Shopping in Finland: where to go, what to buy, recommendations. What to bring from Finland How to establish metal trade with Finland

This method of earning money is most likely typical for border cities, but any Russian citizen of our vast Motherland can use it.

http://www.koli.ru/images/4403258d24c93.JPG" hspace="4" width="200" align="left" vspace="4"/>This method of earning money is most likely typical for border cities, but any Russian citizen of our vast Motherland can use it. So, Vyborg is a city bordering Finland.

Opening the page of free advertisements in the local newspaper, we find the “Labor Exchange” section and see what is in it. First, in alphabetical order, a lone accountant offers his services, then, rather sluggishly, a couple or three drivers with their cars, and then... A whole column starting with the letter “P.” As Mikhail Zadornov says, the Americans will never defeat us, because only in our dictionary there is such a word as SMART. Well, in what other country in the world could the profession of PASSENGER TO FINLAND be invented! There are about 30 of these passengers in the newspaper advertisements after the poor accountant and drivers. Both with their own car and without them, with children and with grandparents.

The history of the emergence of a new profession began several years ago, when another decree of the State Customs Committee was issued, aimed at combating the “greedy” population of border cities, in particular, and the shadow economy in general. The meaning of this decree comes down to the fact that from abroad a citizen has the right to bring goods weighing no more than 50 kg to Russia.

If the weight of the goods exceeds this value, then you must pay a duty of 4 euros for each extra kilogram. Well, who will pay a duty of 120 euros for a two-chamber used refrigerator bought somewhere on a farm from a Finnish peasant for 40-50 euros and weighing 80 kg? That's right, no one! Therefore, enterprising shuttle traders began to hire poor, unemployed or simply lazy Vyborg citizens with Finnish visas to transport “extra” kilograms. And everyone lived well and happily: the shuttles transported and sold their wonderful imported goods, the passengers, bored in the customs line, read books, knitted, studied the Hindi language and calculated on a calculator their dividends from sitting in the car.

During this golden time, passengers acquired the nickname “sausage maker”, because wholesale shipments of goods on the Finnish side were distributed into 10-20 cars with passengers and then this “sausage” solemnly traveled to Russia. Of course, there were also negative consequences of this phenomenon. For example, car repairmen in garages stopped repairing cars.

And why, if “having eaten sausage” once a day in Finland, he received 12-15 dollars from the organizer, and if he was the driver of his own car, then all 25. But the Russian customs did not sleep! Finding that she was “flying past the ticket office,” which was passing her relatively honestly and peacefully every day, customs introduced the concept of “indivisible cargo.” Now, in order to transport the desired refrigerator across the border, it has become necessary to have a relative as a passenger.

Relatives transport goods for joint use, which means the weight of duty-free indivisible cargo increases. But there was confusion in this place. Who is considered a relative? At one customs office all relatives are relatives, at another - a mother and child are relatives, but, for example, a husband and wife are not. In the Vyborg region there are three customs crossings, separated by fifty kilometers from each other, and each has its own concept of relatives, which also depends on the shift you are going to. In general, having become completely confused about their relatives, the people made the only correct and correct decision. To become a relative, you have to pay for it! And they are still paying!

The consequence of these innovations was an increased demand for single women with children and more frequent border crossings for citizens earning their daily bread. At this historical moment, when, according to legend, an unknown hero crossed the border five times in one day, the term “jerboa” arose.

How can you start “stuffing” while earning banknotes? To do this, you first need to decide what you will transport and for whom. Today, “tushkans” bring from Finland products that are in demand on the market: Used refrigeration equipment, used washing machines, used electric stoves, used and new leather furniture, custom auto parts, car paint, used car tires. used and new, used and new TVs, home theaters, computers and components from Germany, heating cables, power tools, cubic plastic containers for liquids and much more that I don’t know. “Jerboa” receives 10-12 euros for crossing the border, which is 60 kilometers from Vyborg, the driver receives 25 euros.

