Ukraine increases interest in Finnish history
Russia’s invasion of Ukraine has aroused increased interest in the events of the Finnish Winter War of 1939-1940, both in private individuals and in the international media. The Winter War Museum Raatteen Portti, located in Suomussalmi in the northeastern part of the country, has received a sudden explosion from abroad. "Three weeks after this conflict […]
Friday’s newspapers: Nursing strike begins, NATO support, Finnish favorite names
The strike of about 25,000 nurses and other health care workers will begin on Friday morning and is therefore at the forefront of several Finnish newspapers. The municipal trade unions Tehy and SuPer have called for an exclusion for six hospital districts: Helsinki and Uusimaa, Pirkanmaa, Southwest Finland, Northern Ostrobothnia, Northern Savonia and Central Finland. […]
Thursday’s newspapers: Nursing strike, defense spending, new reception centers
Ilta-Sanomat is among the magazines reportage that on Wednesday night, following the rejection of a proposal by a national labor market mediator, some 25,000 nurses and other health care workers will leave work in six hospital districts on Friday at 6 p.m. The strike has been called by the municipal associations Tehy and SuPer, and […]
Customs have seized 21 pleasure boats, possibly owned by oligarchs
Rakshit told YLE that customs authorities are currently investigating whether the yachts belong to individuals or companies that are subject to sanctions by the 27-nation bloc over Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. If officials receive confirmation of ownership, the Yacht will be confiscated by the Authority. According to Customs, one yacht in Finland has already been […]
No longer neutral War in Ukraine tests Finland’s attitude towards Russia
Finland has traditionally taken a cautious line of neutrality to avoid confrontation with its Russian neighbor. But the war in Ukraine is changing public attitudes, and joining NATO is becoming an increasingly realistic option. Twenty years ago, join NATO would have been unthinkable in Finland. But a historic shift in public opinion is now taking […]
It could happen if Kyiv falls
To conquer a city In the Radio correspondents Russia, the guests talk about how to take a city, about guerrilla warfare in an urban environment, about why the invasion of Ukraine came to resemble “The Finnish Winter War” and about the Russian destruction of Grozny in Chechnya. To surround and besiege Kyiv Kyiv is a […]
Russia victims of its own war history
Vetenskapsradion Historia takes the tempo of Russia’s tactics during the invasion of Ukraine and discusses Russian war history with the defense historian Lars Ericson Wolke at the Swedish National Defense College. “Russian warfare has deep roots in World War II and the Cold War, but it has not worked in Ukraine,” he said. The experiences […]
Fighting for Ukraine: the role foreign volunteers can play in wartime
Shortly after the Russian invasion, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky invited volunteers from around the world to come and help defend Ukraine. A few 3,000 American citizens has reportedly volunteered. And in early March, the Ukrainian authorities announced that they are setting up one international brigade. Zelensky has said that 16,000 foreign volunteers come to fight […]
What role did Viborg play in Russian history?
The city managed to be part of four different states. For the Swedes, it served as a window to the east; for the Russians – a crucial link in the system of defense of their capital and empire. Viborg is one of the most colorful cities in all of Russia, in terms of culture. There […]
Monday’s newspapers: Finns and Russia, changed relationship, spring in the air
In its article, Helsingin Sanomat, Finland’s largest circulation magazine, critically analyzes "long cherished" the belief of Finns that they have a "special understanding" Russian way of thinking. According to the HS, this assumption dates back to the period from 1809 to 1917, when Finland was the Grand Duchy of the Russian Empire, when the Finns […]
Niinistö: The situation in Ukraine is similar to that in Finland before the Winter War
– Now, however, it is worth noting that the meeting is being prepared sometime in the middle of next week. [Russian Minister of Foreign Affairs Sergey] Lavrov and [US Secretary of State Antony] Blinken“he added.” But yes, there are nasty signs in Ukraine. “ President of the United States Joe Biden on Friday stated Putin […]
President of Russia: How do you react to behavior from another planet?
The President of Finland spoke at a security conference in Munich on Saturday Sauli Niinistö drew similarities between the events in Ukraine and the Soviet Union’s efforts to destabilize Finnish society in the run-up to the Winter War. "Stalin thought he was disintegrating the nation, and it is easy to attack Finland. The exact opposite […]
Thursday’s papers: Åland’s security debate, the pay gap for nurses and vaccinations
As Finland’s role in the tensions between Russia and Ukraine has been emphasized, several experts have drawn attention to the autonomous island region of Åland, which is Finland’s Swedish-speaking maritime province. Göran Djupsund, Professor Emeritus of Political Science, told me Helsingin Sanomat states that due to Russia’s recent actions, the strategic importance of the island […]
Medieval legislation marks the beginning of Christmas
Every year at noon on Christmas Eve, the Declaration of Christmas Peace is presented live in Yle’s Turku Old Market Square, when many Finns start their holidays. But what is this medieval threat of crimes committed during the holidays with harsher punishment, and where does it originate? The roots of the old Nordic legislation date […]
Marshal Mannerheim, a complex national hero who barely spoke Finnish
Anyone who has spent even the shortest periods in Helsinki or in many parts of Finland already knows the name Mannerheim. According to the Marshal, there are at least dozens of designated streets, squares and public spaces, not least the 5.5 km boulevard in the center of Helsinki, which has served as the capital’s main […]
The Barracks Market Summer offers safe encounters and also includes a summer street
Kasarmikatu and Pohjoinen Makasiinikatu are decorated with floral wreaths and converted into “summer streets” to attract pedestrians during the summer season. The pages of the summer streets also have lounges – small marine-themed loans – which offer the opportunity to enjoy, for example, exciting programming in the area. The maritime-themed islands of the summer streets […]
Why did the Soviet Union bomb neutral Sweden during World War II?
The Soviet Union dropped more than a hundred bombs on Swedish cities and villages. Miraculously, no one was killed in these airstrikes. Not so neutral During World War II, Sweden could not stay away from the military conflict that had been hoped for. Under pressure from the Third Reich, German troops had to agree to […]
Who fought with Hitler against the Soviet Union during World War II and why
Most Allies in the Third Reich had no reason to join the war against the Soviet Union. The Italians Paxox (CC BY-SA 4.0) Fascist Italy, the largest ally of Nazi Germany during World War II, was largely responsible for the Mediterranean war theater. However, Benito Mussolini also wanted Hitler to give his soldiers a chance […]
The peace declaration marks the official start of Christmas without an audience in the midst of a corona crisis
In Finland, the Christmas holiday officially began on Thursday with a declaration of peace in the country’s former capital, Turku, in southwestern Finland. Due to the limitations of public meetings related to the coronavirus, the nearly 700-year-old tradition was held without a public at noon, and the participants in the ceremony were separated at safe […]
Volunteer Swedes defended Finland
About ten thousand Swedish soldiers went as volunteers to take part in both the Finnish Winter War and the Continuation War, when the Soviet Union attacked Finland. Finland asked Sweden for military support in 1939. The issue created a government crisis in Sweden when parts of the government wanted to defend Finland against the Soviet […]
101-year-old Allan Sigvard Johansson fought for Finland against the Soviet Union
75 years ago today, September 2, World War II ended, when Japan had capitulated. Sweden never took part in any of the wars, but was still affected by the Soviet Union’s attacks on Finland – 1939 and onwards. Thousands of Swedish volunteers took part in two wars that Finland fought against the Soviet Union. – […]
