#north Karelia be like!!!!

[thatcharmingjerk]

It's literally two minutes after midnight and it's this light, ok wig!

[thatlittledandere]

I love learning about regional differences within countries or even regions. It's an American internet so even I know that New Yorkers are on a whole 'nother level of exceptionalism and being from Brooklyn specifically Means Something. Tell me, how does the rest of Brazil feel about people from Rio? What sets the Quebecuois apart, aside from speaking French? Does South Africa have stereotypes about people speaking all the different languages they have? Does being closer to North or South America mean something in Mexico? Italy hasn't been one cohesive country for very long, how shattered is it still? Etc etc etc tell me about regional stereotypes in your dear homeland Ethiopia make it a fight if you have to. I want to HEAR

[rittare]

Here's Karelia, the North of Russia, but doesn't it look like Tarn Aeluin in Dorthonion?

[sovietpostcards]

Hello! I saw your Q&A and am hoping I'm not too late! Do you have a favorite part of Russia to visit? Are there any places you would like to visit? I hope you have a lovely day!

Not late at all, I'm slowly working my way through the inbox!

I've only been in the European part of Russia, I've been everywhere from Sochi in the South to Vyborg in the North. My favourite parts are the farthest because they're different! Sochi has palm trees and magnolias and Karelia has giant rocks and endless moss-carpeted pine trees.

My favorite cities to visit are St Petersburg, Samara, Kazan and Sochi.

I'd really like to visit more faraway places in Russia like the Altai mountains, lake Baikal, republics of Tuva and Buryatia, and of course Kamchatka. (If only a trip to Kamchatka didn't cost like a small helicopter!)

I also want to discover more of the Caucasian region, the mountains of Ingushetia and Kabardino-Balkaria and the coast of the Caspian Sea in Daghestan.

[sophiemariepl]

The next time you believe that Russia & the USSR was and is anticolonial, think of whether Russia did the decolonization within its borders first.

Spoiler alert: Russia never revised its colonial history regarding it's conquests in Siberia, the so-called Russian North (Karelia and other Ugro-Finnic lands), the Caucasus mountains and Central Asia. Instead, they still worship the very people who committed those crimes as national heroes.

A perfect example of such a Russian national “hero” is Semyon Dezhnev, a 17th-century Russian (Moscovian) cossack. In Russian schools they teach that he was a great traveler and explorer, that he discovered new lands in Siberia for the tsar, that he was the first European to swim through the Bering Strait, and that he befriended the native Siberian nations. During the Soviet era, he was so revered that several icebreaker ships were named after him.

What they don't mention, however, is the fact that in relation to native Siberians, particularly Sakhans (Yakuts), he was a sort of a character that we could compare to the Spanish conquistadors in South and Central Americas or to English settlers in North America. I believe that the best character in the Western historiography that I can compare him to is John Smith. Yeah, the one who abducted a 12-year-old Powhatan girl named Matoaka, but you may know her in her romanticized, sexu@lized version as Pocahontas.

In other words, I mean that Semyon Dezhnev was a colonizer, and most likely a murderer and a r@pist.

Because yeah, the story of Semyon Dezhnev and his Sakhan (Yakutian) wife, Abakayade, is sort of like the Russian version of the story of Pocahontas and John Smith. It is heavily romanticized and almost always centres the perspective of the colonists and marginalizes native voices.

But you know what is the difference between the story of Pocahontas & John Smith and the story of Semyon Dezhnev & Abakayade?

That the native people of the Americas managed to fight back and reclaim their own narrative. That the white settlers were forced to stop spreading this false narrative which only served to legitimize colonialism and genocide.

Meanwhile, in Russia, the story of Dezhnev & Abakayade was cemented by the Soviet propaganda as the perfect example of the fraternity of peoples. Yes, the same concept of the fraternity of peoples that the Soviets popularized among the POC in the West as an example of a decolonized, equal society.