Having decided on your desires, you need to obtain a foreign passport and a Finnish visa. You order your passport at the nearest OVIR office. The minimum cost of a passport is 250 rubles, but you will receive it in two months. It’s easier to get a passport through any travel agency. You can apply for a visa to Finland yourself by contacting the nearest Finnish consulate or through a travel agency.

For the first time you need visa for 30 days for a period, for example, for six months, for a longer period - they are unlikely to give it. This means that within six months you can stay in Finland for no more than 30 days, but cross the border at least 100 times during this time (until you run out of pages in your passport or your nerves). The consulate charges 55 euros for a visa.

Mandatory medical insurance. Its cost for 30 days is about 300 rubles. If you are driving your own car, then at the border you need to purchase international car insurance, without which Finnish customs will not let you through. A month of insurance - 600 rubles.

Even if you live several hundred kilometers from the border, you can do as my Tula colleague did. He issued a passport, received a visa, rented an apartment in Vyborg and began intensively driving a Gazelle to Finland and Tula. It ended sadly, or maybe happily. He earned money and is still earning money, but he divorced his wife because during his travels he found another.

All sorts of metamorphoses and combinations happen to goods on the way to the consumer. Most of all, I was shocked by the cycle of used electric stoves in nature. In Finland, as strange as it may seem to us to hear, municipalities carry out regular major renovations of buildings. At the same time, all unnecessary working equipment built into apartments is taken to the landfill FOR MONEY: refrigerators, washing machines, including electric stoves. Builders sell slabs for 5-10 euros, or even for a carton of cigarettes.

Further in Vyborg, valiant representatives of sunny Dagestan buy slabs at a price of up to 800 rubles apiece and take them to their home through Kalmykia, where two years ago they exchanged one slab for two rams, which were then sold in Dagestan, where they bought vegetables and fruits that they brought to St. Petersburg or to Vyborg, where they sold all this and with the proceeds they again bought slabs, which... etc.

What are they bringing to Finland? Vodka, cigarettes, gasoline, money. The cost of a liter bottle of vodka or a block of “LM” on the Finnish side near the border is approximately the same and amounts to 10 euros (in a state store - up to 30 euros), but you need to remember that the police do not like this kind of trade and punish Russian sellers caught with a fine and deprivation of a visa .

A liter of 95 gasoline in Finland costs about 1 euro, so if you find a Finnish business partner (unless he is, of course, a millionaire), then you can safely offer gasoline barter. Like a legend among border guards, there is a story about how several years ago a certain Finnish lover of cheap Russian gasoline and vodka with cigarettes managed to cross the border nineteen times in a day. They also bring money to Finland. In order to be stored more reliably and make a profit in a foreign bank. But that is another story.

In this material, we would like to tell you about the most popular purchases in Finland that you can purchase if you decide to go shopping in this northern country. Since children are our flowers of life, let us start with them. Caring for the younger generation is one of the main directions of the social policy of the Suomi government. Everything related to children is strictly controlled here, especially for goods for the little ones. Therefore, you can be 100% confident in the quality of baby food, the safety of toys, and the hypoallergenicity of baby care products.

Note that it is very profitable to buy various diapers and food for babies here. This can be done in large supermarkets, for example, Prizma or K-Citymarket. Please note that their selection of children's products is really large and the cost reduction for children's clothing can often reach 60%. But even from a minimum fixed cost you can get an even better discount. We mean sales, receiving tax free or invoice. In Russia, the driver can be fined for driving a child in a car without a special seat; the same applies to Finland.

Not a single Finn will put a child in a car that is not equipped with a child seat. Therefore, the industrial production of these devices is well established here and these products undergo serious testing and testing. Therefore, there is no doubt about their characteristics. They are also sold in large department stores and their selection is quite large. Strollers are not inferior to the wide variety of car seats, but we would recommend buying them in specialized children's stores.

