Microsoft Word Лингвистика 2015 №4. docx

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69 
 
SOCIAL, CULTURAL AND INTERPERSONAL 
COMMUNICATION PRACTICES 
 
THE FINNISHRUSSIAN RELATIONSHIPS: 
THE INTERPLAY OF ECONOMICS, HISTORY, 
PSYCHOLOGY AND LANGUAGE 
Arto Mustajoki
1
 and Ekaterina Protassova
2
 
1
Faculty of Arts 
University of Helsinki, 
Unioninkatu 40, P.O. Box 24, 00014, Finland 
2
Department of Modern Languages 
University of Helsinki 
Unioninkatu 40, P.O. Box 24, 00014, Finland 
On the territories adjacent to the core Russia, the Russian language has had for centuries an estab-
lished position as a language of culture, trade, war, statehood, and education. The theoretical framework 
of the study reflects the field of cross-cultural communication, with special reference to Finnish-Russian 
intercultural encounters. There is a certain set of prejudices connected with Russia that date back centu-
ries and are periodically revived. Recent events have reinforced some of them, and have enhanced the 
demand for experts on Russia and everything connected with it. The language is undoubtedly consid-
ered the key to understanding what is happening with Finland’s Eastern neighbour. The article aims to 
present the current discussions in the media, their meanings and functions. 
Key words: Finnish-Russian relationships, language and intercultural competence, cross-border 
ties, neighbouring countries, historical borrowings. 
INTRODUCTION 
Relationships with neighbouring countries are seldom straightforward (e.g., the 
Czechs and the Slovaks, the French and the Germans). Asymmetry in a relationship 
with a large neighbouring country may well be a big problem (e.g., Ireland, Portugal, 
the Netherlands, Greece and their big eastern neighbours). There are obvious reasons why 
the relationship between Finland and Russia has been problematic. As far as the Finns 
are concerned, Russian ‘otherness’ is evident in factors such as language (another lan-
guage family, another alphabet) and religion (Lutheran vs. Orthodox); in values such as 
attitudes towards equality (Scandinavian democracy vs. the desire for a powerful leader, 
materialism vs. spiritualism, individualism vs. collectivism and legality vs. justice); 

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Russian Journal of Linguistics, Vestnik RUDN, 2015, N. 4 
70 
in mentality (rational vs. emotional thinking, a future orientation vs. an orientation to 
the present); and in ideology (small improvements vs. the desire for and a belief in im-
mediate change, and the active role of individuals vs. reliance on others in solving 
problems). It is hard to change stereotypes because they make people’s lives easier. 
Some basic elements of ‘Western’ living have reached Russia in recent years with 
regard to housing, food, clothing, transport, schooling and education, urban and rural 
living, and rules of behaviour. Russians coming to Finland and Finns going to Russia 
have found out more about the northern climate with its clear seasonal differences and 
the similarity of some elixirs of life such as vodka, the sauna (banya) and the dacha (cf. 
Alapuro et al. 2012). 
In this article, we take some examples of the Finnish views about Russia and 
Russians and show how researchers, businesspersons, writers and ordinary people ap-
proach the subject that reaches far beyond the themes we are dealing with. The proc-
ess of the national and cultural identity formation was taking place when Finland and 
Russia were one country, and the dissolution of the Russian Empire had the greatest 
impact on both of them. The later events shaped the relationships between these neigh-
bouring countries. Quite a lot of efforts to make the intercultural communication (cf. 
Jandt 2012, Bonvillain 2013) run smoothly have to be completed before common un-
derstanding can be achieved. In recent times, ordinary people have a much bigger role 
in this process.