And the lie has been so strong, that in 2005 Semyon Dezhnev was commemorated in a monument in Yakutsk, the capital city of the republic of Yakutia (Sakha) - the capital city of the very lands that he raided and exploited. And to make things worse, he is depicted as a loving husband to Abakayade, the woman whom he abducted, forcefully baptized in the Russian Orthodox Church, married in this very religion that was foreign to her, then r@ped and impregnated so that she had his child.

How disgusting you have to be to lie to the world about being “anti-colonial” and then commemorate straight-up colonizers?

And yeah, before you accuse me of defending the US - the fact that I criticize Russian imperialism, Russian colonialism and the concept of Russia as a whole does not mean that I am fond of the US. Heck, I am not. But the problem is that criticizing the US has been a thing for decades, while the victims of Russian colonialism and imperialism has been silenced this entire time because too many people out there believed in the myth called fraternity of peoples - a myth invented by Russkiye (white Slavic) Russians for Russkiye Russians, and to make Russiye Russians look good in the eyes of the world; a myth, in which the native population is just an addition to the “glory” of the Russkiye.

My point is not that the US is better, my point is that the US and Russia, somewhat like the Western and Eastern Rome, are two sides of the same coin and none of them deserves praise just because it's against the other. They equally deserve condemnation.

Have a picture of a monument of a colonizer with his victim 🙃

[kaar-ne]

2nd lieutenant Tuomas "Dino" Turunen

- full name Tuomas Valtteri Turunen

- born in 27th of September, 1993 in Ilomantsi, North Karelia, Finland

- blue eyes

- bald, mustache, big beard

- 187 cm

- 94 kg

- big hunk of a man

- cisman, raging bisexual

- drafted in North Karelia Brigade at the age of 18

- got his call sign because of his guts (sisu) and how he doesn't give up (Suomi sisu perkele!)

- asked to be commited to a peacekeeping operation in Middle East at the age of 22 where he met and teamed up with TF 141

- transfered to captain Price's team at the age of 25

- can speak in pretty fluent English but also loves to speak in rally English (oddly enough, the 141 can understand him well)

- won't go anywhere without his trusted kuksa (a mug carved from birch burl) his late grandpa made

- says "Perkele" A LOT. Whatever the given situation

- don't talk to him until he's gotten his morning coffee in front of him. He loves coffee more than anyone in the team and this has the others thinking that Tuomas might have coffee flowing in his body instead of blood

- has taught his team Finnish swear words with varying success; Soap took them like fish to water, Gaz is the opposite

- sometimes reverts (forgets) back to speaking in Finnish in the radio and has had Ghost remind him, "English, Guts", several times

- loves to read about history, especially war history

- is a dinosaur nerd and has his left arm covered in colourful dinosaur tattoos

- has a hannunvaakuna tattoo on his left pec and a bear's head tattoo on his right pec

- is proud of his Karelian roots (his great grandparents on his mother's side were from Karelia)

- metalhead

- suffers from birch allergy every single spring

[punapioni]

Saw your comment on Nordickies' post that you have regional OCs, are they regional OCs of Finland and would you mind sharing about them? I'm on the lookout for Nordic regional OCs to discuss and draw fanart for. (You would also be my 3rd mutual with regional OCs that I promise to draw... eventually, when I'm less slow and lazy)

Yessss! I've wanted to draw them myself as well but I guess I just haven't got into it yet (always feeling kinda insecure about drawing).

I guess larger areas like Ostrobothnia and Savonia etc would like to be split like they are split in the current regional division as they can have quite some cultural differences nowadays so basically you'd have a lot of twins like:

North Savo and South Savo twins

North Karelia and South Karelia twins

Kanta-Häme and Päijät-Häme twins

And of course the Ostrobothnia quadruplets, one of whom is Swedish-speaking

So maybe the bigger units like big Ostrobothnia would be like old countries so they're gone but there are the little ones now instead...

I'm kinda struggling with Lapland because the Finnish part is totally a little brother to the Ostrobothnia quadruplets but a small part of it is within Sápmi. I'm not really sure how to navigate that in an inoffensive way...

Ok big ramble happening now so let's put a cut here. Warning the next part is L O N G!