Food

This is the most relevant topic for all segments of our tourists who want to visit and shop in Finland. The abundance of meat products in local supermarkets can make your head spin. There are a large number of cuts, bacon, sausages, bratwursts and sausages on sale. Finnish fish is one of the main export destinations, and its abundance in local stores is always a little surprising. In addition to trout fillets or Norwegian salmon, many buyers try to grab a jar. In addition to it, you can buy various fish delicacies here, including cold and hot smoked fish.

Chocolate is in no way inferior in taste to French chocolate. Therefore, it is simply impossible not to bring a funny chocolate bar, figurine or candy as a gift. The most famous manufacturer is the Fazer company. The exclusive chocolate factory “Kultasuklaa” will delight gourmets with seasonal sweets, for example, fresh chocolate-covered strawberries. Insanely tasty, but does not last long. But a chocolate truffle costing about 8.5 Euros per hundred grams can be brought as a gift to your friends and family. Note that many tourists also buy many varieties and varieties home.

Photo: website

Anyone who has already tried it once dreams of enjoying its fragrant cup once again. For Finns, this is the drink of the gods and it is simply impossible to find a surrogate here. The locals themselves prefer coffee beans, and the Paulig company is rightfully considered the monopolist of the coffee market. Another leader in this market is Kulta Katrina coffee. It is very popular not only among Finns, but also among our tourists. Also among the good purchases in Finland, it is worth mentioning tea, of which a lot is sold here and I must say that it amazes with the abundance of flavors presented. Most varieties are flavored with natural herbs and berries.

Finnish clothes

During the sales season, you can buy clothes from very famous world brands at a more than affordable price. Most Finns prefer sports-style clothing. Many manufacturers, for example, manufacture and sew things of excellent quality in a very wide range. Reima has made a real breakthrough in the textile market. This company was the first to use innovative technologies. A children's jacket may look very thin, but it warms much more than a fluffy down jacket.

This is especially important for kids, and they are the main category that Reima’s production is aimed at. In such things, the children's movement will not be constrained during outdoor games in the cold. Luhta is the largest Finnish manufacturer of warm sportswear, including children's clothing. Its products are well known and popular here in Russia. The excellent quality of the items produced is complemented by a bright design, which is why active people love this brand. It must be said that the lowest price tags for shoes and clothing occur at the end of each season.

Souvenirs

Appliances

As soon as a new model of some electronics and household appliances appears on the market, prices for previous models begin to decline. Therefore, it is always profitable to buy TVs, multicookers, hair dryers, bread makers and similar things here. But the biggest discounts on this group of products are at the beginning of January. You can read more detailed information about it in one of our next articles.

Photo: giganti.fi

Household chemicals

The prices are unlikely to surprise you much, but you just need to bring the product home and start using it. Any housewife who has been lucky enough to try household chemicals will assure you that its properties are several orders of magnitude higher than domestic products. In addition, local legislation is structured in such a way that all manufactured products contain the minimum possible amount of ingredients harmful to the body.

Cosmetics

This is a completely separate conversation. It is produced in a country considered the undisputed leader in environmental conservation. This means that the compositions of cosmetic products are environmentally friendly. Please note that a significant portion of the products are made from natural ingredients. The most popular companies that produce natural cosmetics are “Marja Entrich”, “Aamunaama”, “Lumene”, “Flow”, “Frantsila”, “Lily Alexandra” and others. Many women prefer this type of shopping in Finland.

Photo: website

Alcohol

We can only say good things about the quality of Finnish alcohol. Especially about delicious Finnish liqueurs, which are exclusively natural, and Finnish beer has long become a real legend in many countries of the world. The well-known vodka “Finlandia” can be classified as an elite intoxicating drink in all respects. But the famous vodka “Koskenkorva” occupies a special place among alcoholic drinks. It must be said that alcohol above 4.7% can only be purchased in specialized Alko stores.

