Finland, or Suomi, as the residents themselves call their country - a state that for some time was part of Russia, so our citizens just need to adapt because of the similar mentality of the local population. But in any case, this is a different country and you will have to not only learn the Finnish language, but also adapt to the peculiarities of local life.
Language and Russian community
According to statistics, at the beginning of 2017, only 5.5 million people live in Finland. However, about 75 thousand of the entire population of the country consider Russian their native language, and this is a rather high indicator. And about 30 thousand people have dual citizenship, both Finland and Russia.
The question arises: "And if so many Russian speakers have their own community?" Indeed, many countries can boast of such communities, for example, the Jewish community in Ukraine or the Ukrainian community in Canada. What do Russians say in Finland? Officially, there are no such communities. And often Russians gather only in order to communicate in Russian and, as they say, nostalgia, but no more.
Indeed, several groups have been created on social networks, but they cannot truly be called a community. Therefore, one should not particularly count on the support of their former compatriots.
Salary level and who can get a job?
It is no secret that Finland is slightly behind the EU countries in terms of wages, but still the difference with wages in our country is quite large. The policy of local authorities is based on the fact that specialists with higher education and service personnel do not have a big difference in salaries, on average it is 3 thousand euros per month. Therefore, the country has virtually no crime.
Work in Finland for Russians is a big enough problem. The unemployment rate in the country is 8%, but among emigrants - 30%. It is even more difficult to find a good job if you do not know the language and do not have a residence permit. If you have education and work experience, you can count on a position in the field of Internet technologies, construction and agriculture. But if there is no residence permit, the knowledge of the language is “lame”, then you can triple only in a hotel or in a medical facility as attendants. But there is always a chance to find an employer who will not impose strict requirements and will even communicate in Russian.
Education
According to reviews, studying in Finland for Russians is one of the most attractive factors in deciding whether to move to Suomi. First of all, education at all levels is free. In higher educational institutions, the educational system is built on "Soviet" principles and is very much appreciated throughout the world. Especially popular among Russians in Finland is the University of Helsinki, Oulu, Turku and the Finnish Academy of Arts.
School and pre-school education
There are practically no differences in preschool education in Russia and in the country of Suomi. All kids learn through games. In kindergartens for children, they observe tolerance towards emigrant children and do not do any privileges for the local population. The food process is well established, as a rule, kindergartens are served by catering companies, so the food is always tasty and fresh. Food units are usually absent in kindergartens, but if there are, they even bake their own bread there.
But as they say, snot here does not wipe the children. If the baby does not ask for supplements, then she will not be offered. But if the child wants to play in a puddle, then he will be allowed to.
According to Russian reviews in Finland, it is still better to send the child to a Russian-Finnish kindergarten, then the baby will not have stress due to a lack of understanding of the Finnish language. You will have to pay for the kindergarten only if the parents have a high income.
Schooling in the country is not much different from the Russian system, but it should be remembered that in Suomi they are very jealous of protecting the rights of children. If the school finds out that the parents have exceeded the permissible threshold of upbringing, then they will face severe punishment.
Retirement benefits
In order to expect a pension, you need to live 40 years in Suomi and reach the age of 65. The minimum, or so-called national pension, starts from 400 euros. The average Finn has a pension of 1,500 euros, of course, if he has experience and has lived in the country all his life.
However, due to the large influx of emigrants, including Russians, to Finland, elderly people can rely on benefits for immigrants, provided that such a person has lived in the country for 5 years or more and reached 65 years of age. Emigrants can expect to receive a pension at the social minimum level. However, even when purchasing medicines at the pharmacy at his own expense, the pensioner has the right to rely on the reimbursement of their cost from the state, undergo a number of treatment courses, perform a cataract surgery for free, and so on. If a person has too little pension, then social services will help him even with payment for housing.
Taxation
All additional sources of income in the country are tough and taxed at such increased rates. If the average income tax is 20%, then in the presence of additional income, the rate increases by 1.5-2 times.
The country has almost no benefits for low-income people, but they can count on reimbursement of their costs from the state.
Health care system
Finland through the eyes of Russians is a quality medical service. What can I say if the country has a life expectancy of 79.7 years, and mortality among newborns does not exceed 1.3 children per thousand infants.
There are state and private medical institutions in the country. If you are served in a public hospital, you can count on a partial coverage of expenses from the state. On average, Finns are reimbursed up to 80% for treatment. However, to get an appointment with a doctor, you will have to make an appointment in advance. When you call a doctor at home, on weekends or after 16:00, you will have to pay for his services, and this will result in a rather round amount. But an ambulance arrives on a call in about 5 minutes.
Household issues
According to reviews, life in Finland for Russians is comfort and security. The country does not fall below the 15th mark in the ranking of countries in terms of living standards, and Russia does not rise above 49th place.
Rental housing in Helsinki (one-bedroom apartment) costs from 500 to 800 euros. There is no particular difference in the cost of food products depending on the chain of stores. For a week, a family of three will need no more than 70 euros. But the country can only boast about the quality of its products. The state has a seven-level check of food products for quality, for example, in Russia, only a four-level one. In the country of Suomi, a paradise for vegetarians, there are many products created on a plant basis and high in protein.
Despite the fact that the country does have problems with alcoholism and suicide, there are a huge number of sports people who run daily. As emigrants from Russia say, even when jogging in the forest, there is a feeling that you are running in the central city square.
According to official statistics, about 1% of Russian emigrants live in the country. And the influx of migrants is only increasing, by about 3 thousand annually. However, all the same people who have been living in the country for some time, note that Russophobia is present in the country. And the issue of discrimination in the employment of foreigners in Finland was even raised at the Council of Europe level. In any case, each person independently decides on moving to another country.