Kainuu

So we have Kainuu, she used to live in the Ostrobothnian house... room... whatever they are in the region-verse ^^'' She always thought North Ostrobothnia was cooler than her, like a big sister, thinking her dialect is better etc. And of course, North Ostrobothnia was also wealthier. Kainuu would conduct her trade of tar through North Ostrobothnia. But at the same time, she desperately wanted to build her independence from the "big sister", she was Eastern Finnish culturally after all, unlike the Western Finnish North Ostrobothnia. Even tried to become her own province (move out of the house?), but failed. However, now she has successfully become her own region.

She used to be very agricultural with no big cities or "high culture" to show off, although she is quite the skilled poet. Everyone still sees her as a starving, poor farmer, which she indeed might have been at one point (not unique in this aspect though), but others seem to have failed to notice that she's become quite tech focused! She develops video games and does programming, and even set up Europe's fastest supercomputer in her house with the help from some other European countries.

Though of course, she has never abandoned her hobby of hiking and, controversially to some, hunting.

Ostrobothnia

In Finnish, Pohjanmaa. In Swedish, Österbotten.

Like I said, there's four of them, and one of them is Swedish-speaking (primarily). Though some other Swedish-speaking regions out there might argue that his dialect is barely understandable... And oh boy does he like sailing, it and fishing are incredibly important to him. To avoid confusion, he might introduce himself to you as "Pampas".

He also has close ties with South Ostrobothnia. This guy though? Walks around in a Jussipaita and a knife on his belt. He is very proud of his identity, probably more than anyone else of the regions. In history, he had the unfortunate reputation of starting a fight, no matter with fists or knives, and no matter if it was at someone's wedding. While he doesn't do this anymore, he is not ashamed of that history. He thinks it's badass. He is also an expert musician, known for his vast collection of folk music.

(Now I'll just add: I go to singing classes, and yesterday I was literally singing a folk song from there and what was it about you ask? It was about throwing hands at a wedding :D)

(These guys also have some controversial hobbies related to furs...)

I guess I should also add that he's quite religious, and so are Central and North Ostrobothnia.

Central Ostrobothnia is also musical, she is a true fiddle-playing master. North Ostrobothnia I already talked about a bit. Her speciality is the kantele. She is the most successful out of the four, although that does not mean the others would be miserable either.

Savonia

Welcome to the relaxed company of the Savo twins! They will invite you for a cup of coffee and some kalakukko on the market square. North Savo will insist that her capital is the center of the world. They have close ties to the Karelias and share a lot in common. And you can never be quite sure if you can get a straight answer out of them. They are also "the funny ones".

Karelia

Karelia twins are also quite relaxed and hospitable like the other easteners, and they also have quite some song and kantele skills. They will bake you a trillion different kinds of pies, and South Karelia says he'll get you some "atom" and "hydrogen" and comes back with meat pies. I guess North Karelia would also be mending her ties to Russia's region "Republic of Karelia"? They used to live in the same house after all. (I'm referring to pre-Swedish rule). Although since then, North Karelia has got a fair share of Savonian influence in her as well, including starting to primarily speak in a Savonian dialect. (Like I said, close ties.) South Karelia used to be so wealthy and "cultured", but Russia put a little wrench in that...

Both have been on the front lines of countless of wars, as well as being tossed around between Sweden and Russia.

Pirkanmaa

Holy shit this guy is suddenly speeding to the top. At this rate, he is going to be challenging Uusimaa himself! I bet Varsinais-Suomi is grinding her teeth together in jealousy (they have a playful rivalry). At one point in history, he had quite the communist opinions. Now, he'll make you eat blood sausages.

Uusimaa

The wealthiest, the most attractive, the most international, owner of Helsinki. Other regions will call him "arrogant" and accuse him of "thinking he's better than the rest of us". He will probably complain about having to pay stuff for the other regions though. Maybe he will throw in slang words originating from Somali and the other regions can only be confused. Whether the others like it or not though, he is very culturally influential. He's not a bad guy and is quite accepting.

