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On 14 December at 18:00, Helsinki will host a meeting with Olga Romanova. Olga Romanova is a journalist, writer and human rights activist, the founder of Rus Sidyashchaya (Russia Behind Bars) and co-host of the YouTube channel The Breakfast Show. During the event, we will discuss contemporary literature, Russian-language journalism in exile, human rights, and the role of fiction in interpreting and understanding political events. The event will also feature the presentation o

On 15 November at 15:00, a lecture entitled “Protectionism and Free Trade” will take place in Helsinki. We will discuss why governments introduce tariffs and import restrictions, what arguments supporters of protectionism use, and whether such policies actually benefit the economy. The speaker will be Alexey Shrub — a programmer by profession, a political philosopher by vocation, and the author of the book Ratiocracy. Admission is free, but registration is required via this l

Naoko (Diana Loginova), the singer of the band StopTime, and the band’s guitarist Alexander Orlov have been added to Russia’s list of “foreign agents.” And that means now is the perfect time to support them! On 13 December at 19:00, StopTime will perform in Helsinki! Not long ago, we showed our support for the band at a rally in Helsinki, and now we have a chance to meet them in person and celebrate the fact that they are safe. Tickets are €25 via this link.

Our friends at Nicolaus Copernicus University in Poland are conducting a study on Russian political emigration after 2022. Please take 15 minutes to complete this fully anonymous and secure survey, and share it with anyone who may be interested. Why is this important? The results of studies like this can significantly shape how Russian democratic emigration is understood, assessed, and perceived by Europe’s academic and political communities. If we want conclusions about us t

On 16 November at 18:00, Helsinki will host a lecture by Andrey Bilzho, “How Not to Lose Your Mind in Crazy Times.” Andrey Bilzho is a cartoonist, writer and humorist, the creator of the famous Petrovich character, and someone with a rare ability to speak about serious matters with ease and humour. During the lecture, we will talk about how to find the strength to enjoy life in difficult times, how not to let everyday problems throw us off balance, and how to maintain peace o

On 7 October at 17:00, we will gather in front of the Russian Embassy in Helsinki to honour the memory of Anna Politkovskaya and express solidarity with journalists, human rights defenders, and everyone who continues to stand up for human rights in Russia. This day marks 20 years since her murder. Anna Politkovskaya was a world-renowned journalist, writer and human rights defender. Her murder became one of the most widely recognised symbols of how dangerous the work of an ind

Anna Politkovskaya was a journalist for Novaya Gazeta, a writer and human rights defender who became internationally known for her reporting on the war in Chechnya, human rights violations, corruption, and abuses committed by the Russian authorities and security forces. On 7 October 2006, Anna Politkovskaya was murdered in the entrance hall of her apartment building in Moscow. Those who carried out and organized the murder were convicted, but those who ordered the killing hav

Today, the Ministry of Justice of the Russian Federation added the third member of our organization, Valery Klepkin, to its register of so-called “foreign agents.” Valery is a board member of Initiative FoReDi and a journalist with Echo Helsinki. He became the 1,268th entry in the “foreign agents” register. According to the Ministry of Justice, the grounds for the designation included allegations that Valery disseminated “false information” about decisions and policies of Rus

Congratulations to Nikita and Olga Belov on receiving asylum in Finland! Now they can build their future in safety and peace. Thank you to everyone who helped and supported them ❤️

On 21 October at 18:00, ahead of the Helsinki Book Fair, Töölö Library will host a discussion featuring Finnish writers with a Russian-speaking background. The discussion will be held in Finnish. The discussion will explore what it is like for writers with a Russian-speaking background to write in Finnish and how their work is received in Finland and abroad. We will also discuss the current state of Russian-language literature, freedom of expression, support available to writ

