PRESS-RELEASE: The Ukrainian Association in Finland is extremely concerned by the escalation of hate speech in social media and its impact on Finnish society. 05.03.2022

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The board of the Ukrainian Association in Finland is concerned about communication involving the Russian-speaking community of Finland, which has been evolving in Finnish social media over the last couple of days. This massive communication is aimed at spreading misinformation, causing provocations, and escalating hate speech. The pictures of the letters addressed to members of the Russian-speaking community in Finland, are distributed across social media channels (Instagram, Tiktok, Facebook).

Every message, which Association has obtained, included a picture of the very same threat letter accompanied by a different story and circumstances. Moreover, the letter includes the words “Glory to Ukraine” – the words, which have a very deep meaning for every Ukrainian in the world. These words reflect our love for our country, and they have become known to the whole world now, during the ongoing Russian attempt to occupy independent Ukraine.

Chairman of the Ukrainian Association Vassili Goutsoul is concerned about the impact such messages may have on Finnish society. “We would like to firmly state that we condemn any calls for violence as well as any actions aimed at escalation of hate in Finnish society. We ask everyone who has received such a letter or any other threat to report those occasions to the relevant authorities in Finland. Messages should not be shared further. Let’s stop the wrongful communication and limit the growth of misinformation and the grounds for hybrid attacks.

We are going through very hard times. Our families and friends in Ukraine are being killed and injured. Ukrainian children are being born in bomb shelters, robbed of a normal childhood, and are unable to attend schools and hobbies. They are sleeping in cellars and getting used to the sounds of war. In times like that, we do not need more conflicts, just peace, understanding, and respect. We hope that the feelings and privacy of the members of our community will be respected.

Finally, the Ukrainian Association in Finland is extremely grateful for all the support we have been receiving from so many people of every nationality both in Finland and abroad. We are standing strong and the whole world is standing with Ukraine. It’s a great comfort”, Goutsoul concludes.

For more information, please contact:

Mariia Kostiainen, deputy chairperson, mariia.kostiainen (at) ukrainians.fi

Arseniy Svynarenko, member of the Association

The Ukrainian Association in Finland was founded in Helsinki in 1997 with the purpose of uniting and representing the community of Ukrainians residing in Finland and raising awareness about Ukraine and its culture in Finland. Our aim is to support a strong Ukrainian community, the members of which, while preserving their cultural identity, are fully integrated into Finnish society and engaged in their local communities.

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