Varsinais-Suomi

The original Finland! The location of the original capital! Reduced to what?? As said, she has a playful rivalry with Pirkanmaa and they compete with each other in a lot of things, especially ice hockey.

Keski-Suomi

A rapper. He's a rapper.

-------------------

Well that's not quite all of them but it's all of the ideas I have in my head now. I kinda really wish to avoid all the stuff about like, areas taken by the Soviet Union etc because that's like really politically controversial I'd just rather not touch it tbh. Like the nature of Karelia being split to multiple parts etc so I want to make sure this is only about the regions of Finland and not like a historical cultural area or an ethnicity.

I didn't include appearances right now but I do have some ideas about those as well.

[mxlumen]

A Running List of Books I’ve Read in 2022

My Most Favorites:

One Last Stop - Casey McQuiston (2x)

Love + Other Disasters - Anita Kelly

Red, White + Royal Blue - Casey McQuiston (2x)

The House in the Cerulean Sea - TJ Klune

Delilah Green Doesn’t Care - Ashley Herring Blake

The Charm Offensive - Alison Cochrun

Heartstopper 1 - Alice Oseman

Heartstopper 2 - Alice Oseman

Heartstopper 3 - Alice Oseman

Heartstopper 4 - Alice Oseman

I Kissed Shara Wheeler - Casey McQuiston

She Gets the Girl - Racheal Lippencott + Alyson Derrick

They Both Die at the End - Adam Silvera

Last Night at the Telegraph Club - Malinda Lo

Wherever is Your Heart - Anita Kelly

Aristotle + Dante Discover the Secrets of the Universe - Benjamin Alire Sáenz

The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo - Taylor Jenkins-Reid

A Scatter of Light - Malinda Lo

Astrid Parker Doesn’t Fail - Ashley Herring Blake

Yerba Buena - Nina LaCour

I Liked It - A LOT

Carry On - Rainbow Rowell

Any Way the Wind Blows - Rainbow Rowell

Malice - Heather Walter

Misrule - Heather Walter

Our Favorite Songs - Anita Kelly

All Our Hidden Gifts - Caroline O’Donoghue

This is How You Lose the Time War - Amal El-Mohtar + Max Gladstone

The Extraordinaries - TJ Klune

Flash Fire - TJ Klune

Heat Wave - TJ Klune

Mistakes We’re Made - Meryl Wilsner

I Liked It

Criers War - Nina Varela

Iron Heart - Nina Vareles

Written in the Stars - Alexandria Bellefleur

She Drives Me Crazy - Kelly Quindlen

Wayward Son - Rainbow Rowell

The Girl in the Sea - Molly Ostertag

Satisfaction Guaranteed - Karelia Stern-Waters

Sing Anyway - Anita Kelly

The Song of Achilles - Madeline Miller

A Line in the Dark - Malinda Lo

Not My Personal Favorite

Queerly Beloved - Susie Dummond

Chefs Kiss - TJ Alexander

I Think I Love You - Auriane Desombre

Something to Talk About - Meryl Wilsner

When Katie Met Cassidy - Camille Perri

Currently Reading

Hang the Moon - Alexandria Bellefleur

Kiss Her Once For Me - Allison Cochrun

DNF

I’m So Not Over You - Kosoko Jackson

She Who Became the Sun - Shelley Parker-Chan

Current TBR (in my possession)

Her Majesty’s Royal Coven - Juno Dawson

What If It’s Us - Albertalli + Silvera

Beastiary - K-Ming Chang

The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue - V.E. Schwab

Outlawed - Anna North

Under The Whispering Door - TJ Klune

Are You My Mother? - Alison Bechdel

The Essential Dykes to Watch Out For - Alison Bechdel

Aristotle + Dante Dive Into the Waters of the World - Benjamin Alire Sáenz

Priory of the Orange Tree - Samantha Shannon

The Ones We Burn - Rebecca Mix

last updated 12/6/2022

((always accepting recs!))

[beardedmrbean]

Russia has sent Finland a note about the suspension of operations at its consulate in the Finnish border city of Lappeenranta, according to local paper Etelä-Saimaa (ES).

