My mother was Finnish

Some have questioned my reference to Finland as a possible role model of what could happen in Ukraine. Let me provide you with a few more details.

My mother, Impi Suomela, was Finnish. She grew up in Viipuri/Vyborg which was in the heart of Finnish Karelia. She was the only one of eight siblings in her family who came to Canada. When she was 22 years old she came to Toronto to work in the early 1930s. When WW II broke out in 1939 it was impossible for her to return to Finland.

In 1951 (6 years after the end of WWII) our whole family went back to Finland to spend a long summer there. I was 15 years old at the time. During that time I learned from my relatives about the Russian invasion during the Winter War of 1939-40.

- That short war was a brutal and bloody affair. The Finns, though outnumbered and outgunned, fought the Russian tanks with ski patrols using rifles and Molotov cocktails. My uncles showed me pictures of their participation in that war.

- Most of my mother’s family had to flee to nearby towns like Mikkeli and Savonlinna. Along the border area, the slaughter of war was horrible. In some areas there was only one man living for every 3-4 women.

- My mother could not even visit Viipuri where she grew up. Once when our train went through Viipuri, the Russians boarded up the windows, so that she could not even look upon it.

However, despite all of this wartime devastation, Finland has become an outstanding  democratic country.  It’s educational and health care systems are remarkable. It has even been named the world’s “happiest” country by the World Happiness Report  for six years in a row!

Finland has the longest land border with Russia of any other country. This border is now strongly protected by Finnish troops. It is highly unlikely that Russia will ever invade Finland again, especially since Finland has now joined NATO.

For all of these reasons, I have stated that Finland could be some kind of a role model for ending the war in Ukraine.

Rebellious Seeker, Ottawa, 16 July, 2023.