Faced with the Russian threat, Finland's strategy is attracting the interest of several European countries. This country shares 1,340 kilometers of border with Russia and its 5.6 million inhabitants maintain a defense culture deeply rooted in their history, in particular because of their resistance against the Soviets during the Winter War (November 1939-March 1940). Over the decades, the Finns have developed a strategy known as "total defense", which mobilizes the armed forces, the civilian population and businesses.
To defend their country alongside their soldiers, a million Finnish civilians are also preparing for combat, or nearly one in five inhabitants. Sallamari Kurki is a hunter and lives about fifty kilometers from the border with Russia. Even if weapons hold no secrets for her, in the event of a conflict, she would not be on the front line: “I am a mother and my job would be to shelter my children so that they survive,” she explains. In Finland, the real mission of civilians in this area is in fact to learn to survive: they will have to find something to heat themselves and feed their children through hunting. "We Finns are tenacious and determined. Here we call it 'sisu'. We cannot live in fear. I trust my country," she says. That day, she hunted no animal, no bird, no elk. But at home, her freezer is already full of red berries picked in summer and elk meat she hunted.
“Beware of the Russians, they will always betray you”
Sallamari's children also participate in exercises. They are preparing to go into the woods to learn how to find their way. One of them seems worried about venturing into the forest and being around wild animals, but his mother encourages him to overcome his fear: “It gives the children a feeling of security and confidence. It’s important that they learn how to react in a crisis situation.”
All Finnish children grow up with the story of the terrible Winter War of 1939-1940, when Stalin's USSR invaded the country. Finland resists the Red Army, ultimately loses the war and 10% of its territory, but manages to preserve its independence. For some Finns, fear of the Russians turns into obsession. At the bottom of his garden, Juha Ripattila has collected a veritable arsenal: he stores 300 weapons there. Among them is the one with which his grandfather fought in 1939 against the USSR. He never returned from the front: "He was only 30 years old. My grandmother told me when I was little, 'Beware of the Russians, they will always betray you'..." he remembers.
These 300 weapons are not demilitarized and all gun permits are in order. Some could be operational. According to information collected by the "We, the Europeans" (X) team, the police are perfectly aware of the collection of this member of the True Finns, the far-right populist party: "In the event of an attack, half the village would come here to help themselves. And I would have plenty of ammunition. My anti-aircraft gun from 1939 is always pointed towards the east. That's where the danger comes from," he warns.
Finland is one of the countries in the world with the most guns per capita.