Russia also announced that it was revoking consent for the operation of the Petrozavodsk and Murmansk offices of the Finnish Consulate General in St. Petersburg.

Finland announced in January that it was temporarily closing the Murmansk office and in April announced similar plans for the office in Petrozavodsk.

The closures, which will take effect from 1 July, were justified by Finland's 'confrontational behaviour' which has deteriorated relations between the two countries, according to Russia.

"At Finland's initiative, bilateral political dialogue has been cut off, trade and economic cooperation destroyed, the sister-city relationship between cities and regions and close border cooperation broken, as well as air and rail traffic cut off," a Russian foreign ministry's press release stated.

Russia also accused Finland of rejecting the policy of military non-alignment by joining Nato's military alliance, ES wrote.

"The responsibility for the current situation lies entirely with Finland," the Russian ministry's release stated.

Keeping up with the House of the Estates

Finnish media, including tabloid Iltalehti, questioned PM-designate Petteri Orpo (NCP) at Helsinki's House of the Estates on Wednesday morning, focusing on topics like climate targets and energy.

Orpo and members of the National Coalition Party, Finns Party, Swedish People's Party and Christian Democrats are in their fifth week of government formation talks at the venerable building in the Finnish capital.

Reporters asked whether the new government will stick to the 2035 goal of carbon neutrality.

"The starting point is that climate work will continue. The climate law will not be opened. Everything will be done in such a way that competitiveness is ensured. Yesterday's news on hydrogen investment is great, as well as last week's on clean energy. These are the things we want to secure for Finland," Orpo said.

He added that the goal was to reduce emissions and create more jobs, stressing at the same time, however, that it ought to be done in a way in which everyday costs do not rise unreasonably.

Finland's overburdened healthcare system was also brought up by reporters.

"The aim is to get more carers, to make carers feel better about their work, to raise the prestige of the job. In addition, we should be able to attract new workers and people who have left the sector. How to organise work, whether health technology can be utilised. It is a complex issue," Orpo said.

Finland's healthiest and sickest

People living in the Finnish Archipelago's autonomous island region of Åland were hailed as Finland's healthiest by the National Health Index, according to newspaper Ilkka-Pohjalainen.

Published on Tuesday and commissioned by the Finnish Institute of Health and Welfare (THL), the study gathered data between 2019-2021 focusing on people's health as well as their ability to work and function.

The healthiest people of Mainland Finland were found to reside in Ostrobothnia, as well as Uusimaa and Helsinki. The least healthy people in turn reportedly resided in North Savo and North Karelia.

The differences in health levels between regions were most evident in the prevalence of serious mental health problems, alcohol-related illness, musculoskeletal disorders and heart disease.

Between 2019-2021, North Savo had significantly higher rates of both mental health and musculoskeletal disorders than the other regions.

Alcohol-related illness was most common in North Karelia, with South Karelia also reporting high levels. Heart disease was found to be most rampant in South Karelia.

[weirdestbooks]

Oneshot-Dog Therapy

"Do you want to talk about it?" Alaska asked Karelia as they sat down on the rug in front of the fireplace, Alaska's dogs settling down in different spots across the room.

"About what?"

"Who my brother wants you to be. I know you are uncomfortable with it. I can see it in your eyes." Alaska said. Karelia looked away, rubbing his arm.

"I'm not-"

"Karelia." Alaska said gently. Karelia sighed.

"Why don't you call me Uhtua?" He asked. Alaska shrugged.

"You are not Uhtua. I will not call you a name that is not yours." He stated plainly, coaxing Anastasiya, one of his dogs over to him.

"But I was Uhtua." Karelia insisted, looking upset at Alaska's answer.

"Was. Not are. My brother is stuck in the past due to his guilt. He wants to see you as Uhtua because it makes him feel like he didn't fail to protect you. He wants to have the son he lost because he feels that underneath all of what Russia did to you is the same person he lost. He is wrong." Alaska explained, bluntly. Karelia flinched at the last sentence.

"So I failed him." Karelia said. Alaska shook his head.

