Pavel Shmakov: ‘When Russians in Finland grew more, Finns began to dislike them’

Why Finns do not like Russians

Finnish schools are not separated from the Church, and therefore the situation with the education of Christian morals to children is not bad. In the middle of August the school year begins. The pupils are ingenuous. Once during a lesson, when they were studying the Soviet-Finnish War, boys, having bent the fingers as needed, directed to my daughter – Russian girl – pistols. The teacher explained during a half of the lesson that she did not participate in the War and it's not her fault.

When at the lessons of the native language the students were given the topics for the essays, no one wanted to speak about Russia.

My eldest daughter and I have permanent residence in Finland, about which I informed the FMS of Russia. The Finnish police have been thinking whether to give the right for permanent residence to my four- and six-year-old daughters for five months. Russian friends living in Finland, berated me for being honest, encouraging to be silent and to keep a low profile. 'We also will apply for a visa soon, we are prepared to wait for a long time… It is their right to think and to make us the paper as much as they want. It is we who come to this country, we are foreigners here, and nobody keep us there, if we don't like something...'

European newspapers often write about Ukraine and Russia. Finnish products to be sold to Russia were returned and sold at half price for many times. In the St. Petersburg office of Finnish company Valio there have been searches.

'Children do not always understand that they cannot transfer the attitude towards Russia on their classmates from Russia, owning a piece of Finland after the Second World War.' Photo: yle.fi

Finnish acquaintances, not concealing their attitude to Russia and its policy, do not change their attitude to me and to other Russian friends. At home, they are even more frank. And children do not always understand that they cannot transfer the attitude towards Russia on their classmates from Russia, owning a piece of Finland after the Second World War…

A year ago, the daughter, first-grader, came home from school (she, as well as the eldest daughter, is studying at a Swedish school in Finland) and told how two fourth-grade boys ('very big boys') came to her, a little girl, and asked: 'Are you from Russia? Do you know who is your President?' The daughter didn't know… After that there were another few words. She could not remember them exactly. But the meaning was clear. Of course, I went to the director of the school. But it is sad when I feel that I cannot change everything for the better.

Kid racism… I understand that it stems from the attitude of adults to the Russians. I heard a local proverb: 'Ryssä is always ryssä, even if roasted in butter'. If someone does not know, ryssä — a derogatory Finnish nickname for Russians.

When the Russians in Finland grew more, Finns began to dislike them. And it happens in a civilized European country, known for the highest level of education. The Finns in Russia, also are not treated very well, derisively calling them 'chukhonets'. In fact, there is a little of all this humiliating and insulting on a national basis in Finland.

It is no better in Russia

I think that in my Russia the attitude to Jews, to 'persons of Caucasian nationality', to the Chukchi, Ukrainians leaves much to be desired. But somehow it didn't affect my friends, family and students.

But once from the tribune of the August teachers' meeting in Kazan a Duma deputy called me and my colleagues to begin to engage in political activity within the school, to fight with the enemies from abroad. The mother of my student says that the girl is offended in the class because she does not support a shared understanding of to whom Crimea belongs. The six-year old son of the head teacher, of honest and intelligent man, came from the kindergarten and said that they all, the boys, will soon go to fight in Ukraine against the fascists.

'Nobel laureate Enrico Fermi was one of those scientists who recommended to drop the atomic bombs on Japan, calling the barbaric bombing of Hiroshima 'beautiful physics'.' Photo: eduspb.com

What for?

The school SOLNCE is the leader in 2015 in math state exam. Our Nikita Alkin took a gold medal in the International Biology Olympiad, held in Denmark in July. He entered the 'Top 10 gold medals'. But now I worry for what my pupils use their knowledge, their intelligence.

Smart people, Nazi doctors, infected prisoners and poisoned them with new ones, not tested on animals drugs, kept them in icy water, watching how in these conditions the process of the agony was going, resected bones, muscles, tendons, and internal organs, throwing people out of planes with different heights… Because they're Jews, or Slavs, or… — for the sake of the science.

Nobel laureate Enrico Fermi was one of those scientists who recommended dropping the atomic bombs on Japan, calling the barbaric bombing of Hiroshima 'beautiful physics'.

I have been working as a teacher and director for all my life. Our school SOLNCE has achieved fantastic success. The school has been checked, closed, but finally was not closed. It would seem – enjoy, director!

But no. A new attack – racism, penetrating the souls of our beautiful children. Kids write to me in weekly essays that in the walls of our unprepossessing two-story school they breathe the air of freedom.

'Kids write to me in weekly essays that in the walls of our unprepossessing two-story school they breathe the air of freedom.' Photo: shkolasolnce.ru

I love Russia. I love the Russian children. I cannot love parents educated in slavery – but I endure them, and they — me. A significant part of parents intoxicated by the success of rising from the knees country, which transcend all sanctions of the enemies from Europe and America. The survey has shown that parents of our intellectually passionate children can be divided into two groups: those wishing to leave (or so that the children went abroad) and those who unanimously support the policy of the state. And it is impossible to do Physics and Maths with students without thinking, why we teach and for the sake of what…