Medicines and vitamins

Medicines produced in EU countries are more effective than some domestic analogues. Many doctors recommend Finnish medicines, since there is no doubt about their quality and they are produced under very strict state control. But you need to remember that you won’t be able to purchase medications using Russian prescriptions. To do this, you need to visit a Finnish doctor, he will write you a prescription and only after that you can purchase the necessary medicine in one of the Finnish pharmacies. You can really buy many quality goods in this country. We can only wish that your wallet can withstand such a serious load. In conclusion, I would like to wish you good discounts and shop in Finland. In our next material we have prepared information where you can see their offered range and prices.

Opening your own store is one of the ways to make a profit and do a rather interesting business. The system is simple - buy goods at a wholesale price and sell at a higher price. In order to withstand competition, it is necessary to offer the buyer a product in the right place at an affordable price, complementing all this with good service.

Opening a Finnish goods store is a very original idea. The entrepreneur will not only receive a good profit, but will also learn a lot of interesting and useful things about the culture and life of the population of Finland. You shouldn’t immediately think about opening a supermarket - for starters, having your own small but profitable store will be enough.

Location, design and financial calculations

The key point in this type of business is the location where the Finnish goods store will be located. The choice arises: rent a separate room or a place in a shopping center. The first option is cheaper, but the shopping center has many more advantages: location in a crowded place, convenient parking, intense flow of customers. Therefore, it is worth focusing on this option.

The store should have an attractive appearance for the buyer. The layout should ensure a comfortable stay for the buyer inside, and also attract the outside. You can hire a good designer who will emphasize not only the uniqueness of the store, but also help create an atmosphere in it that meets Finnish traditions.

An entrepreneur must be clearly aware that most often in the initial stages of developing his own business, unforeseen expenses arise, so it is necessary to draw up a business plan to take into account all the nuances. The initial capital can be taken in the form of a bank loan or borrowed from friends, but ultimately the entrepreneur must pay off the debts, otherwise he will not be able to continue his business.

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Advertising, name and suppliers

Advertising is the most important component in the relationship with the buyer. In order to get regular customers, it is necessary to convey the “zest” of the Finnish goods store. At the global trading level, an entrepreneur spends from 2 to 5% of turnover on advertising, so it is worth planning this mandatory expense from the beginning.

The name is of considerable importance. A Finnish goods store may have either an interesting Russian or Finnish name. This aspect depends only on the creativity of the entrepreneur.

It is easier to open this kind of store if the entrepreneur has any connections in Finland, since it will be easier to resolve the issue with suppliers, because the quality of imported goods depends on these people.

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Legal aspects of retail trade

An important parameter is the legal aspects of trade. Each entrepreneur must comply with all requirements that state laws and government regulations impose on retail enterprises. You must first familiarize yourself with the following laws:

1. "Law on Consumer Protection".
2. "Rules for sales by sample."
3. "List of goods subject to certification."
4. "List of technically complex goods."
5. “Compensation for damage caused due to defects in goods, works or services.”
6. "Rules for the sale of certain types of goods."
7. "List of Durable Goods".
8. "List of non-food products of good quality that are not subject to return or exchange."

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Personnel and security

Personnel should be selected wisely. People do not necessarily have work experience; you can give the opportunity to young people who are easily trained and open to everything new with a creative approach to trading, which will undoubtedly affect your profits.

We must not forget about the safety of the store and staff, so you should pay attention to the correct installation of the fire protection system, alarm system, and you can install CCTV cameras.

What Finnish goods can be sold in the store?

According to various surveys, Finnish household appliances and fashionable clothing are currently in demand in Russia.

Household appliances in Finland are of very high quality and easy to use. These include televisions, computers, cell phones, navigators, and much more. In Finland, purchasing these goods will not be difficult - the prices are quite reasonable. Clothes from this country are in demand everywhere, especially in winter - the republic produces very warm and beautiful things in large quantities due to the insufficiently favorable climate. These could be winter boots, hats, jackets, mittens, etc.