"You did not. Finland's feelings and emotions are not dictated by you. You do not control how he feels." Alaska said.

"I..." Karelia said, trailing off as words failed him.

"I have a question for you." Alaska said, wanting to move the topic away from something that was causing his nephew so much misplaced guilt.

"What is it?"

"How do you feel about Uhtua?" Alaska asked. Karelia paused.

"I don't know. I...it's hard to explain. It's like...he's...I'm...I...I don't know. I guess in a way I'm mourning Uhtua? But I shouldn't...I am Uhtua...or at least I was. So he's not dead. So I can't do that." Karelia said quietly.

"Uhtua is dead Karelia. And you are allowed to mourn that. You are allowed to mourn the loss of who you once were, okay?" Alaska said. Karelia nodded, teary.

"I just feel bad that Uhtua is dead. I...want to be Uhtua again...but I can't and I don't know...I feel bad that I can't help Suomi. I just...I feel bad and guilty and I don't really understand why and..." Karelia trailed off, unable to find a way to express his feelings. Cungagnaq, the biggest of Alaska's dogs, stuck his head in Karelia's lap. Karelia's tears welled up even more as Karelia began to scratch his head.

"That is okay. You need time to heal and grieve. Do not feel guilty for that. That is natural." Alaska assured him, placing a hand on his shoulder. Karelia nodded, and began crying. Taisiya, another dog, walked over and sat down next to Karelia, trying to comfort him too.

Karelia began crying harder, and Alaska slowly pulled him into a hug, wrapping his wings around his nephew as Taisiya, Cungaganaq, and Anastasiya became a part of the hug, their bodies wrapped around the two states. Karelia's body shook with his sobs, and Alaska teared up as well, reminded so much of himself.

Karelia reminded Alaska of himself when he became an American state and was introduced to a non toxic environment. Confused. Lost. Scared. Hurt. Alaska pulled his nephew closer as he began to cry as well. Alaska was so furious as the world, so furious at it for hurting all of the good people in his biological family until they broke, or died.

The world broke him, broke Karelia, killed North Ingria, and was chipping away at the rest of his family. And they were expected to just sit down and take it, because they were countries. No one would be arrested. No one could remove Karelia from the household that destroyed his sense of self. Alaska got out because his abuser gave him away, and even then, in a safe environment it took him years to heal.

There was nothing that could be done to get Karelia in a safe environment to heal unless he wanted to go.

And who knew if he would? Alaska remembered how strong his brainwashing had been. He didn't willingly get to a safe environment. He hated leaving his abuser. That was a horrible unimaginable thought to him. Would his nephew be the same way? Alaska didn't know. Karelia certainly seemed more aware of the abuse now, but he didn't like either side.

That's why he came to Alaska in the first place. Neutrality. A place to sort out his thoughts. A place that wouldn't try and force him to side with anyone. A place that would just help him think.

But Alaska did have to tell him something.

"Karelia." Alaska said, pulling away, but still allowing Karelia to take comfort from him, as Cungaganaq returned his head to Karelia's lap.

"Yes?" Karelia asked, some fear in his voice, as his hands moved to sink into Cungaganaq's fur.

"I know I promised I would not take any sides, but I want to give advice I learned while healing from my abuse. Do you want to hear it?" Alaska asked, knowing that as much as he wanted Karelia to hear his advice, giving him a choice in the matter was probably the most important thing he could do.

"I...okay." Karelia said.

"Take time for yourself. Do not feel like you have to pick a side immediately. Get away. Think." Alaska said. Karelia nodded.

"That...I will take that into consideration." Karelia said. Alaska nodded.

"Good." Alaska said, watching Karelia and Cungaganaq with a smile. Maybe Alaska should think about getting Karelia his own dogs. Karelia would probably like that.

[kaakkoiskellot]

I dunno how should i start this but uhm what do i need to do to feel more connected to my familys heritage?

My family from my mothers side has been living in the eastern part of North Karelia for AGES. My grandpa decided to move away from there tho. Not sure if my family ever spoke karelian, if they did it is long lost in the past. (And i think i've connected karelian culture only to karelian language. Like if you dont know the language, you're not karelian.)

