Sakari Linden from Finland: ‘Sometimes, I think that Russian is an engineering construct’
As a former political advisor to the European Parliament, Sakari has visited Russia several times. Although his initial goal was to strengthen relations between Finno-Ugric peoples, traveling around the country inspired him to learn Russian. And he told us about his journey.
My name is Sakari Linden and I am 43 years old. I am Finnish, but I have been living in Belgium for eight years. I have a master's degree in political science from the University of Turku in Finland and in international law from the University of Edinburgh. I have worked as an assistant deputy in the Finnish Parliament and as a political advisor in the European Parliament and I have also worked as the executive director of the Association of Finnish Culture and Identity NGO.
Why Russian?
I started studying Russian, because I was involved in promoting cooperation between Finno-Ugric peoples and was often in Russia. Before I started studying Russian, I spent three weeks in the city of Yoshkar-Ola learning Mari, which is a Finno-Ugric language spoken in the Volga region. But, I didn't understand the main language of the country, which made me sad. So, I decided to take up Russian to be able to communicate with people from Russia. At first, I studied Russian “for myself”, but then, it began to come in handy in my professional sphere.
Apart from the language, I am also interested in Russian history and culture. I’ve read Russian classics like, for example, Mikhail Bulgakov's ‘The Master and Margarita’, but in Finnish. The first book I read in Russian was Lev Gumilev's ‘From Rus to Russia’.
A Finnish man in the Russian North
I really like the mentality of the inhabitants of the Russian North, which I think is very similar to Finnish. Thanks to my origin, I easily find a common language with Russians. Like my people, they are a bit melancholic and don't like to pretend. For example, neither a Finn nor a Russian will smile at you just to try to make a good impression.
I first took up Russian in 2013, when I was still living in Finland. Then, in the Fall of 2015, I took a two-month language course in Petrozavodsk, Karelia. After taking a break of a few years, I resumed my studies and, in 2020, enrolled in a course at the Russian Center for Science and Culture in Brussels (now the Russian House in Brussels). Since then, I have been studying the language there and, in my spare time, I try to read articles in Russian online.
The main challenges while learning Russian
At first, it was quite difficult for me to master Russian. I had to learn Germanic and Romance languages before. After learning English, it was easier to learn Swedish and, after learning French, it was easier to learn Spanish, Italian and Portuguese. Mari was also easy to learn, because its grammatical structure and vocabulary are similar to my native Finnish.
But, Russian was different, because it was the first Slavic language I took up. Sometimes, I think that Russian, with all its verb prefixes, is an engineering construct. I still can't understand why you need two different verb forms to express a current or ongoing action!
In addition, learning Russian is complicated by the fact that it contains many roots that are not similar to Western European roots.
During the course of the lessons, my level of Russian has advanced considerably, especially during my studies in Petrozavodsk (the main city of Karelia). Now, I believe I can speak and understand Russian quite well.
The Russian language is both elegant and strong. It sounds equally beautiful in the mouth of a refined woman and a strong man. I think this language is an expression of a civilization with deep cultural roots. I often notice that people who speak Russian are very confident, which is due to their strong national identity.
Main advice for those who start learning Russian
I don't think it's possible to learn a language without immersing yourself in its culture. There just are many words and expressions whose meaning is impossible to grasp without it. To get a feel for a language, it is important to understand the mentality of its speakers.
For example, if in response to the question “how are you?” Russians will answer “fine”, which really means that everything is fine. And Europeans and Americans are more likely to think that the person may have some problems.
But, nevertheless, learning Russian is worth it. It is the language of a rich and centuries-old civilization and one of the most widespread languages of the planet. The ability to speak and understand Russian opens up a new perspective on the world, as well as many professional opportunities.
