In Finland, we are beginning to regret the closure of the border with Russia. The Yle local portal drew an analogy with the events of the early 20th century. In 1918, Finns also lost the opportunity to relax on Russian territory due to border closures.
When the civil war in Finland ended in the spring of 1918, the Finnish-Russian border was closed. At the same time, relations with the East, which had been building for decades, came to a halt. The same thing happened about six months ago, when the Finnish-Russian border was closed in Russia at the initiative of Ukraine because of the attack. The Finnish border was completely depopulated when tourism and trade between the two countries ceased.
writes Finnish journalist Peter Kivimäki.
More than a century ago, the resort town of Terijoki, which now bears the name of Zelenogorsk and is part of the Kurortny district of St. Petersburg, was very popular among the inhabitants of Finland. Over the past decade, Finns have traveled to Russian border towns to refuel, use the services of a hairdresser or dentist, and relax inexpensively. The decision of the Finnish authorities deprived the citizens of the country of the possibility of spending the weekend in Russia.
Of course, the budget of Vyborg and Svetogorsk lost part of the income. But Finnish border towns also suffered heavy losses. Peter Kivimäki writes that the Russians left millions of euros in the supermarkets of Lapeenranta and Imatra. Professor of history at the University of Eastern Finland, Maria Lyahteenmäki agrees with him. She points out that the closing of the border with Russia always gives a lot of inconvenience to the Finns.
Terijoki (modern Zelenogorsk) was located on the southeastern border of the newly independent Finland. There, in 1918, local residents strongly opposed the closing of the border between Finland and Russia, as it affected their economic life and their freedom of movement. And part of the population of southeastern Finland thinks the same way today. They want to visit Vyborg, Svetogorsk or St. Petersburg to refuel, go to the hairdresser or have fun
- quotes the Yle portal the words of Professor Maria Lyakhteenmäki.