I've been looking into the karelian culture these past years, feeling like an outsider. Like I'm not karelian enough to start even thinking of reconnecting.

But i'd really love to. I just feel like i shouldnt, you know?

[akinformation]

Page 266

birthday in Los Angeles in September. I was communicating with “Them” a lot at that time, and “They,” as I call them, my inner voice, told me, “Go back to St. Petersburg. There is nothing more for you to do in the United States.” I bought the ticket the next day and returned to St. Petersburg. This was at the end of August, and even before this, when I was still in Los Angeles, I started thinking about what “They” told me. “They” said that I must live in a certain place like a palace or estate. It must be by a lake or a river in a forest with no people around. I’m a movie enthusiast, and I started watching movies to see if I could find similar living conditions in movies. I started noticing castles and estates where interesting characters live. This is a certain category of people who can’t live in apartments anymore. They are way above society. They can’t be found in the underground parking lot parking their cars. They don’t drive themselves. They don’t go to the stores, and if you want to meet them, you need to fly or drive to their estate. If they have kids, they have a team of tutors who teach them everything. And this character stays at his estate and doesn’t leave its boundaries. Only under very special circumstances will he use a private jet and fly from point A to point B. This person wouldn’t walk in a public park or go to the shopping center. And “They” show me all this. I also feel that I can’t live among the people, and I am being shown that this is the way I should be living. And since I understand that the future is in Russia, this scenario should unfold there. So, I left the States and returned to Russia. I started to think about lands and thought of Karelia as an option. I knew nothing about Karelia before. I mean, I’d heard about it, and I’d passed it a thousand times when I traveled to Finland or went on fishing trips. So why Karelia? Well, Russia is huge, but just a very few cities and towns in Russia are up to my liking. I’ve visited many towns, and it was unpleasant for me to watch how many of these small towns are dying and how many young people are leaving these places to live in big cities. The majority of the people who stay in these cities are elderly people and low-life addicts. It is sad, really, how many small towns and villages are just rotting. I’m not allowed to lower my frequency in principle; therefore, it can’t be a small town or village. As for the climate, it must be cool, because I don’t like hot climates and I don’t do well in the heat. I am from St. Petersburg, and this city is a very special place for me, so I understand that my new location must be nearby. Then, it must be north of St. Petersburg. Actually, I always lived in that area. I lived in a suburb of St.

[dan6085]

Here are the top 20 places to visit in Russia:

1. Moscow - The capital city, known for Red Square, Saint Basil's Cathedral, Kremlin and rich history. Moscow has some of the most iconic landmarks in the country.

2. Saint Petersburg - Russia's cultural capital, full of museums, historical buildings and monuments like the Winter Palace, Hermitage Museum, Peterhof Palace and St. Isaac's Cathedral. It is also known as the "Venice of the North".

3. Golden Ring - A ring of historic cities northeast of Moscow, including Vladimir, Suzdal, Kostroma, Pereslavl-Zalessky, Rostov Velikiy, Yaroslavl, Kostroma, and Ivanovo. Full of ancient churches, monasteries and historic sites.

4. Lake Baikal - The largest freshwater lake in the world, surrounded by mountains. A natural wonder and home to numerous animals and plants. Great for hiking, camping, boating and outdoor activities.

5. Kamchatka Peninsula - A remote volcanic area in the Russian Far East, great for wildlife viewing, hiking and other adventure activities. Home to massive volcanoes, geysers and hot springs.

6. Ural Mountains - The border between Europe and Asia, filled with scenic beauty like canyons, peaks, waterfalls and rock formations. Popular for hiking, camping, rafting and mountain climbing.

7. Sochi - A popular Black Sea resort town, hosting the 2014 Winter Olympics. Miles of beaches, Palm tree-lined streets, historic sites and subtropical climate.

8. Irkutsk - A city near Lake Baikal in Eastern Siberia, full of cobbled streets, wooden houses and historic churches. Starting point for hiking and trips to Lake Baikal.

