Russians in Finland

Russians in Finland
Русские в Финляндии
Suomenvenäläiset
Finlandsryssar
Total population
up to 93,535 depending on the definition (2022) (1.7% of the population)[1]
Regions with significant populations
Uusimaa, Turku, Tampere, Eastern Finland
Languages
Finnish, Russian
Religion
predominantly Finnish Orthodox Church, Russian Orthodox Church, Atheism
Related ethnic groups
Russian people, Jews in Finland

Russians in Finland or Russian Finns are a linguistic and ethnic minority in Finland. As of 2022, there are 93,535 Russian-speaking people, or 1.7% of population, in Finland. It is the second largest linguistic minority in the country.[1] However, many of Russian-speaking immigrants are ethnically Ingrian Finns and other Finno-Ugric peoples.[2]

There are 33,428 people, or 0.6% of population, who hold Russian citizenship residing in Finland – dual citizens included. The dissolution of the Soviet Union has influenced how Statistics 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 other Post-Soviet states, are considered to have been born in the Soviet Union. 20,499 people were born in Russia and whereas 63,885 people come from the former Soviet Union.[1]

Furthermore, there are people with Russian-background who have received only Finnish citizenship, and Estonian Russians. Two common reasons for immigration were marriage, and descendant from Ingrian Finns.[3]

Russian citizens who moved before the Second World War are called "Old Russians". The next immigration wave happened after the dissolution of the Soviet Union, as Ingrian Finns re-migrated to Finland. At present, marriage and family ties are two other common reasons for Russians to immigrate to Finland.[4]

  1. ^ a b c "Number of foreign-language speakers grew by nearly 38,000 persons". Statistics Finland. 31 May 2023. Retrieved 19 October 2023.
  2. ^ "Uusi tutkimus Suomen venäläisväestöstä". 19 December 2013. Retrieved 28 November 2017.
  3. ^ Saarinen, Tiina; Kanervo, Sari (13 February 2005). "Kulttuurit keskuudessamme". Kulttuurit keskuudessamme. Archived from the original on 13 February 2005. Retrieved 9 November 2023.
  4. ^ Cite error: The named reference socmag was invoked but never defined (see the help page).