On 30 September at 18:00 Helsinki and Moscow time and 17:00 Berlin time, we invite you to the online meeting “Émigré Literature in Europe in the 2020s”. During the meeting, we will discuss: Who are contemporary authors writing for? Which themes are becoming most important today? What challenges do writers face in emigration? Has a new generation of Russian-language writers emerged? Our guest will be Anna Berseneva (Tatiana Sotnikova) — writer, literary critic, philologist, an

On September 18 at 18:20, a meeting with Russian opposition politician Ivan Zhdanov, one of the founders of the Progress movement, will take place in Helsinki. At the meeting, you will have an opportunity to ask questions directly about the new movement: what Progress is and why it was created, what goals the organization has set for itself, and what kind of political program it envisions for the future. We will also discuss cooperation between Progress and the Vesna movement

On September 20, from 12:00 to 16:00, a rally will take place in Helsinki outside the Russian Embassy on the day of the “elections.” In the upcoming elections, Russian citizens living abroad have already been deprived of the opportunity to vote for candidates in single-member constituencies. And after the Yabloko party was removed from the elections, voters have also lost the opportunity to support the only political force openly opposing the war. We are being asked to view w

Don’t miss this rare opportunity to see a Russian-language film on the big screen in Helsinki! 🎬 As part of the Helsinki International Film Festival – Love & Anarchy, there will be two screenings of Andrey Zvyagintsev’s new film “Minotaur.” “Minotaur” is Zvyagintsev’s first feature film in almost ten years. It is a darkly humorous and politically sharp thriller about corruption in contemporary Russia, told through the story of a toxic marriage. The film won the Grand Prix at

On 19 September at 14:00, near Helsinki Central Railway Station, a demonstration will take place against the deportation from Finland of Russian anti-war activists, conscientious objectors, LGBTQ+ people, and members of persecuted religious minorities. We demand an end to the deportations of Roman Golikov, Nikita Belov, Olga Belova, Vasily Marinin, Boris Yudin, German Voetski, Vladislav Maslovets, Ekaterina Arapova, Egor Melnik, Anna Oleinik, Ivan Petrichenko, Valentin Sergie

On September 9 at 18:00 (Helsinki and Moscow time) and 17:00 (Berlin time), we invite you to the online event “Russian-Language Literature and Technology.” During the event, we will discuss which topics are becoming most relevant for contemporary Russian-language authors, talk about publishing and translation, and explore the impact of artificial intelligence and social media on literature. Our guest will be Georgy Urushadze, founder of Freedom Letters publishing house and th

On 13 September at 15:00, we invite you to a lecture in Helsinki entitled “Liberalism as a System of Peaceful Cooperation.” Why do societies choose cooperation over conflict, and what role do liberal ideas play in this? During the lecture, we will discuss how different principles of liberalism — from free trade, private property, and equality before the law to secularism, freedom of thought, and the advancement of science — contribute to peaceful coexistence between people an

On 5 September at 17:00, a meeting with Ilya Yashin, a Russian opposition politician and chairman of the Peaceful Russia party, will take place in Helsinki. The meeting will be held as an open dialogue about the future of a free Russia, democracy, and peace. We invite you to join the discussion on current issues and ask Ilya Yashin your questions. 👉 Admission is free with advance registration: Registration form 📍 Lapinlahden Lähde, Lapinlahdenpolku 8, Helsinki View on Googl

In Helsinki, near the new Kruunuvuorensilta bridge, we collected floating litter and waste from the shoreline. Altogether, we gathered 11 kilograms of rubbish. Until 26 August, anyone can use free kayaks or boats in Helsinki, Espoo and Oulu and help make Finnish nature a little cleaner. You can find more information and book a kayak or boat via the link.

On July 23 at 6:30 PM, a lecture titled “Historical Queer Artifacts in Our Homes” will take place in Helsinki. LGBTQ+ activist and founder of the Historical Queer Museum in Exile (St. Petersburg – Hamburg), Petya Voskresensky, will speak about the history of queer museums in Europe, the discovery of queer artifacts through the example of lesbian-themed porcelain, and how to find similar objects for your own home. Admission is free. Advance registration is required: https://ww