9. Kazan - The capital of Tatarstan, a mix of Russian and Tatar cultures. Home to many mosques, churches, museums and the Kazan Kremlin.

10. Yekaterinburg - A major city in the Ural Mountains, known for being the place where Czar Nicholas II and his family were executed. Full of museums, historical sites and a vibrant cultural scene.

11. Karelia - A region in Northern Russia bordering Finland, covered in lakes, forests and marble rock formations. Great for boating, hiking, fishing and other outdoor activities.

12. Veliky Novgorod - An ancient city with a history spanning over 1000 years. Full of historic churches like St. Sophia Cathedral and Yuriev Monastery, as well as a well-preserved kremlin.

13. Vladivostok - A major port city on the Pacific coast, with beaches, seafood, scenic ocean vistas and proximity to Chinese and North Korean borders. Starting point for cruises.

14. Kizhi Island - An island on Lake Onega with an open-air museum of iconic Russian wooden architecture like the 22-dome Transfiguration Church. Accessible only by boat.

15. Suzdal - A historic town in the Golden Ring with medieval monasteries, churches, museums and traditional wooden architecture. Like stepping back in time.

16. Kaliningrad - A Russian exclave on the Baltic Sea, separated from the rest of Russia. Full of Prussian-style architecture, castles, beaches and UNESCO World Heritage sites.

17. Murmansk - A city in the Arctic circle, ideal for viewing the Northern Lights. Surrounded by tundra and located on the Kola Peninsula. Gateway to Arctic exploration.

18. Astrakhan - A city in Southern Russia on the Caspian Sea. Filled with historical sites, Buddhist temples, mosques and churches. Starting point for exploration of the Volga Delta.

19. Krasnoyarsk - A Siberian city on the Yenisei River, surrounded by forests, hydroelectric dams and nature reserves. Good for hiking, boating and outdoor activities.

20. Nizhny Novgorod - A historic city in Western Russia filled with medieval kremlins, monasteries, museums and Soviet-era architecture along the Volga River. Great for cultural exploration.

[sovietpostcards]

What’s it like living in a country so big? Is it unusual to meet someone from the center or the eastern coast?

I don't think we truly grasp just how big Russia is. Like for me, personally, the farthest I've been to the East is Kazan, I've never been to Siberia let alone Far East. It's a 8.5 hour flight from Moscow to Vladivostok, whereas just 2-3 hours to most European countries.

Last year I drove down to Kislovodsk which took two days. It's not even Southernmost of Russia. I've also been up to Karelia, which is also about a two day drive (and also not Northernmost).

I've been to Europe by car two or three times and sometimes you can cross 3-5 countries in one day. That's kinda bizarre for me. Like, within my region (Nizhegorodskaya oblast) - I'm in the South of it, and to get to the North it'd take me about 8 hours by car.

I think Siberia and Far East are their own worlds. You don't often meet people from there. I know this girl Anya who lives here now but she's originally from Khabarovsk (Far East of Russia). She told me for people who live there, it's a common thing to go to China for the weekend to shop. It's so close. She has a few pages in her passport full of stamps from the Chinese border.

I wish domestic flights were cheaper. I'd quite like to see Yekaterinburg, Tyumen, Irkutsk, Altai, Tuva, Vladivostok and Kamchatka. I wish I could afford it!

[saa-na]

it is so funny actually how prevalent diet culture is even if the ways it works differ in different cultures. in usa diet culture looks like a combination of protestant work ethic and capitalism and in finland it's a result of paternalism and rapid growth of wealth and probably the issues with assimilating karelian refugees to western finland and war in general (north karelia project). like it's just so interesting that the uglies parts of our societies will serve the cause of dieting.

[kestarren]

~ Aurora over Kola Peninsula (Кольский), 'Green Aurora marshmallows'. Photo by Daniel Kordan, 2021. ~ Aurora over Tervo, North Savonia, Finland. Photo by Pasi Tuomainen, 27 Feb '23. ~ Pegasus-like Aurora over Joensuu, North Karelia, Finland, 26 Feb '23. Photo by Antti Taskinen.