How is life in the Finnish countryside

• How is life in the Finnish countryside

For more than half a century Ismo Suykki with his wife lives on a remote Finnish farm. This is not even a paved road, to get to the home of the primer can be laid through the private forest. Children have long left for the city, and Ismo leave native places did not want to, despite the fact that the entry of Finland into the European Union put an end to small-scale farming and rural concerns almost gone. Now Ismo occasional carpenter, watching the house and said that he would leave only when the time comes to die.

All this in Finland is not so, as we have. Excellent roads, fast trains, expensive but quality food, the highest social protection of citizens. One problem - the citizens of those few. On the territory comparable to the size of Germany's population is almost 14 times less - only 5, 5 million souls. Therefore, probably, the Finns are used to settle freely, on a grand scale: for example, near the city of Lappeenranta is located on the square in Minsk 6 times more, but lives in it only 70 thousand people..

No in Finland and villages. All local villages, whether town or hamlet, called "Cul", but they are similar to our Belarusian village not found.

"Street, square, standing close to each other at home? - says Gemma, brother Ismo, who agreed to introduce us to a relative and show farm hermit. - No, this is not in Finland. There is land, the house and the forest around it, and the nearest neighbor can live 300 meters or kilometers. "

Cul larger - in our opinion it is something like a small town. Usually in such there are bus station, gas station, post office, shops, a sauna, and a few stone houses with apartments. Along the perimeter of (but not necessarily at a great distance!) - rows of private houses with large areas. "The land that my ancestors gave the King of Sweden, - casually, as if it is in order, says Gemma, as we drive off-road vehicle on the snow-covered forest to the border of Russia. - It is five hundred years ago, and since then all the generations of our family live here. The ancestor that has made the royal mercy, bred horses, helped selfless cause of the Swedes, for which he was awarded the land allotment. "

Land for Finn - basic values ​​in life. The right to life is enshrined in law ownership, every site has its documented use: this piece - the construction of a home or a farm where you can grow vegetables, then - to graze cattle. Wood adds to the site of significant value. Of course, with a personal site you can do anything, including sale, pledge, bank, exchange.

Gemma genuinely surprised question why house and land people in Finland are not fenced, as is common in Belarus. Passing several kyuley on the road to Ismo, we consider the private ownership of the villagers, and none of them is not fenced.

"I do not even know how to answer ... - frowns Finn. - Why do we need fences? To show where the ends of your allotment? Thus it is possible to check the perimeter of the land register. And look: the neighbors live far away, the farm stand alone ".

Another interesting feature of the Finnish way of life in - cooperative ownership. For example, some farmers can pool their financial efforts to buy a lake, a forest area, to build a mill, drier and even open a bank. This reduces the cost of farming: there is always the possibility to use the common property or to obtain a bank loan on their own companions. Economic relations within the cooperation can be very different: the payment in cash or a favor - is solved by its participants.

"As far as I know, some time in Finland are prohibited from buying land to foreigners - continues Hemmi. - But if you are interested in price, I must say that it all depends on the purpose of the land, which is offered for sale of power. For example, in Imatra, where I live, an area of ​​1000 square meters, designed for the construction of private homes will be yours for € 30 thousand. There are allotments of € 10 per hectare, for example, if the authorities of the settlements are to attract people, to stop negative growth, healthier demographics. 70% of the land in Finland are in private hands. "

New interesting fact: the largest enterprises in the "fat" days of buying land as an object of long-term investments, and in the difficult years of them for sale. It is curious that such trades in many companies, regardless of the production. In a region where we are in the lead paper mills. They were here a lot: five major industries provide Europe "gloss" of the Russian forest.

"Now we go on private forest - shows us the snow-covered trees Hemmi. - But the road through it - in the possession of the municipality. Finland has a law allowing you to walk on private forests, picking mushrooms and berries. Banned hunting and deforestation. Across the country, it banned campfires, but if there is such a need, you should inform the fire department. "

Carved section spurs Gemma tell a little more about the peculiarities of life in Finland: "to cut down their trees, you can not demand, including environmentalists. However, the law requires you to contact your seedlings and planted exactly the same amount of forest that has been destroyed. " Finally we come to the Ismo home. He has already met us near the road. After the Soviet-Finnish war of 12 acres owned by his ancestors, defected to the Soviet Union - he shows us in the distant forest, where the present-day Russia begins. There it land. But after moving the border into Finland, it moved a lot of people, and the places where we are now, significantly, "compacted": the authorities distributed free land arrived with the "one" side.

Ismo whole life was a big farmer. As mentioned above, the entry of Finland into the EU put an end to commercial agriculture: the farmers previously received compensation for products produced by the current standards of the EU such they should not: the climate is not disadvantageous in any circumstances. The only way - to keep a herd of cows, to engage in the meat and dairy industry. However, Ismo cows to the heart does not lie. Land he sold neighbor as pastures (at that time such as the business is going well), leaving himself only forest.

Solid wooden house. At the nearest to the entrance of a birch tree - a plate with the number "1970".

"My farm was recognized as the best in the area, - not without pride, says Ismo. - And then several times received the title. "

Farmland Finn "covered" a network of Wi-Fi. Internet "flies" is bright, it is clear that Ismo does not consider himself a recluse, interested in life outside their kyuli. The truth is, Foursquare is not any point to Chekina: wilderness, even for Finnish standards incredible.

Ismo home alone. Four children have long left in the city, his wife - in the village to work, the company villager are only two cats and portraits of ancestors on the wall. Father and mother, grandparents, great-grandfather. And now - Photo parents' house, which was destroyed by a direct hit during the war. New costs since 1952.

The farm at Ismo simple, like himself a way of life. After the closed business, it is to monitor the forest, making sanitary felling, firewood heat their home to go to the village for groceries, patching dilapidated house so the neighbors carpenter, earning it a penny or two. In snowy winters in the cooperative duties include cleaning the roads. The assistant - an old tractor in a separate shed.

"You do not be surprised set of machines - Ismo smiles, seeing us at a huge warehouse previously used for storage of agricultural products. - Buy them my children, nothing really expensive is not here. Why buy? Here in the city there is a lake on the ice that winter skate well. Finnish pure entertainment! "

Paced between the rows of cars. An old "trade winds" and "Mercedes", "Volvo" and even VAZ, no one knows how they got on this side of the border. And yet - "Chevrolet Malibu" affordable American luxury in the past. Where urgent look tractors and snowmobiles - Ismo starts his engine to warm up. Farmers complained that this year's winter produce any machine stood almost the whole season around.

"I once had a desire to leave the farm and move into the village, - says Ismo. - Even has a flat near her I'll lease. But somehow I did not grow together, planning to go only to die when no longer able to care for themselves. Still have a cottage on an island on the lake, for it, too, should look. "

Ismo does not seem that his life like the life of a hermit. Says the car the distance did not seem so big and snow does not stop life on the farm: helps the tractor. Moreover, in his life, though carried out fully here in unimaginable wilderness, bringing it to happen in Spain and Germany, first in Barcelona and then in Berlin, his daughter lived. I have relatives in Scotland, Emirates and even America.

"Finnish village, too, is dying - continues our thought about the difficult situation in the Belarusian village of Ismo. - That all changed with the entry of Finland into the EU. It is a pity, of course, that it happened because life was better for farmers. Revenue fell very much land are in decline, people go to the city. "

The house Ismo Suykki dug flagpole. On each national holiday, he raises the sky blue cross on a white canvas. And it will do so even as much as have the strength. Then close the house and leave the city to live out his life, and on the card may be gone another Cul on the already sparsely populated Finnish soil.