Today I went into town for the last time before leaving - shopping. Once again I thought about how different things people consider it necessary to bring from country to country.

Our older relatives, for example, ask us to bring them butter, coffee, cheese, and sausages from Finland. In general, many people bring oil, as far as I understand. But on the contrary, I take the oil with me to Finland. Because in Finland it is almost exclusively salty, and therefore tasteless to me. You can find unsalted one, but it’s difficult and it’s noticeably more expensive. I don’t drink coffee, I don’t eat sausages, but I eat a lot of cheese and enjoy it. But I don’t bring it from Finland, because it costs the same and in terms of quality, IMHO, cheap Finnish Edam is exactly the same as some Russian one. But sometimes I bring several packs of mozzarella. It tastes the same, but for some reason it’s cheaper in Finland (however, now I don’t know if it’s cheaper - I didn’t recalculate it after the price jump).
I know that many people bring red fish. But we somehow didn’t master the stop at special shops along the way, and in Turku itself you can buy salmon for the right amount of money only through K-market promotions, once every few weeks, if you’re lucky. There is no smoked fish for adequate money at all (it costs about 20 euros per kg - the toad is choking).

I myself am bringing a rather strange set of products from Finland:

Bread and roll. Black malt "archipelago" bread Saaristolaislimppu and "kefir" bread Piimälimppu. They are expensive - today I paid 3.5 euros for bread and 2.8 euros for a roll. But Kolya, for example, and my mother don’t eat them at all; they say that the bun is too rich and sweet, and the bread is sweetish and has too rich a taste. I just adore it, I really miss something like this in Russia, so I always bring one with me.

Bell peppers. Because here they cost 5 pieces for 1 euro. Beautiful large colorful peppers. And in Russia there are so many that, despite all the love for this vegetable, we have to do without them in winter

Chamomile tea in bags. It's not expensive at all. It costs a penny in Russia too, but I like Finnish much more. It tastes a little different.

Syrup. Well, that’s understandable, I need it for gingerbread. And also sprinkles. I used to carry dyes too, but now I’ve discovered where to buy them in St. Petersburg, and it’s cheaper.

Sometimes some other desserts. I like mint candies and chocolate with mousse and milk filling. I also love chocolate mousse, but this stuff is completely perishable. And also semolina lingonberry mousse, but for some reason I didn’t buy it this time.

In terms of non-edible items, I mainly bring clothes for girls, which I buy in kirputoria (thrift stores). I know that people usually buy new clothes somewhere in Finland, but I don’t understand where they get them - for me, new clothes here, even taking into account sales, cost absolutely incredible money. And it looks terrible for the most part.

I always bring tomato paste to Finland from Russia, because here it is either prohibitively expensive or tasteless if you buy it in Asian stores. Mom also usually asks for buckwheat, vegetable oil, condensed milk, mayonnaise, and cigarettes. In Russian departments of large stores there are also sprats, canned borscht and canned cabbage salad on the shelves. Although this time, as I already wrote, we brought a lot of edibles; after the jump, the difference in price for the most ordinary products became very large.

I also know that people usually use border Duty Free stores. But Kolya and I somehow don’t see any sense in them for ourselves. We don't smoke, don't drink, don't use cosmetics. There are some sweets left, but they are very expensive in Dyutiki.

Every second entrepreneur in Russia thinks about the topic “It’s time to leave.” The closest and most natural country for emigration of St. Petersburg businessmen is Finland. The DP correspondent traveled to the most Russian city in Finland - Lappenranta - and found out what people dream about in exile, a 3-hour drive from St. Petersburg.

In Finland, according to official According to data, about 30 thousand Russian immigrants. Several hundred more move in every year. At the same time, business immigrants come here not so much for huge profits, but for peace and stability: their own home, a store as an inheritance for their children and full inclusion in Finnish life.

