Cruise ships between Finland and Sweden attracting more Russian youth
Silja and Viking boats find Russian following
By Hannele Tulonen
Cruises by the shipping lines Tallink Silja and Viking Line have become considerably more international than before, with the proportion of travellers from outside Scandinavia growing from just two per cent to nearly ten per cent.
Tens of thousands of Chinese and Japanese each year are boarding the massive care and passenger ferries that sail from Helsinki and Turku to Stockholm and back, as well as hundreds of thousands of Russians.
In a very short time, Russians appear to have changed in their travel habits. They no longer isolate themselves into separate groups. Instead, they are increasingly cosmopolitan, travelling on their own, making expensive purchases when they go.
They drive their fancy cars onto the car decks.
During high season, the shipping lines hire extra crew members with good linguistic skills, and restaurant menus are adjusted to meet the needs of the clientèle.
Saturday's crossing from Helsinki to Stockholm on the Silja Symphony was not the best possible evening to seek out Russian elegance.
At New Year's there were hundreds of Russians on the ship. Now there were fewer than 100 Russians on the vessel.
In the crowd there were a couple of families with children, and low budgets. One woman waiting for the lift with her husband was like a countess in a Tolstoy novel.
Most of the Russians on board were students and professionals in their 20s and 30s.
"After the January exam period, we have holiday, and we can travel", said 19-year-old Alex Milkamanovich, a student of administrative sciences. After the cruise he will go to the Himos ski resort in Finland.
Now he was planning to go with his friends to the ship's disco to drink whisky and gin, both of which are more expensive in St. Petersburg than they are on the ship. He can get plenty of vodka back at home.
There was a feeling of near religious devotion in the perfume shop.
A couple of older Russian ladies sniffed products of Kenzo and whispered to each other. St. Petersburg theatre student Dasha Dobrinina, 20, sampled a Gucci bottle with her friend Oleg Galikaev, also 20.
In addition to perfumes, the Russians are interested in wines. In the wine shop they often buy expensive and fancy bottles, especially French wines, sommelier Maarit Westerlund.
In restaurants and shops on board, Russian has become the ship's fourth "official" language - right after Finnish, Swedish, and English, and there have been efforts to recruit Russian speakers.
"There are 30 students in my group, and ten of them travelled abroad during their holiday", says 19-year-old Anna Yakovleva, a student of economics from Moscow.
She and her friend Darya Obraztsova are collecting plates to bring back as presents; it is a special treat in Moscow to get an object that is "Made in Finland".
Young Muscovites often travel to Turkey, for instance, Anna Yakovleva says. Design student Darya Obraztsova, 20, is fascinated by the architecture in Helsinki.
Vitaly Kozyakin was on the ship with his colleagues from work. The young people It professionals were going to Stockholm to acquaint themselves with their company's premises in Sweden. They will have to repeat the journey a number of times, says Elizaveta Sevastianova.
In the karaoke bar, the songs that are heard this time are mostly in Finnish and Swedish, even though the list of pieces includes dozens of Russian songs as well - for instance, Ty upal c Luny.
Helsingin Sanomat / First published in print 4.2..2008
HANNELE TULONEN / Helsingin Sanomat
hannele.tulonen@hs.fi
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| 5.2.2008 - THIS WEEK |
 Cruise ships between Finland and Sweden attracting more Russian youth |
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