Turku - the special friend of Putin's St. Petersburg team

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When Turku decided in 1953 to be twinned with Leningrad (now St. Petersburg), it might have been congratulated for making a wise choice. Russia’s recent political leaders have included a number of politicians who have held leading positions in St. Petersburg, and many of them have visited Turku on a number of occasions.
      President Vladimir Putin as well as Prime Minister nominee Viktor Zubkov have visited Turku on a number of occasions. The two men worked in the international department of the City of St. Petersburg, dealing with relations with the twinned city. Usually visits included meetings with local businesses and administration, as the Russians wanted to learn more about the Western system.
     
There were not many personal memories about Zubkov, as he never took a very visible role during the visits. Juhani Leppä (Nat. Coalition Party), who served as Turku Mayor from 1989 to 1995, says that he met Zubkov a few times.
      "An extremely pleasant, nice man: his only minus was that his language skills were limited to Russian", Leppä recalls. "He was enthusiastically involved in all types of training."
      Armas Lahoniitty (SDP), who served as Turku Mayor from 1995 to 2005, and before that as Deputy Mayor, said that Zubkov did not stand out much in the group.
      "He was a good assistant for Putin", Lahoniitty says.
      Putin, meanwhile, was seen by Lahoniitty as as very clear-spoken man of few words, who was nevertheless very conscious of his goals. "He formed very clear views of matters."
      Lahoniitty says that he would not be surprised if more people from St. Petersburg were to attain the Russian leadership.
      "It is my impression that they have a fairly tight network among themselves", Lahoniitty says. High-ranking St. Petersburg politicians listed by Leppä include Deputy PM Vladimir Yakolev, Minister of Trade German Gref, finance Minister Aleksei Kudrin and Minister of Communications Leonid Reiman.
      "So there are plenty of familiar faces there, who have been with us, fishing and skiing", Leppä recalls.
     
Leppä played football with the future President of Russia in 1994, when the Turku celebrity team, Piispan pojat ("The Bishop’s Boys") played the team of the twinned city St. Petersburg.
      The Finnish team won 1-0, with Archbishop John Vikström scoring the only goal in the game with his head. "Putin noted that there must have been divine guidance involved - so our team had one extra player", Leppä recalls. "The Archbishop, meanwhile, bruised Putin’s ribs in a check."
      Zubkov also took part in the visit, but he did not play in the game.
      Matti Romppanen, who dealt with Turku’s links with Russia, notes that the city had more contacts with Putin than with Zubkov. In spite of his behind-the-scenes role, Romppanen does not see Zubkov as a surprise name, as he was a close colleague of Putin.
      "Putin was just as unexpected a choice", Romppanen observed.


Previously in HS International Edition:
  Russia´s likely new PM familiar to many Finns (13.9.2007)

Helsingin Sanomat