Playing local

"It is immediately obvious that our The store is not Finnish,” Denis Emelyanov, co-owner of the Mygoodknife knife store, stuns me. “For what reasons?” I wonder. “For Finns, a store is an ordinary premises. They painted it white, laid out the goods, and opened them. And our souls are free,” says Denis.

They walked around like this: the walls brick, knives - on shelves, like in a boutique, behind glass, like in a museum, on one wall - an electric guitar, on the other - a huge speaker.

Do you organize concerts?

Almost concerts - culinary master classes,” says Denis, standing at the cash counter, which also serves as a kitchen. The owners are going to invite famous people and chefs, film their cooking and post it on the Internet. The final preparations are now being completed. Denis is just testing one of the cameras for shooting. The star's products will be cut with shop knives.

Denis and Victoria Tsvetkova, another co-owner of the store, living in Finland for the second year. He worked in Russia as a business consultant, she as a journalist. The easiest way to make money in Finland, according to them, is to open a warehouse and start delivering goods to Russia. But with such a business, they would hardly become “one of their own” for the Finns. “This is how the majority work. It’s boring. We want to integrate into local life, to win the respect of the people who live here. This is also a kind of very gambling game,” says Denis.

For the first time, they played “local” like this: they began to supply Russian pre-start heaters to Finland. But the Finn, as a consumer, is a terrible conservative, businessmen say. “The doors here are made by two Finnish companies, but the locks are made by only one. And instead of dozens of types of household appliances in Finnish houses, Rosenlew is most often installed, as it has been for centuries. They simply do not see the point in replacing them. “I have good things, Why do I need something new?!" - Victoria describes the psychology of the Finnish consumer. In 3 years, Denis and Victoria managed to squeeze German competitors out of the market and sell several thousand Samara heaters "Advers".

And how did you manage to convince the Finns to buy them instead of Webasto and Eberspaecher?

Yes, we were completely overwhelmed while trying to convince them that everything works, there are service centers, a guarantee,” says Victoria.

Please take down the Russian sign

Mom, look, I will it fit?

Julia, what size do you need? 92? - in the children's clothing store Alinan Bambino, which is located in the Galleria in the center of Lappenranta, Russian speech can be heard from all over. It seems that you are not in Finland, but in the very center of St. Petersburg, in some “Gallery” on Vosstaniya. Finns rarely come to Alinan Bambino. “Now among my customers, 95% are Russian, just six months ago it was 99%. In Finland, this is specific: you need to work for 2-3 years for Finns to come visit you, just come into the store. They need to get used to you, to your store ", agrees with the observations about Finnish conservatism Alena Syrova, co-owner of the store.

While the Finns are confused by the Russians buyers in the sales area and signs in Russian. “We have Finnish clients, they say: “Please take this away!” Alena recounts their words. Consumer patriotism plays a huge role in their choice. “My daughter Anita went to kindergarten. The teacher once said to one of the mothers: “Look at Alena’s children: they are dressed beautifully, comfortably, warmly, why don’t you go there?” She replied: “This is a Russian store, but she has, yes, good and high-quality things.” She admitted that things were good. Here they don’t think about the children, to buy them quality things, here they think about paying their own,” says Alena. But she also cannot refuse Russian clients: they make the main income.

My life in Finland Alena Syrova started building 18 years ago, when she started going to strawberry picking. In Russia, she had a business selling children's clothing and supplying fish from Murmansk. But her hometown of Borovichi in the Novgorod region was simply overwhelmed by crime. In addition, your own staff could easily steal the goods. Alena's biggest loss was goods worth $1 thousand. Therefore, the move was a conscious one for her.

The first business is fishing The store failed to get back on its feet; Finnish banks did not issue a loan for it. “Even 20 years ago, banks were very willing to provide loans for business development. At that time, entrepreneurship was very poorly developed in Finland. But when I started working, there was little support for business: they didn’t provide loans, they didn’t lease equipment,” says she. Alena tried to enlist the recommendations of Finnish experts, but even with their positive opinions about the potential profitability of the business, the banks refused. Then Alena and her husband literally opened a children's clothing store in just a few days. “My husband said to me: “You’ve always been involved in children’s clothing!” In one day I surfed the Internet, studied the market, found a company that does not exist in Southern Finland - Huppa, registered with the magistrate, ordered a small batch for 35 thousand euros. For the owner of Huppa, we were something incomprehensible and new. Nobody orders in such small quantities. And we didn’t even calculate anything - we ordered it, and that’s it,” recalls Alena. In the first six months, the store lost 49 thousand euros. The reasons became clear later - in Finland it is not worth opening a warm clothes store in December, when there are discounts and everyone has already dressed the children long ago.

Alena actually has the same The same dream as Denis and Victoria - to become one of their own, to fit into local life. We are sitting in the center of the Lappeenranta Galleria, in a cafe on the ground floor.

"What I want most of all is to Finns perceived the store normally,” Alena dreams. “How to do this?” I ask. “You see the store? - she shows with her gaze. - One of them is completely covered with posters in Finnish “Liquidation”. When the store closes, I want to move to its place."

The plan is simple: her current The store is located outside a shopping complex and is not easily accessible. Once he's inside, it's harder not to come in.

"The Finns will see that in One Finnish family comes into the store, then another, they will go in themselves, hear conversations in Finnish and only then will they feel comfortable,” she believes.

Himself a Finnish immigrant

Terve! - says hello from behind the counter Olga Cherepanova with a buyer.

Terve! - the young Finnish woman answers her. The conversation begins in Finnish.

Words to every buyer Olga picks up ahead of time, because to enter her store of vitamins and eco-products Appelsiini, you need to go through a vestibule and two glass doors. From a distance, still on the street, she notices the client and examines him. I watch with her and practice distinguishing between Finns and Russians. It doesn't always work out. It is very difficult to recognize a “Russian store” in the Appelsiini shop. The website is in Finnish, so is the sign and all the price tags. There is only a small inscription in Russian at the cash register about the rules for issuing an invoice. Even the site only has a Finnish version. But it is not always possible to avoid dissatisfaction on the sales floor. “If I have Russians and Finns and Russians filling out an invoice in my store, then I ask the Russians to wait and serve the Finns. It’s just that Finns usually don’t really like to wait when Russians draw up documents,” says Olga.

Urgent need to open a store Olga did not. She has lived in Finland for 20 years. In the 1990s, she taught at the university here and told Finnish businessmen how to do business in Russia. But I was disappointed in the training: “I have friends in several Finnish companies whose staff are from Russia. And they have been asking the same questions for years: “Do Russians drink a lot?”, “Do Russians like to stand in queues?”, “Russian women.” do they like to be beaten?" Well, guys, there are a lot of interesting things, besides who drinks how much." After that, Olga worked for a long time in various companies. Hired work feeds her even now.

"A person at a certain stage life or leaves for Goa, or starts doing something else. Why? Because he runs and runs and suddenly discovers that by the age of 40 he has achieved nothing. Middle age crisis. Everyone reacts to it differently. Men take young lovers, women take young lovers. And I started a store for myself,” Olga smiles. No one gave her loans either, the local authorities did not help. It is difficult for immigrants in Finland to make a career, and the only thing left is to open their own business.

Career as a kebab shop cleaner

When I came to apply for a job, I showed my brilliant resume to a local employment agency,” says Irina Krikun. In Russia, she worked as the head of the press service of the Sea Port of St. Petersburg OJSC. She went on maternity leave. She didn’t want to return to work . I entered Lappenranta University with a degree in international business. After graduation, I did an internship in the USA. “You were immediately hired as the head of the department?” I asked. “At first they told me that there was one place. And I just soared until I heard that this was the place of a kebab shop cleaner,” recalls Irina.

Look at your little one business Irina invites you to 5 pm: “Just as classes will end, don’t distract the children too much.” The children's club "Fairytale Childhood", led by Irina Krikun, is now mostly attended by Russians living here. The idea to open something similar came to her when she was studying at the University of Lappenranta and writing a thesis on communication channels.

“I noticed that those who do not read or speak Finnish have problems integrating into local life. For my diploma, I asked the magistrate for statistics on nationalities. It turned out that representatives of 96 nationalities live in Lappenranta. Of the 72 thousand population, almost 2 thousand are Russians. And some of them are simply excluded from public life due to lack of knowledge of the language,” recalls Irina.

There are also problems children from Russian-Finnish families. “In their families they speak Finnish, and the Russian language is passive and is gradually washed out. This then manifests itself at an older age. You ask something, and the answer is: “Well, such a thing, it has a lot of wheels.” Or the parents will say in front of them: “Your sweater is turned upside down.” And they don’t understand: “What, what did I do?” They explain to such children about turn-up sweaters, they read Russian fairy tales. they teach Russian songs, and where necessary, they correct their speech. For Irina, whose first education is as a primary school teacher, spending the whole day with 5-8 year old children is very difficult to make money at such children’s clubs, Irina laments. “It takes a lot. invest in the business. Children's thinking is objective, a large number of aids are needed, you have to work with children a lot, teach them. Our classes have a high cost," she says. Every season she redraws the schedule, introduces new classes, new subscriptions. Despite this, the children's club is not a business, but more of a social story.

"This club is for me- first experience of opening your own business. It was scary to do this for the first time in my life. But the local business development agency Lappenranta supported me and helped me,” she says.

Russian minus

Yes, how they influenced“I went into the red,” Alena answers the question of how the war of sanctions between the West and Russia affected her business. Of all the Russian stores visited by the DP correspondent, her store is the most import-dependent. When 95% of clients are Russians, whose euro exchange rate is falling, difficulties were bound to arise. According to Alena’s calculations, in the first six months of 2014 Alinan Bambino showed a loss of 50 thousand euros. True, she is not being dramatic once again: the Russians did not travel less. “Children still need to be dressed. It’s just getting used to - the euro exchange rate has risen, people walked around for a month or two, looked into Russian stores, didn’t find anything and still decided: no, we have to go,” she explains the behavior of Russian buyers. So far, her forecasts have come true: in September alone, she managed to make a profit of 46 thousand euros and practically recoup the losses from the beginning of the year.

According to Irina’s original idea Screamer, Russian tourists could also leave children in “Fairytale Childhood” while shopping. But now there are fewer such clients: the euro exchange rate has risen and the cost of classes has become higher.

Euro fluctuations and contraction Those who managed to integrate into local life and attract more Finnish clients noticed less tourist flow. Tourists from Russia used to come to Victoria and Denis at Mygoodknife very often to buy “something like that.” “Previously, those who came for souvenirs paid little attention to the price tag. Now it’s clear that they have begun to estimate the cost,” Victoria shares her observations. But this did not greatly affect overall sales.

Appelsiini shop stands on The main tourist trail of Lappenranta - hundreds of tourists pass by the store from the Prisma hypermarket in the Galleria. But besides them, Finns also come for vitamins and organic products.

"I immediately said that It cannot be that such a large flow of tourists constantly goes to Lappenranta. Private business does a lot to attract them - they hire sellers with knowledge of the Russian language, make price tags and signs in Russian. But the city itself does little to attract tourists from Russia,” says Olga Cherepanova. In addition, Finns are often dissatisfied with Russian tourists, and are even afraid of Russian business. Some people don’t like the way tourists drive and loud conversations in shops; that Russian tanks will soon come, and they emotionally share these experiences with the owners of Russian stores right on the sales floor.

"But in such a small A town like Lappeenranta would never have had such a variety of shops if not for Russian tourists. Well, all the stores will close, and what will happen?” Olga asks.

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